We all have a certain competency level .
There is danger in always trying to function at a level where we don ’ t have sufficient competency , gifting or equipping . You don ’ t want me working on your car , building your house , and certainly not doing your surgery . Neither do you want me to be the President of the United States . I think I have a pretty good feel for my level of competency and if the ministry I serve grows to a point where I think it has outgrown me , it is a good indicator that my shelf life has expired and that for the good of the ministry as well as my own , I need to move on .
Know when to move on .
One of the fears with which I have lived is that of not knowing when I should move on . It feels right to me to move on at the height of ministry as opposed to when heading down hill . To that end in my last pastorate I chose two men in the church whom I loved and trusted and took them to lunch with an agenda . My agenda was for them to observe my ministry closely with the question , “ Has his ministry peaked ?” I made a covenant with them that if either one of them felt the answer was “ yes ” that they would , as my brothers and friends , come to me and tell me . I want to be the first to know when my shelf life has expired , not the last . I would rather ride off into the sunset while many if not most think it too soon rather than when the word on the street is , “ I ’ m glad he ’ s gone . He should have gone a long time ago .”
By being proactive I was protecting myself and protecting the church from the tendency to get comfortable and ignore telltale signs that the time is up .
“ Moses my servant is dead .” Harsh but true words . My hope and my prayer for me as well as you is that we will seek helpful truth and
honesty from others rather than blind comfort and praise .
Randall Spence , Ph . D ., has spent his long career as a pastor , CEO of a long-term health care organization , state denominational overseer ( 220 churches ), and a turnaround leader for churches and small business . He currently works with churches and small business in turnaround , restructuring and culture change . He coaches and consults and is often referred to as an “ organizational coach .”
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