How do you know when it is time to leave one ministry assignment for another?
Some ministry leaders seem to leave a church or ministry too soon while others may wonder if they stayed too long. At the end of the day, we rest in the sovereignty of God. But at the same time, we do not want to be unwise about transitions.
In a recent Leadership Lessons interview, I talked with a guest who is transitioning away from pastoral leadership into a different ministry role. He reached a point where he believed he had fulfilled the assignment God has given him and is now excited about what’s next.
How can those of us in ministry leadership know when it’s time to leave a current ministry assignment for the next one? Here are six suggestions:
1. Be faithful where you are: International Mission Board President Dr. Paul Chitwood was once able to ask General Colin Powell his best advice for young leaders. Gen. Powell said, “Do your job, don’t worry about your next job, and take care of your troops.” That is good advice for pastors and ministry leaders. The best mindset for those who enjoy the privilege of being called into Christian ministry leadership is to see ourselves as workers in someone else’s fields. The landowner knows where he placed us, and he can move us when he is ready. Our priority is to remain faithful.
2. Be open to God’s calling: In September 1989 I surrendered my life to Christ and have never wanted to turn back. My wife Connie and I have tried to live our life together with our “yes” to Jesus on the table. When God calls, we want to be ready to obey. My father-in-law, a retired Baptist pastor, regularly reminds people, “Don’t drive your stakes too deep.” He means that we are people under authority and need to be ready to say “yes” as God leads.
3. Seek the Lord earnestly: Psalm 32:8 reminds us, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” Any ministry leader or pastor who is considering leaving a place of ministry must earnestly seek the Lord. We can pray, fast, listen and wait with full confidence that our Heavenly Farther will not withhold any good thing from us, including His guidance.
4. Listen to wise counsel: Proverbs 11:14 instructs us of a helpful resource for making sound decisions. The author wrote, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” If we want to live well and make wise decisions, then we will do well to seek wise counsel. Sometimes another person’s perspective on your situation is exactly what you need to process how the Lord may be leading. When considering a transition, we do not need to talk to everyone, but it would be helpful if we talk to someone.
5. Respond to invitations: The great reality for manyin church leadership is that our seasons of discouragement in a ministry setting seldom line up with invitations to consider other opportunities. I believe that timing is providential. But when an invitation comes our way, we can take it to the Lord, remember that our “yes” is on the table and trust God to let us know whether we should consider an opportunity to move to a different ministry assignment.
6. Sense God’s direction and be settled: God led Israel with a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night (Exodus 13:21). God can lead us as well. Our responsibility is to know Him and His ways, to spend time with Him in His word and in prayer, and to believe by faith that God will lead us. Once we have a clear sense of His direction, whether it is to stay or to go, then we need to be settled and serve the Lord wholeheartedly.
Many leaders have spent hours wondering whether God was leading them to a new place of ministry. While it is good to ask that question, it is also good to get it settled and be faithful in the assignment the Lord gives.
Dr. Todd Gray 