There is no doubt that losing a preaching minister can be a time of upheaval for a church, especially if the preacher leaves under difficult circumstances. If a minister simply retires after long and faithful service, or if he moves to another area in response to God’s leading, it can be a time of sweet sorrow.
His congregation can honor him with farewell gifts and celebrations, thank him with personal tributes and remembrances, and rejoice with him as he moves into another area of life and ministry. He and his family can continue to be on the hearts of his former flock and be upheld in prayer as well.
But what about when a preacher leaves in what many in the church family feel are less-than-ideal circumstances? Maybe people are dissatisfied with his performance, whether real or perceived. Does this setup the church for a “split”? How does the flock and the elders repair whatever damage there may be, (real or perceived) hold the church together for the present, and move forward into what can seem to be an uncertain future?
The first and most crucial factor in answering any questions about a preacher’s departure begins with an understanding of exactly to whom the church belongs. The church does not belong to the preacher, or to the leadership or the congregation. The church belongs to Christ, the Head of His church.
The word church means literally the “assembly of the called-out ones.” These called-out ones gather together to worship their Head... Christ. They are committed to following His lead in all they do, to obeying Him, and to presenting an accurate picture of Him to a watching world. The church is the body of Christ. He died for His body, and His body lives for Him. Until and unless the leadership is committed to this biblical model and the congregation comes to grips with this truth, no preacher can be truly successful.
So the first step in surviving the loss of a preaching minister under any circumstances is for the congregation guided by its leadership to define the church and its mission. Additionally, there must be unanimity among the leadership in their understanding of and commitment to the church, both the local church and the Church universal. Much church dissension comes from a lack of uniformity in the beliefs and commitments of its leaders, and, in fact, many preachers leave for just this reason. So, before beginning to seek another preacher, the church leadership must agree on the Headship of Christ.
Second, the leadership must understand and be committed to the sovereignty of God in all things, but most especially at the time of the preachers departure. Nothing that happened was a surprise to God; either He caused the preacher to leave or He allowed it to further enrich His divine will and purposes. Either way, He has assured us that all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28), and the church can take comfort in the knowledge that they are being led by the Sovereign God who is involved in every detail of the life and ministry of the church. A clear and grounded confidence in God’s sovereign control over the church will lead the people to say with the apostle Paul, “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14).
Third, the departure of a preacher is a good time to reevaluate and/or redefine the mission and work of the church. There are obvious mandates from Scripture—teaching and preaching the Word, worshipping and glorifying God, and fulfilling the commission to spread the gospel—but how exactly are these things prioritized in the church, and what kind of future preacher is needed to help achieve the church’s goals?
If the church is known for its emphasis on missionary outreach, then a preaching minister with the same experience and vision would be a good fit for the congregation. If the church feels especially called to minister to children, to the poor, to the elderly, or to local immigrant populations, the potential minister should have a heart for those ministries. Church splits have occurred where the preacher and the leadership have different visions of their calling, and that can be avoided up front by a clear and well-thought out vision of the role of the church in the community and the world.
Finally, before any attempt is made to replace a preacher, the leadership should analyze objectively why he left. If the problems that caused his untimely or unexpected departure still exist, avoiding a painful repetition will be nearly impossible.
For example, if there is a problem of sin in the congregation that was never effectively dealt with, that must be resolved before calling another man to the church. The apostle Paul dealt with an extraordinarily sinful and stiff-necked group of people in the Corinthian church, which was continually divided and wracked with conflict. They were selfish, disorderly, and worldly. Sin stained the Lord’s Table. They fought with each other, sued each other, took sexual advantage of each other, and were proud.
Think about it... to ask a new preacher to come innocently into a church whose members exhibit such behavior is terribly unfair and only invites another painful departure. It is up to the church leadership to institute Matthew 18 discipline, preferably before the new pastor arrives or soon thereafter, as long as he is fully aware of the situation.
God never promised that the church would be a perfect place and everyone would get along in perfect harmony. Quite the contrary. He warned that His family would be Satan’s prime target for mischief. If leaders keep that knowledge at the center of all their dealings with “one another” then the tasks of ministering to the saints will be much less challenging and the blessing of peace and love will truly abound within the brotherhood.
