PODCAST | Succession Planning for Seamless Pastoral Transitions with Dr. Gary Smith

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Today’s conversation is extremely helpful for pastors currently planning for succession or in the midst of a transition. Our Founder and CEO, William Vanderbloemen interviews Dr. Gary Smith, who served as the Senior Pastor of Fielder Church in Arlington, Texas for 25 years.

Gary shares some lessons he learned while developing a succession plan, guiding the church and new pastor through an effective transition, and overcoming the emotional journey that accompanies a monumental life change. He discusses both the challenges and rewards that can arise while equipping a candidate to take on the pastoral responsibilities within the church. Gary has continued working in ministry even through retirement and is an excellent reminder that God has a calling for us in every season of life. He released a book titled, Pastoral Transitions: A Seamless Hand Off of Leadership and started a non-profit called Real Church Solutions that aids churches through succession in a way that allows all parties to thrive.

This conversation serves to give you guidance as you cast vision for the future of your church and plan for your succession, no matter when it’s coming. So we hope you find Gary’s insights and personal experience beneficial as you plan for what’s next.

Before we dive into their conversation, we want to offer a free copy of William Vanderbloemen’s book, Next: Pastoral Succession That Works to one of our listeners today since succession is a topic close to our hearts at Vanderbloemen. Next is packed with research, interviews, and practical solutions for creating a succession plan that works. If you’re interested in entering, email us at support@vanderbloemen.com with the subject line “Free Book.” We will email you back if you’re our lucky winner!

Tweet your takeaways from today’s show using the hashtag #vandercast and join our Facebook group to see exclusive content from each episode.

Resources:

• Pastoral Transitions: A Seamless Hand Off of Leadership
• Real Church Solutions
• Ephesians 2:10 Project

Transcript