The First 180 Days: A Pastor Plans His Transition
Have you ever heard the old adage: A pastor should never change anything in his first year…except his socks and underwear?
Well, we think you can’t wait that long to make changes! 40 percent of executives hired at the senior level are pushed out, fail, or quit within 18 months. (“Rise of a headhunter” Financial Times, March 30, 2009 ) So if you can’t wait to make changes, you should manage the transition.
Fr. Lorig’s tips?
- Take care of your emotional, spiritual, and physical health
- Hit the ground listening. Communication means listening first and then answering the questions people actually have for you.
- Get to know the culture of your people, and find your leaders.
- Ask LOTS of questions
- What are the church’s/ministry’s greatest strengths?
- How does the community view the church?
- What have been the greatest challenges facing the church in recent years?
- What are the attendance statistics for the last few years?
- What is your dream for the church’s future?
- What stands out as the church’s fondest memory?
- How healthy is the church financially? What is the church’s debt? How are financial decisions made?
- Ask for the latest financial statement and annual budget.
- How are decisions made at the staff and board level?
- How tolerant of change is the church? How did the last significant change go? What is off limits for change?
- How would you describe the staff unity and relationships?
- Is there a staff organizational chart? Ask for one.
- How would you define my success one, three, and five years out?
- What were the strengths and weaknesses of the prior person who filled this role?
- How are staff hired and fired?
- Don’t be heavy handed.
- Achieve some early successes and celebrate them before making bigger changes.
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Hosts
Fr. Jeff Lorig – Pastor at St. Joan of Arc and St. Thomas More
Jim Jansen – Director of Pastoral Services, Archdiocese of Omaha
4 Responses to “The First 180 Days: A Pastor Plans His Transition”
Thank you, Nicole, for sharing your business ownership experience. Ownership is key! Ownership of the vision, the mission, the culture and the desired outcomes is every parish leader’s responsibility! We are cheering for you and your team at SMM in your work of transforming the culture 😊
I enjoyed the podcast and found it very helpful as a parishioner to see what goes on in the mind of a new pastor. This podcast is helpful for me to know how I can be a positive influence in helping the pastor transition to his new church. I agree the pastor should identify leaders, ask them the questions identified in the podcast, and then listen. I have learned through my previous work experience in the secular environment, that the most influential leaders are not necessarily the ones serving in a leadership role, e.g. supervisor, manager, etc., so I think it is real important for the new pastor to seek out those “pew leaders” that are not in charge of, or involved in any particular ministry. These “pew leaders” may have a positive or negative influence, but they need to be listened to as well so you have a well-rounded view of the culture. I know you are a good shepherd Fr. Lorig and your new parishioners are blessed to have you lead them!
Linda, this is such a great insight! Yesterday I heard a pastor talk about a type of “clericalism” that we find in parishes were we assume that you have authority or influence if you are a paid staff member. But this fails to recognize, as you say, that there are many “pew leaders” who should really be brought into the conversation and empowered to lead.
I enjoyed this talk. I love what you had to share about strategies for the first 6 months. Although I work as the Development Director at SSM, I purchased a business in 2018 that had been in existence for 18 years, and I still operate it today. My new owner transition went well. I had to correct many policies, procedures and habits that were “off brand” and negatively impacting the bottom line and customer experience. I agree that sometimes you do not have the luxury of a year to wait before implementing change. The art in all of this is how you communicate and deal with the troops as you begin the transition. I learned it is ok to set boundaries and be transparent with all stakeholders. That transparency and respectful communication is the key to success. All the things we learned at Global Leadership apply!!! Good luck Father Lorig and good Jim J. as you begin your new positions. I am cheering for you!