Looking at the American Mega-church of today, I think there is one profound issue that is generally ignored, but that is devastating to momentum, effectiveness and mission: SUCCESSION
Once a church is either started by, or grown by a dynamic, powerful leader, how do they make sure the church, as an organization, doesn’t become subject to the fate of its leader? To take this a different way, if Bill Hybels, Rob Bell, and Joel Olsteen were no longer at their respective churches - what would happen to their church’s influence and mission? If you think I am being unfair, America, a super power in the world, changes top leadership every 4-8 years, and maintains its presence, and has even done so through crises like wars!
This thought was inspired by a book I am reading by Peter Drucker, here is the specific quote from “Management Challenges for the 21st Century”:
“Yet we now practice - and not only in American industry - the most extreme “personality cult” of CEO supermen. And no one seems to pay the slightest attention in our present worship of these larger-than-life CEOs to the question of how and by what process they are to be succeeded - and yet, succession has always been the ultimate test of any top management and the ultimate test of any institution.”
So, replace “CEO” with “Pastor”, cause the same dynamic certainly exists, and how are American churches doing?
How are the children’s, youth, and other pastor lead ministries doing at succession?
How is the Church passing Drucker’s “ultimate test”, across the board?
What do you guys think?
