Letting go of leadership — painful but necessary
By Joy Bolton
Churchwide and associational lead strategist
National WMU
In 2017, I spent weeks wrestling with the decision to retire as executive director of Kentucky WMU. I loved my job, was in good health and had good relationships in my setting. Yet there was a nagging in my soul that it was time.
… Some of it was my ego. I had set a personal goal for how long I wanted to be the WMU leader in Kentucky, and retirement in 2018 would mean not making the goal.
I prayed. I did not sleep well for weeks. But I paid attention. … And then my pastor spoke from Philippians 1:19–26, where Paul wrote about how he had wrestled with staying or leaving. And in that message, I knew I was not the first to struggle with the decision to stay or go, to retire or keep working.
And so, I announced in October 2017 that I would retire “not sooner than Sept. 1, 2018, and not later than Sept. 1, 2019.”
In God’s providence, Liz Encinia was called as our new leader, and she arrived on Oct. 15, 2018. We had two weeks together for the transition. …
She does things differently. Yes, I keep up via social media, but I don’t interfere. I am watching, praying and cheering from a distance. I am celebrating her wins and the good things I see taking place.
Letting go of leadership is also needed in churches and associations. There are times someone stays in leadership for many, many years. While such faithfulness is appreciated, the outcome is new leaders are not developed. And when the leader is unable to continue, there is no one to step into the role.
Every leader needs to develop other leaders. Do this by inviting others to join you in events and tasks. Assign responsibilities and give compliments along the way. Affirm the leadership others exhibit and encourage their work. Whether leadership is exhibited in a one-time assignment or ongoing work, by noticing and affirming the efforts, you are developing leadership skills.
Some lessons I have learned include when guidance is needed, wait to comment. Ask questions about the event or task. What went well? What was difficult? What problems did you encounter? What would have been a help in this situation?
Often, by asking well-placed questions, the emerging leader notes the same things, but now the needed changes and improvements are her idea. Your role is simply to facilitate her development as a leader. (I must acknowledge I did it wrong many times, jumping in with comments and criticisms that were not well received. Stepping back from leadership has helped my perspective!)
When the time comes to hand off leadership to the next leader, always remember if the situation falls apart after you leave, you have not done your job as a leader. It is tempting to want everything to go wrong so you will be appreciated more. My dad used to encourage me to work so hard that when I was gone, the people there would know it. While the encouragement to work hard and do a good job is important, the reality is if things go well, even if they go differently, you have done your job and left a strong foundation upon which to build.
Letting go can be both painful and joyous simultaneously — painful when a chapter of life closes, but joyous that our work continues through the next leader.
You may not be retiring from a job or leadership position but simply stepping back to allow others the opportunity to lead. Regardless, letting go at the right time is vital to a steady flow of leadership.
Letting go of a leadership role may be for a season or a permanent handoff. But it does not mean letting go of the mission of God.
You are still responsible for making disciples of Jesus who live on mission. You continue to pray, give, help, support and encourage. Paul wrote letters from jail when he could not go on missionary journeys, and it is his letters that have had a lasting influence. Keep that in mind as you let go of leadership, and keep encouraging new leaders through notes, cards, email and kind words.
Letting go should be on God’s timetable. Seek His direction and follow His lead. Pray for wisdom and keep praying for the next leader.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This blog post originally appeared at WMU.com.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Holding an Opinion or Opinionated?
Darryl Wood
Retired pastor
Mr. Jack was my friend and one of those unforgettable characters. A skilled craftsman who built his own boat, he could shoot a squirrel through the eyes at 100 paces.
And he was opinionated to the core. He readily voiced his opinions as we sat under front yard trees in old metal yard chairs — opinions about people he considered to be “igament” (ignorant); about overpaid preachers; about who should be welcome in the church building.
We disagreed often. But friends we remained until his death.
A big difference exists between opinions and opinionated. The former means to make a judgment about something, not necessarily based on fact. The latter, however, means to be emphatically dogmatic about an opinion. When will folks learn that they don’t have to speak every thought?
Some opinions are worth hearing. Some are not. We all have them. But being opinionated is an option, especially when you try to shove your opinion down someone else’s throat then condemn the person who rejects your view.
Perhaps the wisdom writer had opinionated people in mind when he said, “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in expressing his opinion” (Prov. 18:2). Your opinions matter. But when you have no interest in understanding the outlook of other folks, you’ve moved into opinionated territory. Get out of there on the double.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“If you’re going to give up your life for a cause, make it a worthy mission.”
Dr. Matthew Phillips
President and medical director, Life on Wheels
We forget so many times that there is a beauty and a purpose and a meaning in the difficult things we go through. And that sometimes God uses those things more than He uses the good things that happen to shape us, to mold us and to give us our voice.
Jon Erwin
Filmmaker
Did you know the baptisms of 12- to 17-year-old students are down 38% since the year 2000? Did you know these baptisms of 12- to 17-year-old students are down by at least 35,000 baptisms since the year 2000? We cannot look the other way. We cannot designate this to be addressed by anyone else. Reaching, baptizing and discipling 12- to 17-year-old students is imperative for the sake of the gospel.
Ronnie Floyd
President and CEO
SBC Executive Committee
The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, is not about abortion. … It doesn’t have anything to do with Roe v. Wade. It is about babies that are already born … babies that are born that are outside their mother. … We’re talking about killing babies that are born.
U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse (R–Neb.)
Lead sponsor, Born-Alive bill
If we keep silent in the face of injustice, we then become complacent. If we keep silent in the midst of immoral behavior, we then lose our moral direction. If we keep silent and fail to establish rules in our families, our relationships will rot, our communities will crumble, our churches will become meaningless meeting places and mere museums. … We dare confront the world.
Pastor Michael Evans
Bethlehem Baptist Church, Mansfield, Texas
Pretty much when you keep hearing, “I wish God would send somebody to [a place or people group],” there’s that point where you have to realize that’s God telling you to go there.
Rick Bristol
NAMB church planter
True North Community Church, Petoskey, Mich.
The only thing we have to offer the world they can’t get anywhere else is grace. When we fail to offer grace, our sin is enormous, our Lord is betrayed and our own hearts shrivel. Help us, Lord, to get this right.
Joe McKeever
Pastor, author, cartoonist
Our Eternal Father has a vast world of sacred children. If we asked Him, “Which children are Your favorites?” He would surely respond, “All of them! Every child is My favorite!”
Let us remember our Father’s great heart and care for all His sacred children. No favorites. No one set aside. And let us be rid of the thought that the Father loves us more or less than any of His other children.
Bob Adams
Retired pastor
What I like about TAB Media:
- TAB Media encourages conversations about issues impacting our families, both at home and church.
- TAB Media keeps me informed about Alabama Baptist entities and how they are serving the Baptist community.
- TAB Media serves as the communication hub for the Baptist community here in Alabama.
- TAB Media helps me understand the challenges and opportunities for Christians serving both in Alabama and around the world.
- TAB Media seeks to honor our Lord and Savior with its ministry.
Bill Gilmore
Director of sales, TAB
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
From the Twitterverse
@ricklance
Thanks to all who attended and participated in this year’s Sharing Hope/State Evangelism Conference. I left refreshed and encouraged. I pray others did as well.
@rayortlund
If we fight for doctrinal faithfulness and win, but we are blind to the equal authority of relational beauty, it might take a generation, but we will inevitably spiral down into angry, self-devouring fundamentalism. And the result will be as bad as the liberalism we opposed.
@PastorGregC
There are no “small” churches if they preach the gospel and make disciples. There is everywhere small holiness, small prayer, small passion, small vision and small ideas. These infect churches of all attendance numbers.
@PriscillaShirer
Overwork is a form of unbelief. Trust God. He’s good at His job. Let Him do it.
@DianeLangberg
God regards sin — not loss of reputation, or loss of institution —as the worst thing in the world.
@tanyayork
If I don’t take my thoughts captive, it is often my thoughts [that] take me captive.
@scottrswain
How to be an “elite Christian influencer” — 5 key steps:
1. Read the Bible to kids.
2. Sing psalms with kids.
3. Pray with kids.
4. Catechize kids.
5. Answer kids’ questions.
@NAMB_SBC
One year ago, @whosyour1_ was launched to inspire a culture of intentional evangelism. On the [first] anniversary of #WhosYour1, over 22,000 people have committed to share the hope of Christ with their one!
@sPeytonHill
“There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.” — Richard Sibbes
Share with others: