The year 2024 marks my 35th year as the senior pastor of the same church. I’m about to turn 64. After I step away, how should I be involved in my church?
I’m faced with lots of options: leaving completely, remaining as a staff pastor with a different role, and everything in between. I don’t know what my future will look like, but I do know a few truths that will inform my answer.
1. The Local Church Is Bought by Jesus
It may feel like my church, my flock, my people, my family—and in some ways it is. But ultimately, this local church does not belong to me. It belongs to Jesus, and I am seeking to keep it true to its purpose during my stint at the helm. Therefore, my job is to be faithful to the Chief Shepherd, not to influence the life of the church around “my ministerial career.” A friend of mine asked if I had given any thought to what my last expositional series would be. I think that is the wrong way to look at it. The last series of sermons I preach should be the next series the congregation needs to look
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