{"id":33045,"date":"2012-10-07T12:59:56","date_gmt":"2012-10-07T17:59:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/jesuscreed\/?p=33045"},"modified":"2012-10-02T08:03:06","modified_gmt":"2012-10-02T13:03:06","slug":"sacrificial-succession-leadership-simon-rattray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/jesuscreed\/2012\/10\/07\/sacrificial-succession-leadership-simon-rattray\/","title":{"rendered":"Sacrificial Succession Leadership: Simon Rattray"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a>This post is by Simon Rattray.\u00a0Simon G. Rattray<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is a musician and Bible teacher who interprets culture from a Christian world-view. Simon has served as a pastor and a church planter. Simon currently works as a missions consultant, disability advocate and social researcher.<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>During presentations, Simon shares his rare faith story that begins in the jungles of Borneo amongst head hunters.<\/em><\/p>\n

What we have to look at here is a carefully thought out plan for succession\u2026 and it\u2019s not easy and it needs to be examined more carefully.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Does your church have a \u201csacrificial succession\u201d plan?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Introduction and defining of terms<\/p>\n

One of the greatest challenges for leadership today is the mushrooming Generation Y population. Of special concern to researchers is the weakness in certain contemporary leadership approaches, in particular, the capacity to hand over leadership to the younger generation. \u00a0George Barna argues that Baby Boomers find succession extremely difficult and he concludes that far too few young pastors are entering the ranks of church leadership. Reasons include (a more Builder pastors are often staying on to pastor well into their eighties (b an unusually high share of Boomer pastors are not retiring or planning to retire in their mid-sixties. More importantly, Barna\u2019s findings suggest that succession planning is a glaring weakness in most Protestant denominations.<\/p>\n

For the purposes of this review, the process of \u2018handing over leadership\u2019 or succession planning is defined as follows: a structured process involving the identification and preparation of a potential successor to assume a new role. By the term \u201cstructured,\u201d succession is referred to as a process having some reliable structure and\/or custom, thereby excluding from the definition the more ad hoc or \u201cjust-in-time\u201d identification of successors.<\/p>\n

The term \u201cSacrificial Succession,\u201d can be defined as the direct consequence of the faithful application of Christ centred servant leadership. A ministry of servanthood and sacrificial succession are unnatural. They stand in sharp contrast to the dynastic and corporate successions commonly observed as succession norms today in many churches and ministries. Sacrificial Succession is the genuine outworking of servant leadership through the sacrificial handover of leadership by incumbent for successor success.<\/p>\n

The research affirms that succession planning is not uncommon. What is uncommon are incumbents (a handing over leadership in a timely manner (b personally preparing successors (c sacrificing leadership for successors (d advocating for successors post succession.<\/p>\n

The Sacrificial Succession of Jesus<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Within the leadership of Jesus we see all four of the principles mentioned above occurring intentionally. The example of succession that Christ teaches is clearly brought to bear in Matthew 20:1-28 and the other gospel parallels; Mark 10:17-45, Luke 22:24-28, John 13:1-15, 14:26, 15:9-17 and 26-27.<\/p>\n

In the Parable of the Vineyard Workers (Matthew 20:1-16) the first principle of Christ\u2019s succession plan emerges. In verse 16, Jesus teaches that the choice of successors should not be based on performance and tenure. On the contrary; \u2018the last will be first and first will be last\u2019. Jesus\u2019 qualification for leadership counters many corporate methods which are often appropriated for the benefit of an \u2018aristocratic class\u2019 who inherit leadership based on family ties or loyalty.The recognition of Paul as the Apostle to the Gentiles, despite his \u2018unnatural birth\u2019 (1 Corinthians 15:8-9), is evidence of this truth in practice.\u201d Three key phases of sacrificial succession are clearly identifiable in the ministry of Jesus.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ministry of preparation<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

As the time for the Lord\u2019s departure draws closer, Jesus reminds his disciples of his impending death for a third time.\u00a0 Here we see Jesus clearly preparing his successors for their succession prior to it occurring.\u00a0 It is crucially important to recognize the fact that Jesus makes the timing of the leadership transition clear.\u00a0 A glaring weakness within corporate successions is that the transition phase is often very unclear. \u00a0In John 15:15, Jesus explains this successional truth by considering his successors as friends rather than servants.\u00a0 Jesus makes everything he has learned from his Father known to them.\u00a0 Peter\u2019s acceptance as leader by the early church and Jesus\u2019 apparent reference to him as successor (Matthew 16:18-19, John 21:16), reinforces this important pre-succession truth.<\/p>\n

Following the example of Jesus, sacrificial pre-succession ministry involves preparing successors, appointing a successor and predicting the timing of a succession well in advance of it occurring. Many potential successors, serve sacrificially yet with selfish ambitions. This often occurs because systematic successions are corporately inclined and modelled on Papal \u201cconclaves.\u201d<\/p>\n

In (Matthew 20:20-23 and also Mark 10:35-40) the mother of James and John asks Jesus if her sons may receive favoured treatment in his succession.\u00a0 Jesus rejects the request and in verses 25-28 he warns against the worldly standards seen in the corporate and dynastic successions of the day. Also see (Mark 10:42 and Luke 22:25).<\/p>\n

Ministry of Sacrifice<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

An incumbent\u2019s ministry cannot stop with servant leadership alone.\u00a0 The incumbent must establish their true understanding of leadership and example through mediatory sacrifice for their successors.\u00a0 It was the altruistic laying down of Jesus\u2019 life for his friends (John 15:13) that most fully demonstrated this example. Thus, for a sacrificial succession to occur, a leader must lay down their leadership ambitions for the success of their successors. This is the principle missed by much of the leadership literature.\u00a0 In so doing, the spiritual and practical truth underpinning Jesus\u2019 sacrifice for us is maintained through sacrificial succession.\u00a0 We are saved by grace not works (Ephesians 2:8-9), meaning that sacrificial successors are more than mere servant leaders who \u2018give up to go up;\u2019 a phrase coined by John Maxwell. <\/strong>Incumbents willingly and expressly sacrifice their leadership for the success of their successors.\u00a0 A genuinely sacrificial succession cannot occur unless the sacrifice by incumbent for successor outweighs the sacrifice of successor for their succession.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ministry of advocacy<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

The final aspect of sacrificial succession modelled by Jesus is his advocacy on our behalf through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 The example here is that Christ voluntarily limits himself so that he can work through us. Jesus promises his disciples that he will not leave them to face things alone (John 14:18), and through the advocacy of the Holy Spirit, he will continue to remind them of his instructions (v14:26). The success of Jesus\u2019 successors so to speak, was very much tied to their \u201cabiding\u201d in him (maintaining relationship) and the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit. This important spiritual truth applied practically in a post-succession context involves replaced leader staying on as advocate for successor. In staying on post-succession, the replaced leader maximises successor success, by teaching and reminding their successors about the importance of sacrificial succession and by helping them to prepare the next generation of successors. Succession literature has often argued that it is unhealthy for replaced leader to remain present in any capacity once the transition process is complete. However this is because they do not understand the sacrificial nature of succession modelled by Jesus.<\/p>\n

Applying Sacrificial Succession<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

For a number of our projects I have prepared what we call \u201cThe Seven Steps of Sacrificial Succession.\u201d For churches and other Christian organisations who are interested in applying Sacrificial Succession to their leadership transition, the seven main steps are laid out here.\u00a0 These sacrificial succession steps are grouped into three transitional phases.\u00a0 Phase one is the pre-succession ministry of preparation of successors for succession.\u00a0 Next is the mediatory sacrifice by incumbent for successor, which defines the succession event.\u00a0\u00a0 The final post-succession phase is a mastery of advocacy by replaced leader for successor.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Ministry of preparation<\/strong> (3\u00bd years)<\/p>\n

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