Transitions are inevitable.

Transitions are inevitable. Both seniors and juniors will eventually move on from their current positions. Transitions could result from moving locations, changing jobs, developing new tastes and preferences, death, or even a little "bad blood" within the team. A wrong approach would be to pray against transitions and try to hoard every team member through either prayer or better rewards. Instead, it’s wiser to prepare for the inevitable. In this article, I'll focus on transitions in ministry—what I initially called "handing over." The question you should keep in mind as you read this is: "Am I here forever?" (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

In handing over, we need to pass on several things: ministry and management, experience and exposure, money and manpower, and lastly, lessons and the learning curve. These terms won’t be defined in detail here, but to the best of my knowledge, they're self-explanatory. If not, feel free to ask, and we can dive deeper into the discussion.

Handing over may seem premature to think about when you've just started serving. However, it’s crucial to understand that handing over is a long process and may sometimes happen abruptly, especially in ministry. We’re dealing with souls, and this calls for intentional care in how we transition things and people (Proverbs 11:14).

This lesson first came to me on 15th February 2022 as I was praying and reflecting on the text about new wine and old wineskins (Luke 5:33-39). It’s a fascinating passage when you think about it carefully.

Back then, I wrote this down, and I'll copy-paste it word for word... "Why I should hand over—Luke 5:33-39. Looking into this text, Jesus is questioned about fasting. He responds and then goes on to share a parable. In the parable, He talks of garments, skins, patches, and wine. He explains how the new rarely fits with the old, and if forced, expect tearing, spilling, and ruining. I learned a valuable lesson on why every leader should always work towards handing over. In this session, God spoke of a 5-year timeline, but as I write this, I’m reminded that Jesus handed over in 3 years. Every 5 years, a lot changes. The leader who started the 5 years is now old and may struggle to accommodate or understand new ideas! They are stuck in systems and structures and can end up missing the Savior’s agenda. We (the old) think the old (ideas) are better, not realizing that it’s just good for us (the old) and not functional for the new and upcoming generation of leaders. The tough question, however, is: Is it possible to hand over every 5 years? The answer is Yes. With intentional leadership and mentorship, it is possible." End of quote.

See how God helped me understand that text that day? Jesus was telling the scribes and Pharisees that there are new things they would neither get nor understand, even if those things were beaten into their skulls. Make room for the new (Isaiah 43:19 calls us to that).

This is key for any leader to learn and understand. At some point in your leadership journey, you’ll be "old." This might be age-wise, in terms of ideas, or if terms are defined, when your term comes to an end (Psalm 90:12).