Comments on: Handling transitions with dignity http://charleswear.com/2008/02/02/handling-transitions-with-dignity/ the publisher of Next-Wave Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:50:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Charlie Wear http://charleswear.com/2008/02/02/handling-transitions-with-dignity/#comment-125 Charlie Wear Sun, 03 Feb 2008 14:46:33 +0000 http://charleswear.com/2008/02/02/handling-transitions-with-dignity/#comment-125 In the church "business" we aim to prevent "mistakes (sin)." Of course, this is why, most of the time we live in a kind of Fantasyland instead of reality. I am sure that the pressures of running an enterprise like Willow Creek would cause anyone to crack within a few years, especially the pressure of doing your job in front of the Founder and Senior Pastor that you have just replaced. There is a pretty consistent history of the failure of the transition from founder to whoever is next. This is especially so when the next leader is a generation or more beyond. The reason is, that despite the best efforts of church leaders, it is difficult to achieve an "intergenerational" congregation. The rule of thumb is that the group will be up to ten years older and ten years younger than the key leader. This creates a dilemma. In order to prevent the death (literally) of the organization, it must constantly be renewed with younger people. But younger people are not usually attracted to older leaders. Don't know that any of this is at play, but I could have predicted when Gene Appel was the lead voice in explaining the demise of Axis (the young adult church within a church at Willow) that this might cost him a ton of leadership equity. In the church “business” we aim to prevent “mistakes (sin).” Of course, this is why, most of the time we live in a kind of Fantasyland instead of reality. I am sure that the pressures of running an enterprise like Willow Creek would cause anyone to crack within a few years, especially the pressure of doing your job in front of the Founder and Senior Pastor that you have just replaced.

There is a pretty consistent history of the failure of the transition from founder to whoever is next. This is especially so when the next leader is a generation or more beyond.

The reason is, that despite the best efforts of church leaders, it is difficult to achieve an “intergenerational” congregation. The rule of thumb is that the group will be up to ten years older and ten years younger than the key leader. This creates a dilemma. In order to prevent the death (literally) of the organization, it must constantly be renewed with younger people. But younger people are not usually attracted to older leaders.

Don’t know that any of this is at play, but I could have predicted when Gene Appel was the lead voice in explaining the demise of Axis (the young adult church within a church at Willow) that this might cost him a ton of leadership equity.

]]> By: Scott http://charleswear.com/2008/02/02/handling-transitions-with-dignity/#comment-124 Scott Sun, 03 Feb 2008 03:38:14 +0000 http://charleswear.com/2008/02/02/handling-transitions-with-dignity/#comment-124 You know when a football team that is supposed to be great fails to make the playoffs, it becomes assumed by the media that the head coach will be fired? That's the feeling I got as I read Willow's report on their failure at making disciples. I immediately started wondering who's head would roll over it. Maybe that is the "story behind the story" of the recent departures... I'm not sure. I do remember reading about a former IBM exec that made a decision that cost the company literally 10 million dollars. He appeared before his boss, sure he would be terminated. "I'm not going to fire you!" his boss exclaimed, "I just spent $10 million training you for this job." Well that's a long way to ask, why is it that a large part of the church can't seem to deal people's mistakes? You know when a football team that is supposed to be great fails to make the playoffs, it becomes assumed by the media that the head coach will be fired? That’s the feeling I got as I read Willow’s report on their failure at making disciples. I immediately started wondering who’s head would roll over it. Maybe that is the “story behind the story” of the recent departures… I’m not sure.

I do remember reading about a former IBM exec that made a decision that cost the company literally 10 million dollars. He appeared before his boss, sure he would be terminated. “I’m not going to fire you!” his boss exclaimed, “I just spent $10 million training you for this job.”

Well that’s a long way to ask, why is it that a large part of the church can’t seem to deal people’s mistakes?

]]> By: Tom http://charleswear.com/2008/02/02/handling-transitions-with-dignity/#comment-123 Tom Sun, 03 Feb 2008 01:04:39 +0000 http://charleswear.com/2008/02/02/handling-transitions-with-dignity/#comment-123 Yeah, I haven't experienced the greatest departings myself. I have always marveled at Willow's approach to these matters and it seems they have been consistant over the years. One thing you said is that closure is an impossibility. That is so true in whatever the case may be. We still have a small tiny bit that remains at each place we have departed that wishes for a split second that things could have been different. One thing is for sure, when given the opportunity to lead, I want to lead like the example from Willow and not from the ones I have been apart of. Still learning, Yeah, I haven’t experienced the greatest departings myself. I have always marveled at Willow’s approach to these matters and it seems they have been consistant over the years. One thing you said is that closure is an impossibility. That is so true in whatever the case may be. We still have a small tiny bit that remains at each place we have departed that wishes for a split second that things could have been different. One thing is for sure, when given the opportunity to lead, I want to lead like the example from Willow and not from the ones I have been apart of.

Still learning,

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