Those Having Gone Before

A church’s history has various chapters written by its former pastors. The church you serve may have a vivid history.

This is true of many churches. The exception is a church planted and pastored by you alone.

Paul, the founding pastor at Corinth, wrote, “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it” (1 Corinthians 3:10).

You are building on a foundation laid by other pastors. How are you treating your predecessors? Do you speak well of them, include them, and remember them?

Honor Them

The first few months after assuming a pastorate are particularly challenging. You are accumulating information about people, the community, the facility, and the current condition of the church. You are also developing a vision. All of this takes time. However, in the first few weeks send a brief letter of introduction and appreciation to former pastors of the church, even if they served a relatively short time. By this simple act you acknowledge and honor their service with the congregation. Your letter may not only build new bridges, but it may also restore damaged ones.

A minister can honor his predecessor in a number of ways. If the church keeps a list of parishioners’ birthdays or anniversaries, update the list by including former pastors and their spouses. They will delight in receiving a note from those who have labored beside them in the past.

Honor their families. In recent years the wives of two former pastors of our church died. These couples faithfully ministered and touched lives in our community many decades ago. Few people (myself included) knew them. However, it was important for the congregation to send words of appreciation and condolences, and send flower arrangements to their memorial services.

If a former pastor visits the church, do not ignore him. Have him greet the congregation, and if appropriate bring a message from the Word. In doing this, you will seldom damage your own relationship with the church family. In most cases, you will enhance it.

Speak No Evil

In the pastoral lineage of your church, there may be persons who either distinguished themselves or disgraced themselves. The appropriate response to both is the same –– speak no evil.

Following a particularly effective ministry has its challenges. Some pastoral predecessors have wonderful abilities and gifts that people in your community found outstanding. It is easy to become insecure when comparing yourself to those who have gone before (and pastors, myself included, can at times be insecure). Yet, you must remember that God, in His perfect timing, led the previous pastor to another place of ministry, and provided you opportunity to pastor this church. Your abilities will certainly be different, but God will use them to add another layer to the ministry that was built before you.

Remember, Joshua followed Moses — not an easy assignment. Yet God used Joshua in a unique way that influenced the people of Israel for the generations that followed.

Different times and different challenges require different tools. Regardless of how greatly God used other people in the past, be assured that He desires to use you in different and greater ways in the future. The person who stood in the pulpit before you may have done things differently or even better, but do not dismiss their abilities or diminish their accomplishments. Hurting them will only hurt you. Accept their successes, acknowledge them, and proceed with the task at hand.

Following a less-than-successful ministry presents a different set of challenges. The church body may be divided or demoralized. It will take much prayer and grace to bring healing to the church. Our Savior who heals broken people will do it. However, healing will not come by pointing out the faults of those who have gone before. Your predecessor may have hurt the church in a variety of ways; do not reopen those wounds.

You may have many opportunities to disparage former pastors. People will want to better inform you about the previous pastor. In those moments, refer to the healing available in the present and the growth and victories that lie ahead. Your forward-thinking attitude will be infectious.

When Nehemiah was rebuilding the broken walls of Jerusalem, he looked to the future, and was not preoccupied with the failures of the past. We must accept the fact damage may have been done, but look to Jesus and get on with the task at hand.

Inform Them

In the church I serve, there are several former senior pastors still living. Their tenures cover from the early 1950s to the early 1990s. Some served for many years, others for only a few. But each person had an important part in the spiritual formation of many who still attend. Those pastors may have sacrificed a great deal to see the church grow. They may be no longer involved in the ongoing ministry of the congregation, but they still want to know about the people they served. Keep them informed of significant transitions within the church body.

When people who grew up in the church marry, send your predecessor a copy of the wedding program. When a long-time member of the congregation passes away, send the former pastor a folder of the memorial service, or a copy of the newspaper obituary. A former pastor may have led the deceased to faith in Christ or discipled that person — they should be made aware of the person’s passing.

Each year, send a copy of the annual report to former pastors. It takes little more than an envelope and postage to keep them regularly updated on the progress of the church. They will be delighted to be included in this way. If you have a secretary, instruct him to regularly send these items to all living former pastors.

Remember, should the Lord delay His return, someday you will be a former pastor of that congregation. Seeds sown now will be fruit enjoyed later. How you are treated as a former pastor will in large part be determined by how you treat those who have gone before. When that time comes, may you also be honored, respected, and informed.

—Gary D. Wileman is senior pastor of First Assembly of God, Aberdeen, South Dakota. He also serves as the South Dakota District secretary/treasurer.