Karl Vaters interviews Matt Steen, a former pastor and church planter, now with Chemistry Staffing, a ministry that helps churches find great staff members (and helps staff members find great churches).

The episode is filled with practical advice, including

• What’s changed in pastoral transition/placement over the last generation
• How the pandemic has accelerated pastoral transitions
• The five key principles to look for when looking for a new pastor or church

Of special help will be how Matt describes the difference between “close-fisted” and “open-handed” theological issues, as well as the importance of giving churches time to get used to a pastoral departure, and to get ready for a new pastor.

These principles are especially important in a small church context because the unique characteristics of the church need to be identified and accounted for in a pastoral search. And if they are, the so-called pastoral revolving door may just slow down for a lot of churches and pastors.

Links:

• Chemistrystaffing.com
• Before You Go, by Wade Hodges
• When to Leave, by Wade Hodges
• The Pastor: A Memoir, by Eugene H. Peterson

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