When a church or ministry faces a difficult staffing decision - whether it’s a reorganization, a resignation, or a removal - the weight often falls on the board. And how the board leads through that moment can shape the health of the entire ministry for years to come.

In the modern Church, we’ve developed strategies for growth, stewardship, outreach, discipleship, and digital engagement. We train for theology and preaching, fundraising and leadership, conflict resolution and cross-cultural missions. But in all our planning, one critical area often remains overlooked: the mental health of ministry leaders and their communities.

It’s time we stop treating mental health as a side conversation and start naming it for what it is - a matter of spiritual, organizational, and missional integrity. If the Church is called to be a place of healing, then its leaders and members must not be silently unraveling under pressure. We need more than good intentions. We need a mental health strategy.

Ministry founder transitions are rarely just strategic. They are deeply personal, emotionally nuanced, and spiritually weighty. Why? Because it’s a person. With a heart and history at stake.

The ministry might be ready. The board may be aligned. The donors could be well-informed. But unless the founder’s internal world is honored and understood - unless their fears, attachments, grief, and legacy questions are addressed - then even the most structurally sound succession plan can unravel, in front of everyone or quietly behind the scenes.