We guide mission-driven organizations through leadership transitions

A fresh approach to handle team transitions and terminations with grace, so your community multiplies, not divides.

✔
PROTECT
YOUR PEOPLE

✔
PRESERVE
YOUR PURPOSE

✔
PLAN FOR
WHAT’S NEXT

Most organizations wait too long to make a change.

A woman with her hair in a bun is sitting at a table, facing a man in a gray t-shirt, in a room with low lighting. Their reflections are visible on a glass or reflective surface behind them.

Not out of neglect, but out of love - for the mission, for their team, and for the one who will face the transition.

But waiting doesn’t make it easier. It makes it more complex.

Whether you're facing founder succession, a staff reorganization, or the slow tension of unclear next steps, one thing is clear: Without a plan, transitions become distractions.

How does Ministry Transitions work with church leadership to ensure a healthy change?

A church ministry transition flowchart illustrating two pathways: one for ongoing church communication and leadership decisions leading to a thriving church family, and another for personal career coaching and counseling leading to thriving leaders and families.
A black and white caution sign with large bold letters reading 'X NOT'.

We specialize in compassionate support that helps close the gap between the “desired outcome” and the “actual outcome” in ministry transitions. When we do this well, it will multiply, not divide the church. (x NOT ÷)

Ministry Transitions provides comprehensive services, so the outgoing leader and their family can thrive in their next season, whatever their calling.

CAREER

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COACHING

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COUNSELING

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“Wish I found you sooner.”

The sentiment we hear most frequently - whether from former pastors or board members - is a profound wish for a different past, one where our guidance could have made the transition smoother, less painful, and more constructive.

At Ministry Transitions, we strive to alleviate regret by offering timely, compassionate support to guide individuals and communities through the complex maze of leaving ministry - turning hindsight into foresight for a better tomorrow.

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We can begin helping you navigate this path right away. Here’s how…

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    Schedule a call to get started.

    Schedule a confidential call to talk to someone on our team over the phone or Zoom to assess your needs.

  • Three location pins connected by dashed lines on a black background.

    Together, we create a roadmap.

    We talk with your leadership while supporting your outgoing leader (and their family) as they begin a new season.

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    Make a healthy transition.

    The best outcome is one where your organization feels supported and loved as the family of God.

BOOK A CONFIDENTIAL CALL

Check out our growing network of ministry partners!

  • Ministry Hub
  • Logo for Focus on the Family featuring a silhouette of a child with raised arms, holding a pair of what appear to be two sticks, with the text "FOCUS ON THE FAMILY" beside it.
  • thrivent logo
  • Logo of the American Association of Christian Counselors with the organization's name
  • Logo for Standing Stone Shepherding Shepherds with a stylized blue stone and text
  • SLINGSHOT GROUP logo with a stylized paper airplane in yellow and gray above the word 'SLINGSHOT' in bold gray letters and 'GROUP' underneath.
  • Logo for The Foursquare Church featuring five colored icons: a cross, a dove, a chalice, a crown, and a flame.
  • Logo for an event called 'Rustic Roots' with a wooden background and stylized text.
  • A pyramid with five teal-colored sections, decreasing in size from bottom to top, accompanied by the text 'Fibonacci Sequence' below.
  • Logo of Servant Solutions featuring a circular design with orange, blue, and green segments, and the text "Servant Solutions" with the tagline "Your Retirement & Financial Planning Partner".
  • Logo with three stylized crown-like icons above the text 'integrus leadership'

What are the challenges facing outgoing ministry leaders and their families?

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    Trauma

    A wide range of emotional, spiritual, and relational trauma is experienced by the leader and family members.

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    Loneliness

    Leaders and their family lose relational and spiritual support from members of their community.

  • A cartoon drawing of a man with a frown holding a sign that says "Job"

    Finding a new job

    The average ministry leader takes a year before finding a new job, and they frequently switch fields.

  • image of person with three bubbles above, a house, a $ and a cross indicating health

    Unemployment benefits

    Ministry leaders are not usually eligible for unemployment benefits, and many church leaders do not know this.

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    Financial devastation

    Transitioning out of ministry causes financial hardship for pastors and leaders, resulting in housing relocation.

  • Icon of 2 signs in different directions and a question mark above

    Spiritual deconstruction

    Coming out of church or parachurch ministry, leaders experience spiritual deconstruction, and their future ministry suffers.

BOOK A CONFIDENTIAL CALL

“Jesusʼs most pressing concern before leaving the earth was our unity. He was looking ahead, to every generation of believers. And as he prayed, he made it clear that our witness as his body in this fractured, messed-up, chaotic world would depend on our love for another.”

— Ed Galisewski, A Simpler Faith: Hope For Those Who Struggle With Church

What are the challenges facing ministry leadership in transitions?

  • A line drawing of a person with 4 fingers pointed at them

    Modeling Poorly

    How we care for our people, and especially outgoing leaders, serves as a model for how the church should treat one another.

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    Loss Of Trust In Leaders

    If there is a loss of trust between leadership and its members, it can be difficult to ever regain that trust.

  • One line turning into two with arrows pointing up

    Division In The Body

    When a ministry leader moves on for whatever reason, there is potential for taking sides and division. Leadership has to do this right.

  • a hand putting a coin into a box

    Loss Of Giving

    When people are upset with how leadership handles a situation, it will often lead to a lack of giving, followed by leaving.

BOOK A CONFIDENTIAL CALL

Dedicated to serving the Kingdom of God, wherever help is needed.

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Churches + Denominations

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Christ-Centered Nonprofits

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Christian-Owned Businesses

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Missions Agencies

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Christian Higher Ed

Read our latest blog posts…

Our goal is to help your ministry transition well. Why?

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It enhances
unity.

Our goal is to help ministries achieve the best possible outcome during times of change. By caring well for your outgoing leaders and their family, we're confident your members will feel thankful for the best possible outcome of what is usually a difficult situation.

Illustration of two hands holding a heart.

It models the
love of Jesus.

Ministry Transitions provides a roadmap to help leadership model love and the fruit of the Spirit - even in the midst of conflict. Our resources encourage, equip, and enable church leadership to part with their pastor that brings honor to God during times of change.

Outline of a hand holding an icon representing exchange or transfer, with two arrows forming a circle.

It breeds a healthy ministry transition.

We want to see departing leaders succeed in their next chapter – and we believe that with our help, they will. Our goal is to make sure the outgoing leader feels a sense of commitment, restoration, and love from their community.

A person holding a Bible with a black cover labeled 'Holy Bible' and a smartphone, sitting against a brick wall, with a focus on the lower half of the person's body, wearing jeans and sneakers, with a church or building background.

Transitions in churches frequently result in church division and long-term animosity for, and from, the pastor and their family. This guide highlights five essential steps that, when implemented, minimize the negative impact of transition and preserve unity in the church.