Leadership transitions are a necessary step in church development and an essential way for the church to renew and continue. When the transition from older to younger leadership flows smoothly, the church gains fresh energy, empowering it to embrace its mission and grow vibrantly. However, in practice, such transitions are not always orderly and without challenges. Minor setbacks or unexpected conflicts can arise. So, what should one do if obstacles or conflicts indeed appear during a transition?
Pastor Chen, a church leader from East China, shared his experience of handling challenges during a church leadership transition. He admitted, “At that time, I was very upset with intense pressure, but God always provides a good solution to every problem.”
The "Auntie" Has Concerns
Since its founding, Pastor Chen’s church had been led by experienced elders who excelled in both pastoral and preaching work. Four years ago, the church leaders decided to incorporate younger talent into leadership roles. The elders agreed to fully step down, allowing younger members to take up leadership roles, while the elders would take on supporting roles behind the scenes.
During the transition election that year, Pastor Chen was elected as the church head. While the majority of the congregants supported him, there were also voices of opposition and dissatisfaction. The most intense conflict came from an older sister in Christ, a woman in her 50s who was of the same generation as Pastor Chen’s grandfather and was affectionately called “Auntie” by each believer. Having been a believer from a young age, she remained single for God, living a beautiful life, with a pure heart devoted to God. Straightforward with clear love and hate, her strength lay in upholding truth and showing no tolerance for error, though her traditional ways made her resistant to change. She strongly disapproved of the church’s decision because she felt the younger members were too immature. In her view, replacing all the elders was irresponsible.
Unable to accept this decision, she did not support Pastor Chen’s work, leading to a tense and stalemated situation. For the sake of unity, Pastor Chen felt that it was essential for the church to be united, so he chose not to ignore her concerns.
Pastor Chen said, “She is a strong servant of God, and she has done an effective job in pastoral care, training, and evangelism. Locally, she has a certain level of influence, and her stance could affect some believers.” He could not ignore her opinion, but it was a real challenge to find a solution.
Humility is the Best Approach
During the sharp conflict in the transition, Pastor Chen, as a younger and newer leader, said, “To solve the problem, I pray to God with patience and humble myself before her.”
Initially, Pastor Chen felt immense pressure and was at a loss. He remembered the story of Habakkuk, realizing that impatience would lead nowhere. He started to seek God in silence and find a good solution.
Then, Pastor Chen invited previous church elders and longtime colleagues to visit the older Christian woman and communicate with her. He also encouraged other church staff to visit her regularly, either to check on her or to seek her guidance. The overall principle was to honor her. Pastor Chen himself did not directly intervene; instead, he prayed quietly before God. Eventually, he decided to visit her personally, bringing a gift as a gesture of goodwill.
When faced with opposition, especially from someone with authority, one could resort to administrative means or indirect pressure to resolve the issue. However, in the church, such coercive methods are inappropriate. He explained, “It is difficult to humble and restrain oneself, but it is a correct path. There are many ways to view a problem and numerous solutions, but it is obviously not from God to use a punitive approach to silence dissent. One must consider the other person’s perspective and accept their emotions, concerns, and various reactions.”
This period of tension was emotionally draining, but patience was essential. Pastor Chen admitted he also had moments of weakness, anger, and tears, but he said, “That kind of weeping is not for people to see but is only for God. I told Him through prayer, and He understood.”
Through this period of patience, the situation slowly improved. The older woman’s heart softened, her resistance melted, and relationships were restored. The “auntie” who had once referred to them as “a bunch of kids,” expressing mistrust and opposition, became very supportive of the church’s work.
Unlocking Success Requires the Right Key
Chen said, “I remember that during the most intense pressure, I thought of the passage where Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River. They had to follow the Ark, as the Scripture says, ‘for you have not passed this way before.’ When the Ark moved forward, they moved forward; when it stopped, they stopped.” To Pastor Chen, life has many paths one has never walked before, and one can only follow God. Many principles for life’s journey come from the Bible. He said, “Reading the Bible, preaching the Bible—what’s most important is applying the Bible.”
Pastor Chen summarized his approach to resolving conflict: First, be still before God, reflect, and wait; avoid impulsiveness and anger; seek God’s heart. This is how to find the correct solution to a problem.
Pastor Chen added, “Finding the right solution is like unlocking a door; using a key makes it simple and easy. If you use a hammer or wrench, you may not unlock it, and you’ll certainly wear yourself out. Rather than frantically trying diverse methods, it’s better to find the right solution calmly.”
- Edited by Karen Luo, translated by Abigail Wu
