All around us today there is talk of leadership transition – in the church, in business, in organizations, and in government. One leader is retiring, changing roles, or stepping aside for various reasons. Another leader is stepping up or being appointed, sometimes from within and at other times from without. These transition times are very vulnerable, much like the exchange zone in a relay race. Timing is important, not just the leadership selection.
Kevin Conner was part of a number of leadership successions within the church environment, including becoming the second Senior Minister of Waverley Christian Fellowship after succeeding the founding pastor, Richard Hollard. Richard led the church for 20 years before Kevin led the church for the following 8 years. Then the leadership baton was passed to Kevin’s son, Mark Conner, who led the church for the next 22 years (the church’s name was eventually changed to CityLife Church).
These three leaders were all very different but honored and respected each other, helping the church go from strength to strength. This became an example to churches all around the world about how leadership transition can be done in a way that honors God and people. Many people had questions and even came to visit to learn the lessons and insights.
Mark Conner eventually put this story into a book entitled Pass the Baton: Successful Leadership Transition – now in its second edition. In the book, Mark tells the church’s story, emphasizes the importance of baton passing, shares biblical examples of transition, unpacks lessons from history, presents principles of successful leadership transition, talks about how to lead change effectively, and finishes with a detailed ‘frequently asked questions’ appendix.
Many pastors and church leaders have benefited from this helpful book, as well as business leaders. Why not pick up a copy today – in paperback, eBook, or PDF format.
For October 2022 only, you can download the PDF version of this book for 25% off from the website SHOP. See also Mark’s excellent book, Transforming Your Church: Seven Strategic Shifts to Navigate the 21st Century. The PDF version is also 25% off for October 2022.