Some responses to succession planning at CVC
As you can imagine, there have been a variety of responses to the annoucement that at CVC we will start looking for a co-teaching pastor who may one day become the senior pastor of CVC.

One young mother came up to me after the announcement and expressed her displeasure. The next day, she wrote:

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I wanted to take a moment to first apologize for my unfiltered response to the news last night. I don’t like change, and I especially fear losing such genuine God-driven leadership in my church...

I am praising Him this morning despite my desire to have you behind our pulpit indefinitely (I never said my plans made sense!) because I trust Him. “It is better to place your confidence in God than to trust in man” (Ps 118:8). So I’m excited for His plan to take place even though I’m sad that we will be saying goodbye to you [as our primary teacher] sooner rather than later. It was never you. And I knew that. It was God who spoke to me through you. God will continue to speak to me, and He will use whomever He chooses to do so. I need only trust Him and continue to seek Him.

I will continue to pray for this church, my church family and you, Rick. I know my response may not have been pretty but it was honest, and I know how to pray for those who share my response. I also know that what you do every week takes courage, humility, sacrifice and a measure of obedience I can’t even begin to imagine. So I will pray for the man God chooses to fill your place in our church, that he will be as strong in his weakness as you have been, and that we as a family will open our arms and accept him.

Thank you for following where He has led you, and thank you for taking us with you. I’m excited for what He will do in your life next and will be praying for that too. In case no one has ever told you… God is truly glorified in you.

All my love in Christ,

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Below is response that was also encouraging.

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When I was growing up, my pastor had a stroke and almost died. He was never the same, and yet he continued to try to preach and lead our church. That particular local church ultimately closed and all of the sheep were scattered.

The next pastor I had developed cancer and died without transitioning the congregation into new leadership. That church has never been the same and has suffered from divisions ever since.

In both of those situations I am convinced that those men truly believed that they were doing what God would want them to do...to "die in the saddle" as it were...preaching until they could barely speak and "filling the pulpit" until they had nothing left to give.

With those past experiences in mind, I find myself reflecting today on last night's service. I am sad in small part but i find myself strangely encouraged.

Do I want things to change so drastically? No way. Do I want Rick Duncan to stop being the Senior Pastor of CVC? Never.

And yet, we all know that we cannot continue as we are forever. Even if we change nothing, you are a mortal being and we will not always have you, no matter how healthy you are.

Who do we have forever? Our precious Lord Jesus....our omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God and Father.

I thank you for reminding us that our roots need to be placed in Him and not in you. [My husband] and I are very grateful to God for your leadership and service. We both grew up without fathers and appreciate your Godly example of fatherhood and manhood more than you will ever know. We look forward to how our relationship with you will grow and change as you enter your new role at CVC and in our lives.

Thank you for letting this congregation belong to God and not to you. The steps that you are taking will lead all of us down the road of spiritual maturity, integrity and deeper love of Christ that it's going to take in order to work this transition to God's glory.

Gratefully,

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So, keep praying for our succession planning. I believe it's "of God." Therefore, He will do abundantley beyond all we ask or think!