Since the median age of serving Protestant pastors is now estimated to be sixty, this means that fifty percent of pastors will most likely be retiring in the next five to ten years.

Now even if I was writing this article back in 1990, and the median age was this high, it would still be alarming.  But not quite as alarming as it is in 2026; for at least four reasons.

1. In 1990, unlike today, the Baby Boom generation was in the nesting stage.  As a result, there were many more parents and children in worship, and that meant thriving youth groups, full Sunday school classes, and larger confirmation classes.

2. In 1990, unlike today, large numbers of Lutheran congregations were experiencing growth in their worship attendance.

3. In 1990, unlike today, our denominations were usually in a position to help when a congregation’s pastor was retiring, because there were significant numbers of graduating seminary students available for call.

4. And in 1990, unlike today, there was an abundance of ordained, serving pastors available and willing to at least consider the possibility of accepting a call that involved their relocating and moving to a different part of the country.

So when it comes to pastoral transitions, what are we facing now, in 2026?

–In 2026 Baby Boomers might still make up the majority of your active members, but their median age is seventy-one; and their children have most likely moved away and are no longer attending church.

–In 2026 a mainline congregation would be an “exception to the rule” if it had a thriving youth ministry, and a strong and healthy Sunday school program.

–In 2026 the majority of our congregations are plateaued or declining in worship attendance.

–In 2026 our denominational leaders are likely to warn call committees not to “get their hopes up” when it comes to how long it will take to find their next pastor.

–And, in 2026 the number of pastors retiring is twice as high as the number of seminary graduates.  This means that for each of the next five to ten years it will become even more challenging to find your next pastor.

All of these realities mean, not surprisingly, that pastoral transitions have become more challenging than ever.

This article is, in particular, for congregations that, in all likelihood, will be dealing with their pastor’s retirement within the next decade.  However, I especially want to “speak” to congregational leaders—and their pastors—if that retirement will probably happen within the next five years.

How can you know exactly when this retirement will take place?  For most of you, you cannot; at least not “exactly.” First of all, pastors themselves do not typically know; at least not more than one to two years in advance.  Also, some pastors are not convinced that members necessarily need to know more than a few months before their retirement.  (But that is, in my opinion, a misnomer.)

Here is the “bottom line”: It is almost always to a congregation’s benefit if lay leaders can plan ahead for an upcoming pastoral transition.   Moreover, it is ideal if the retiring pastor can be involved in at least the early part of this advanced planning.

It is imperative that retiring pastors and congregational leaders not underestimate the challenges involved in achieving a healthy pastoral transition.  In fact, as I mentioned in my previous article, author and church consultant Karl Vaters claims that, “Pastoral transitions are dangerous and traumatic times for churches.  Other than (when new churches are first being planted) more churches close due to pastoral transition than for any other reason.”

Also, the risks and challenges involved with pastoral transitions are amplified and exacerbated due to some factors in addition to those I listed above.  They include:

a. The longer your retiring pastor has served your congregation, the more important it is to plan ahead.

b. If your congregation is dealing with internal conflict, then the more important it is to plan ahead.

c. The smaller your congregation, the more likely your search process will be longer than you anticipate; and the more crucial it is to plan ahead.

d. The more geographically isolated you are (for example, rural), the more difficult it will be to find a candidate willing to relocate for your call.  And, needless to say, this makes it more important that you plan ahead.

I recently read two articles on the subject of planning for pastoral transitions. The first was a published interview, in the Leading Ideas newsletter, with pastor and author Lee Kricher.  The second article was from Leadership magazine, entitled “Planned Transitions Lead to Better Outcomes.

The occasion for Pastor Kricher’s interview was the recent publication of his book, “Seamless Pastoral Transitions”.  The word “seamless” captures the over-riding emphasis and theme of this book; which is a transition where the retiring pastor and congregational leaders plan for an “overlap” where both the retiring pastor and the new pastor serve together.  (Note: This would typically not be a recommended strategy when a congregation is dealing with major internal conflict.  In that case a church would definitely need the services of an interim pastor.)

Some of you might immediately dismiss this idea of an “overlap” as nothing less than a “pipe dream.” And some mainline denominational executives would dismiss this kind of a transition strategy as ill-advised.  And some of you might not be able to imagine that your retiring pastor—and/or the new pastor—would be comfortable with this idea.  Also, there is the question of whether a congregation could afford to compensate both the retiring pastor and new pastor simultaneously; even if the retiring pastor would be willing to work, for a short period, on a part-time basis.  However, consider some quotes from Pastor Kricher:

“If a church has positive momentum, if a church is making a positive difference in the community, why put a gap in place between leaders that could jeopardize that momentum?  The most powerful outcome is that the momentum and mission of the church is not compromised because of an unnecessary gap between pastors.”

Pastor Kricher points to the biblical account of Moses handing over leadership over the Jewish people to Joshua. “Moses listened to his father-in-law Jethro, (Exodus 18) and he started to raise up other leaders.  Moses started to share leadership not just with judges but with people like Joshua and Caleb, so that when it was time to choose a successor there were ready leaders available.”

On what is most helpful from the retiring pastor, Kricher says: “Sharing leadership is asking the question of what I can do to elevate the leaders around me and give them opportunities to gain experience.”  This would ideally include the opportunity to elevate the pastor’s successor.

On a major “pitfall” for congregations facing a pastoral transition: “Dismissing the need for a detailed transition plan.”

Now for quotes from the Leadership magazine article, “Planned Pastoral Transitions Lead to Better Outcomes”. “When a transition is planned in advance, more than half of outgoing pastors stick around, whether they step back to continue on staff or withdraw to a lay role.”  Also, “Planned transitions tend to produce positive results.”  Another quote: “As a general rule, the higher the degree of congregants’ involvement, the more positive they feel about the final outcome” (of the transition).

Lutheran CORE offers two ministries which both offer coaching support for pastoral transitions: Congregations in Transition (CiT), and the Congregational Lay-leadership Initiative (CLI).  If your congregation will be dealing with a pastoral transition in the next few years, these ministries can make a significant and positive difference in helping you navigate this major milestone in the life of your congregation.  Details for both ministries are available on the Lutheran CORE website.  The cost for my services is minimal, and I will continue to partner with you, in your transition, for “the duration.”  If you have any questions, contact me directly by email: pastordonbrandt@gmail.com

–Pastor Don

Imagine a scenario where a loved one is suffering from an incurable condition and unimaginable pain.  And yet, antiquated laws have prevented her from finding peace once and for all. Shouldn’t they be changed to allow a medical professional to compassionately put her out of her misery?

This is the argument posed by physician-assisted suicide (PAS) advocates, and it has successfully changed numerous laws in the United States. But is death the only way to end pain? And do laws which allow PAS affect others in unexpected ways as well? Furthermore, could the legalization of PAS be abused?

First, let’s examine the facts. PAS is legal in many westernized countries today, such as Canada, the U.K., and Japan. But the country with the most PAS data is the Netherlands–one of the first countries to legalize the practice. Shockingly, PAS accounts for over four percent of all deaths in the Netherlands today, and the percentage is probably larger, since many such deaths go unreported. Furthermore, many euthanized were either unaware or incompetent to make this decision for themselves. Even children as young as twelve can be euthanized under the law. People can also be euthanized for depression in the Netherlands; eighty-three people were put to death for psychiatric conditions in 2017. Because of these facts, many Dutch citizens worry about being euthanized against their wishes. In fact, it is estimated that 10,000 Dutch citizens carry a “do not euthanize me” card just in case they become incapacitated.

Sadly, the United States is following in Holland’s footsteps. Already ten states and the District of Columbia have legalized the practice of PAS and the number of states which will legalize PAS in the future is expected to grow.

But what are the risks of legalizing PAS? Physician bias is always an issue. One only needs to find one doctor who is willing to approve nearly any request for euthanasia, and numerous unneeded deaths will be the result. Furthermore, as the price of health care increases, the possibility for coercion grows. Families will decide, often for economic reasons, that it’s best to end a loved one’s life rather than pay for long-term treatments which might result in financial collapse.

Is PAS even needed to control pain? One of the positive movements in recent decades has been the growth of the hospice movement and its effort to provide palliative pain care. The truth is that most pain conditions caused by life-threatening diseases can be alleviated using analgesic medications, including opioids. Indeed, proper hospice care has been able to extend life in many cases, even above the expected longevity of undergoing additional treatment.

Ultimately, as Christians, we need to understand how PAS does, or does not, fit into God’s plan for our lives. And as with any moral issue, Gods’ Word has to be our final guide.

One of the problems with today’s society is that there is no perceived value in suffering. Everything is solved with a pill. But God’s Word tells us otherwise. In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Paul reflects on how the Lord told him that, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Paul writes, “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” Our illnesses teach us about the kind of humility we need in order to have an honest relationship with the living God.

We must leave the power of life and death in the Lord’s hands. After his entire family was killed, Job wrote, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” We need to leave our mortality in the hands of God because we have a bright and shining future waiting for us – even after we die. At the end of time, “[God] will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).

Rev. Dr. Dennis Di Mauro is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church (NALC) in Warrenton, VA. He also teaches at St. Paul Lutheran Seminary and the North American Lutheran Seminary.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow.” (Galatians 6: 7)  From my viewpoint, the ELCA is reaping what it from its inception has been sowing.

Lenny Duncan is an ELCA pastor who describes himself as “the unlikeliest of pastors.”  He is author of the book, Dear Church: A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the United States.  We should not be surprised that he quickly became a celebrity within the ELCA – a sought after speaker in congregations and educational institutions.  He sounds exactly like someone to whom the ELCA would give the greatest amount of publicity and visibility. 

There is only one problem.  He has turned on the ELCA and has done so viciously.  Check out his website – https://lennyduncan.substack.com.  There you will find parts one through five of his articles, “Why the ELCA needs to start a reparations process,” which he subtitles, “Why you should defund your denomination.”

What is his plan?  What I really should ask is, What is his demand?  He is demanding that the ELCA set aside $32 million over the next three years to create a reparations fund to right the wrongs of centuries of racial injustice here in the United States.  And if the ELCA does not set aside $32 million over the next three years, then he is challenging people to “defund churchwide” and redirect $32 million in contributions away from the ELCA into his reparations fund.  What is amazing to me is not only the audacity of the way in which he demands that the ELCA make his top priority into their top priority, but also the vicious way in which he speaks of the leadership of the ELCA – a group that gave him support, visibility, and every opportunity to make maximum impact.

But as I think about, I realize that his words and behavior should not be surprising.  I would like to distinguish between the more moderate, pro-organization revisionists, and the more extreme, burn-and-tear-the-organization-down revisionists.

The more moderate, pro-organization revisionists are the ones currently in power in the ELCA.  They have three top priorities – their relentless agendas, their own power, and the preservation of the churchwide organization.  For them it seems that anything goes – you can believe and advocate for anything you want – even the rejection of basic, Biblical moral values and the foundational tenants of the historic Christian faith – as long as you are loyal to the organization.  For them preservation of the organization is paramount.

The problem is that they are now running into – or maybe I should say that they are being run into by – what they have been enabling and empowering – extreme revisionists who feel no loyalty to and do not value the organization.  Rather these extreme revisionists would be just as happy to burn or tear the organization down.  As it is happening in our nation, so it is happening in the ELCA.

Here is another example.  In 2019 the ELCA Conference of Bishops recommended to the Church Council a document entitled, “Trustworthy Servants of the People of God” as a basic statement of the ELCA’s expectations for rostered leaders.  Extremists, who do not want pastors and other rostered leaders to have to be married (by any definition) in order to be sexually active, objected so strongly that the ELCA Church Council declined to consider the document and instead sent it back to the ELCA’s Domestic Mission Unit to come up with a new document that would not be so hurtful and harmful for people who had been deeply wounded by former ELCA statements that held to traditional Biblical standards for behavior and relationships.  The latest I have heard is that the ELCA’s Domestic Mission Unit has not yet come up with a new document because it wants to give the ELCA a “breathing space.”  Here also the extreme revisionists have been enabled and empowered.  You can be sure that they will not rest until the document that is approved by the ELCA Church Council is one that reflects the most extreme, revisionist view of human sexual relationships and identities.  

And what about the ELCA’s refusal to stand up to the “We Are Naked and Unashamed” movement, which arose out of one of the ELCA seminaries and which rejects marriage by any definition as normative for sexual activity?  Or what about the people who are chosen to be keynote speakers for the ELCA’s triennial youth gatherings?  The last time – in 2018 – one of the keynote speakers – another pastor whom the ELCA has chosen to make into one of its greatest celebrities – led 31,000 young people in rejecting traditional Biblical standards for morality as a lie.  What will the ELCA do as it continues to experience the effects of what it has been enabling and empowering?  How will the ELCA respond as it continues to reap what it has been sowing?   

“They crush Your people, O Lord, and afflict Your heritage.  They slay the widow and the stranger and murder the orphans.”  (Psalm 94:5-6)

 

The world has always been hostile to the ways of the Lord.  There are those who prey on whomever they can to get for themselves what they will.  Can not the Lord stop them?  Of course, but He has a plan that is far superior to our ability to even begin to comprehend.  Rather than trusting in your understanding, trust in the One through whom all things have their being.

Lord, this world is often difficult and I do not understand.  Why are the wicked able to prey upon the weak?  Why do things happen as they do?  Help me stop seeking answers that I may learn to trust You above my own reasoning.  Guide me to see that everything is in Your hands and that You will work all things together for good as You teach us to love as You love.

Love Incarnate,You have come that we may not be trapped in this body of sin, but freed to live into the life to which we have been called.  Guide me, my Savior, to walk humbly in Your sight.  Lead me according to Your purposes to be the child of the Heavenly Father that You died to enable me to become.  May I spend this and every day in praise of You who alone is able to save me from this wicked world.  Amen.