How to Know When It's OK to Leave

I recently held a meeting with pastors and church members who are just beginning a new appointment together. I asked them to consider how they will know when the pastors have completed their assignments and it is OK for them to leave. The question comes from the second of Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People which is to begin with the end in mind. In other words, when can a pastor be considered to be "done" with their mission?

One person said, "we are never done." While it is true in that there will always be more ways to serve, it is also true that there will come a time for all of us when we have to leave. What will be the measure that the objective of the pastor's ministry has been completed?

If we take Jesus as our example we can look to the time when he was physically done with his ministry on earth. On the hill in Galilee after his death and resurrection and before he left the earth, he said to his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you." Matthew 28:18-20

I believe that Jesus could leave earth because he had developed people who could carry on his mission after he was gone. And while he promised to remain with them through the Holy Spirit, he would no longer be with them in the flesh.

So what does that mean for followers of Jesus today? I think it means that we can also look to the day when we have to leave. We will be successful when we have developed people who can carry on the mission of Jesus after we are gone. And while this is true for pastors, it is also just as true for every follower of Jesus. I hear again and again the stories of local churches where a pillar of the church has died that there isn't anyone to take their place.

What I want to say to pastors is that your assignment is to raise up disciples who can carry on Jesus' mission after you are gone. I want to say the same thing to every lay member of our churches: Your job is to develop people to carry on when you are gone. In other words, don't die until you've raised up disciples who can take your place after you leave. All of us have been given the mission of raising up the people who will carry on the ministry that we have undertaken.

I don't think this expectation has been clearly stated in our churches. And this is not about maintaining the institution of the church, it is about continuing the mission of Jesus for which the church was created. When we have raised up disciples who can continue the ministry of Jesus after we are gone, then it is OK to leave.

How are you doing in preparing to leave?