Pastoral Succession Plan

Pastoral Succession Plan (Editable Word Document)

Prepared. Peaceful. Pastor-Proofed.

This ready-to-use Pastoral Succession Plan is fully written and formatted for a Baptist church context. Designed for churches that want to handle leadership transitions with wisdom, structure, and unity, not confusion or crisis.

Built around a fictional but realistic church profile (Greater Truth Missionary Baptist Church), this document can be customized with your own church name, leadership, and denominational details.

What’s Inside

•     Trigger-based transition structure (retirement, resignation, emergency)

•     Timeline for communication and interim leadership

•     Search committee roles and responsibilities

•     Candidate application + preaching process

•     Final voting and installation ceremony outline

•     Post-transition support and emeritus guidance

•     Review policy for updates every 3 years

Perfect For

– Baptist churches of any size

– Leadership teams preparing for future transitions

– Pastors retiring or preparing to step back

– Trustees, deacons, or admin teams seeking structure