Bryan Carter was 29 years old when he was asked to be the successor to a pastor who founded the church 28 years earlier.
Much to everyone’s surprise, including Bryan’s, the transition went extremely well. Concord Church has tripled in size under his leadership, and Bryan shares why.
He also talks about the racial divide in America and how the church can respond.
Welcome to Episode 196 of the podcast. Listen and access the show notes below or search for the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts and listen for free.
Guest Links
Bryan on Instagram | Twitter | ConcordDallas.org
Links from this Episode
The Art of Better Preaching opens next week. Enroll today!
3 Insights from This Episode
1. Smooth transitions are possible when efforts are made from all sides
Longstanding churches can’t escape transitional seasons. It’s inevitable. So, why do most hold off on preparing for the difficulties that come with change? Smooth transitions are achievable when the church is set up for success. It takes efforts from both sides – old and new – to steward the process.
Senior leaders should find ways to implement succession throughout the lifetime of the church. Building a ministry centered on purpose over personality is key. If a church is standing because the community is infatuated with the charisma of the leader rather than the message of Christ, there’s a big problem at hand.
During transition, the rising leaders need to execute a disciplined, often excruciating amount of patience before jumping in to fix everything. Seek wise counsel, graciously invest in the people and learn about the history of your new home. Assessing and building on the existing culture will help you figure out where God wants you to take it over time.
2. Racial tensions will continue until leaders of every color get out of their comfort zones
Racism is not simply an issue for African American’s to deal with on their own. Leaders of every color need to stand together and address the issues of racial tensions in America. The church overall may have endorsed that a problem exists and that racism wrong, but it has failed to proactively engage unified efforts to end this hatred.
What’s the first step? Get outside of your comfort zone and enter into transparent conversations with people who are different than you. Change can begin in one-on-one, conversational spaces where both sides truly lean in, open up, stay engaged and, most importantly, follow through with solutions.
For inspiration, read Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail. His call to the church decades ago is just as relevant today.
3. Leaders are called to serve Christ wherever they’ve been placed
Sometimes leaders disconnect work from their faith – even in ministry.
Hold on to job titles loosely so that your identity is not connected to your role. Remember that wherever God has placed you, He wants to use you to advance His agenda, not your own.
Whether your role as a leader takes place in a church, civic or corporate setting, your job is to serve and honour Him.
Quotes from This Episode
CNLP 196: Bryan Carter on What Makes for Successful Succession, Navigating 300% Church Growth and The Racial Divide in America Click To Tweet CNLP 196: Bryan Carter on What Makes for Successful Succession, Navigating 300% Church Growth and The Racial Divide in America Click To Tweet CNLP 196: Bryan Carter on What Makes for Successful Succession, Navigating 300% Church Growth and The Racial Divide in America Click To Tweet CNLP 196: Bryan Carter on What Makes for Successful Succession, Navigating 300% Church Growth and The Racial Divide in America Click To TweetThe podcast releases every Tuesday morning
Subscribe for free and never miss out on wisdom from world-class leaders like Brian Houston, Andy Stanley, Louie Giglio, Ravi Zacharias, Craig Groeschel, Sue Miller, Kara Powell, Chuck Swindoll, Greg McKeown, Jon Acuff and many others.
Subscribe via
Appreciate This? Rate the Podcast.
Hopefully, this episode has helped you lead like never before. That’s my goal. If you appreciated it, could you share the love?
The best way to do that is to rate the podcast on iTunes and leave us a brief review! You can do the same on Stitcher and on TuneIn Radio as well.
Your ratings and reviews help us place the podcast in front of new leaders and listeners. Your feedback also lets me know how I can better serve you.
Thank you for being so awesome.
Next Episode: Mark Clark
Mark Clark and Carey talk about their different approaches to preaching, how to reach unchurched people and how to preach to churched and unchurched people with Biblical integrity. Plus, Carey and Mark share some of their favourite insights from their brand new course, The Art of Better Preaching.
Subscribe for free now and you won’t miss Episode 197.
