By Richard L. Jones
From the time he became senior pastor of Pantano Christian Church in Tucson, Arizona, in October 1992, Tim Coop had a dream. Tim dreamed he would find a younger pastor to whom he would “pass the baton” so he wouldn”t have to leave the church he loved and served. Instead, Tim wanted to remain at Pantano as a vital part of the team. He would be there to support his friend as together they continued to fulfill the dream. Tim Coop believes in the concept of a shared ministry.
Tim initiated this transition in January 2004. It involved a three-year period in which he, the senior pastor, became the pastor of community and pastoral relationships and Glen Elliott, who was the executive pastor, became lead pastor. Glen had been called to the church as missions pastor in August 1998.
CAREFUL TIMING
Recently I had the opportunity to sit with Tim and Glen and listen to them describe this transition. Tim said, “I had been at Crossroads Christian Church in Corona, California, for 22 years. I thought I would be in California for the rest of my life. (But then) I received an invitation to pastor the Pantano church. So I started praying about the invitation. My wife, Sandy, and I finally determined it would be a good time in our lives to relocate to a place where the people needed us. So, that”s how we came to Pantano.
“One day about four or five years ago, Glen said, “˜I”ve been the second man on staff and I think I”m ready to be a senior pastor.” He wasn”t necessarily talking about Pantano. He was talking about his own personal preparation and desire. We began talking about this happening at Pantano.”
Glen says Tim hired a consultant at the very beginning of this process, which Glen sees as key. “First he met with Tim. He and Tim determined the timing.”
Tim added, “We told the consultant, “˜We want you to help us with the timing.” So he proceeded without hesitation to organize things and move forward.
“I believe one of the keys to transition is seriously planning it,” Tim continued. “You need to determine the duration. We determined it would be three years. So we worked out a three-year plan. We set up a schedule for communicating the process to the entire congregation. After the elders unanimously underwrote the process, we went to the pastor”s staff and workers. Finally, less than a year later, we went to the whole congregation. That left another year and six months to finalize the details and prepare the congregation.”
When Glen began sharing Pantano”s plan with others, he was surprised by the reactions of those “who had gone through a transition or who had heard about one. Every story I heard was a disaster,” he said. “I did not have one person tell me that they had a good transition, or that they had heard about a good transition. That wasn”t very encouraging! I kept saying, “˜But ours is different.”
“In fact ours was different. And, in fact, it was different largely because of Tim. You can have the greatest plan but if you don”t have a secure leader and you don”t have healthy, honest relationships, it means nothing. I credit Tim with the success because it really was in his hands.”
The speed of the transition surprised Tim. “(It) took place much more quickly than I had anticipated. The plan was for a three-year period. I handed off my last responsibilities to Glen at the end of 2005. There was a whole year of transition remaining with Glen actually functioning as the senior pastor!”
Said Glen: “Tim”s new role was not yet defined. That took the remaining year. That year was necessary. Tim and I both realize now that it was critical to stick to the plan and not rush it. It took that whole year, not so much to define my role, but to define Tim”s role.”
Tim said that having a clear understanding of their roles meant “we could [conclude] the transition with confidence and enthusiasm . . . on Transition Sunday (January 7, 2007). Here is where most transition plans fall. The leaders get so far and then they abort the plan. That causes hard feelings, misunderstandings, and miscommunication. I think there was great wisdom in following through.”
“The other thing that made the transition smooth is that we instituted a teaching team with four preaching pastors,” Glen said. “People had already gotten used to the idea that Tim wasn”t up in front every Sunday.”
A SENSE OF FULFILLMENT
I asked Tim how this transition has affected him. “When I came here, I thought I would like to be in a place where, when I had to retire, I could continue to serve and function. I prayed and hoped that when that day came there would be someone with whom I could serve. I also had a conviction that I would feel real freedom after the transition because I had handed off well. I would be freed from the administrative load of a growing church. On January 7, 2007, I handed the baton to Glen. Since then I have felt a sense of release, a sense of fulfillment.”
As 2006 ended, Tim sent an electronic message to the church membership entitled, “I”m not retiring . . . just refocusing.” He stated, “My job will be to help build partnerships with other churches in Tucson for the purpose of community transformation. And while I am building partnerships I will come alongside pastors and churches to encourage and mentor them. I am also being called to go to churches around the country and around the world. . . . This is the most satisfying thing I could ever do with my life””at this stage of my life!”
LEARNED PRINCIPLES
Tim Coop and Glen Elliott have accomplished something very rare. While this model may not work for most churches, here are some principles they learned that might help many churches going through periods of transition:
1. Trust“”The senior pastor must have the trust of the staff, leadership, and congregation. When a pastor arrives at a church he already has a “trust bank.” What he does and says after he arrives either makes deposits or takes withdrawals from that trust bank.
2. Desire“”The senior pastor must be willing to add associates, one of whom might one day become his successor.
3. Time together“”The senior pastor and his prospective successor must spend time together sharing their vision and discussing and exploring the possibility of a transition.
4. Involve the leadership“”When an agreement is reached between the senior pastor and his possible successor, they need to go to the church leaders and other staff members to inform them of their desire.
5. Work with a consultant“”With the consent of the church leaders, the senior pastor and his successor should meet with an independent consultant to work with them to formulate a step-by-step transition plan.
Glen wrote recently to the church:
“The beauty of Pantano Christian Church and any healthy church is that we embrace that there is no one pastor or leader who “˜has it all.” We all bring to the body of Christ different gifts. It is only as a community of faith that we find real wholeness and balance. . . . Pantano Christian Church is not a personality-driven church, but a church guided by its mission and vision and godly biblical values. It is a church that is led by a team, not an individual.”
This transition in the life of the Pantano Christian Church is unique indeed. We stand in awe at how God has worked in and through these two men to bring about a transition that will continue to shape and influence the lives a many people to the glory of God.
Richard L. Jones, a freelance writer and consultant from Tucson, Arizona, has more than 40 years of pastoral experience.
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