Leaving a Legacy
One thing we also need to discuss when it comes to the transition to the next generation is legacy issues. How should the founder be remembered? The Billy Graham organization is asking some of these questions as they opened their library and museum yesterday in Charlotte, North Carolina. I’ve also found that legacy projects are a way to keep the first generation leader occupied while the second generation leader tries to make his way and launch his own effort in ministry.
Before we get to that, let me say that
I do believe that far too many second generation leaders (particularly when it’s family members) may be taking the easy way out when they only work for their dad’s church or ministry. The truth is, no matter what you say, you’ve taken the easy road. If you don’t ever have to make your own way out there, you’ll never know the struggle as your mother or father did to begin their own ministry.
Keep in mind, there are no absolutes here. I know some second generation leaders who haven’t worked elsewhere, and are doing a great job. And I know with my own daughters, that I would hate to see them struggle. But the truth is, they will learn really valuable stuff making their own way and carving out their own destiny.
Either way, the question becomes, how do we make the transition, and what legacy does the founder leave? Here are some thoughts:
1) It’s never too early to start. If the founder has reached his or her sixties, it’s time to start thinking about legacy. At that age, the slightest health problem could derail their work, so we need a back up plan. Especially if you’ve built a major church, ministry, or non-profit, we need to start thinking about a successor. Jerry Falwell’s heart attack was unexpected, and I’ll bet there’s some serious scrambling going on in Lynchburg right now. Don’t be caught off guard.
2) The line, “Success without a successor is failure” is a myth. The fact is, not every organization is meant to extend to the next generation. Sometimes, a ministry or non-profit is created, does amazing work, and then it’s time to shut it down. Trying to prop up a ministry so it can extend to a son or daughter isn’t always the way it should be. I’ve seen far too many millions of dollars wasted trying to extend something that wasn’t there.
3) Think of how you want to be remembered. It shouldn’t always be about a monument or a building. Think about intellectual content. One pastor I know had us help him create a searchable database of every sermon he’d ever done, so future students and researchers could benefit from his lifetime of work. Another endowed a chair at a major Christian university to help fund future pastors. Another created a foundation. Use your legacy to extend the kingdom of God – not set up a monument to your memory.
4) Perhaps most important – If you do have a successor, get out of the way. Did Pastor John Osteen’s death make a difference in Joel Osteen’s great success? I don’t want to sound crass because Joel is one of my oldest friends and I loved his dad dearly. He had an influence on more pastors than you could imagine. But the truth is, Joel didn’t have to wrestle with his father’s shadow, and was able to put his own personal imprint on Lakewood Church from the start. On the other hand, there are far too many cases where the successor had to compete with his or her father’s shadow and influence. And in some cases, it took years (sometimes decades) to finally allow the successor to make decisions on their own. We’ve called one or two second generation ministry leaders the “Prince Charles of Christian TV” because it seems their father will never let them actually take the helm.
Get out of the way. Let the next generation do their thing. Sure they’ll do it differently, and sure they’ll make mistakes. But so did you.
