One of the most critical, anxious seasons in a church’s life is the time of transition that follows the choice of a new pastor. More often than not, the task of making sure that transition goes smoothly falls to the church’s lay leaders, who may or may not be equipped to handle such an enormous responsibility.

To help our readers think through the challenges that come with changes in church leadership, The Local Church reached out to William Vanderbloemen, CEO and founder of the Vanderbloemen Search Group, a firm dedicated to placing leaders in a wide range of faith-based organizations. Vanderbloemen is a recognized expert on pastoral succession with experience ministering as a senior pastor, serving in church leadership teams, and working in human resources for Fortune 500 companies. His latest book, Search, is written to help churches find their next pastor. Here’s what he had to say about how your church can not only survive, but also thrive during the pastor search ...