Over the next two decades we will see the largest retirement of pastors in American history. Meanwhile, the incoming class of pastors is one of our smallest ever.
In this conversation with Sam Rainer we talk about those massive changes, including how the looming pastoral shortage will affect everything about the way churches function in the next generation or two.
Based on Sam’s article, The Coming Massive Wave of Retiring Pastors and Church Staff, this conversation covers what caused this crisis and offers some hopeful solutions, including:
- The rise of bi- and co-vocational ministry
- Opportunities for interim pastor ministry
- The importance of planning your pastoral succession
- And so much more.
Coming Soon! ON DECK: Your Pastoral Succession Game Plan
Pastoral succession is something every church knows it will face, yet we do almost no preparation for it. So we don’t do it very well.
To step into this gap, we’ve created a webinar series called On Deck, Your Pastoral Succession Game Plan, which is coming on the five Tuesdays of September 2026 at 1pm ET (10am PT). Go to KarlVaters.com/OnDeck to sign up for our On Deck mailing list.
As a subscriber, you’ll get all the information as it’s released, and you’ll receive the lowest possible prices when registration begins.
Links
- The Coming Massive Wave of Retiring Pastors and Church Staff (article)
- Church Answers
- Church Answers University certification program
- Calendly
- KarlVaters.com/OnDeck
Bonus Content
How To Prepare Your Church for Your Pastoral Retirement, with Sam Rainer
Karl Vaters talks with Sam Rainer about how pastors can prepare the church for their upcoming retirement. This includes the following three proactive steps:
1) Evaluate your leadership pipeline.
2) Create flexibility in your staffing model.
3) Honor and utilize experienced pastors.
Bonus Content for all episodes is available on our YouTube channel for financial partners and newsletter subscribers. Click either button to get started.
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Credits
Producer: Veronica Beaver
Editor: Phil Vaters
Music: Composed and performed by Jack Wilkins
Logo: by Solomon Joy
