95Podcast 260 Summary – Pastoral Succession Done Right: Planning, Teaching Teams, and Healthy Hand‑Offs (w/ Michael Moore) — Episode 260

Pastoral succession doesn’t have to be a crisis. Dale Sellers and Michael Moore share practical steps for early planning, building a teaching team, mentoring successors, and leading a healthy transition.

Key Points In Brief

• Succession often starts too late because week‑to‑week ministry demands eliminate margin for long‑range planning.
• A teaching team builds health and resilience: it creates rest margin, develops other communicators, and prepares the church to hear multiple voices.
• Acclimation matters: Michael Moore joined Bay Chapel’s teaching team years before the handoff so the church already trusted his leadership and preaching.
• Succession is relational, not merely positional: biblical patterns (Moses/Joshua, Elijah/Elisha, Paul/Timothy) emphasize proximity and shared life.
• Look for “ingredients,” not the finished product: identify character, hunger, teachability, and attitude—then develop leaders over time.
• Culture fit is harder than skill: it’s easier to coach competency than align mission, values, and humility.
• Transitions require emotional leadership: change is external; transition is internal. Communication must address feelings, not just facts.
• Anchor stability by reminding people what won’t change: God is the same; the mission remains.

Key Takeaways

1. Start succession planning earlier than you think you need to. Even an informal plan (prayer, conversations, development steps) is better than waiting until a crisis forces action.
2. Build a teaching team to create margin and normalize multiple voices. It helps leaders rest and helps congregations shift loyalty from one personality to the mission.
3. Mentor through proximity. Discipleship and leadership development happen “behind the curtain” through shared life, debriefs, and coaching.
4. Develop successors by identifying ingredients. Character + hunger + teachability + attitude are often stronger predictors than polish.
5. Healthy succession requires unity and trust between predecessor and successor. Leaders can disagree privately, but publicly they must model alignment and shared ownership.
6. Plan communication for the emotional journey. People experience loss, uncertainty, and hope at different speeds—lead them through it.
7. Reassure the constants. Mission and values stay anchored even when methods and personalities change.

Notable Quotes

“The team will outperform the individual every time.” — Michael Moore (quoting Tony Morgan)

“A teaching team creates margin for rest and helps the congregation get accustomed to hearing voices beyond one person.” — Michael Moore

“Don’t look for the final product; look for leadership ingredients.” — Michael Moore

“Succession wasn’t just a position to fill—it was a relationship to build.” — Michael Moore

“Change is external, instant. Transition is internal, emotional, and takes time.” — Michael Moore (referencing Managing Transitions by William Bridges)

“Remind people what will stay the same: God is the same; the mission remains.” — Michael Moore

Next Steps

For Lead Pastors

1. Name the season you’re in: Set aside a half‑day to pray and write down whether you’re in a “build,” “stabilize,” or “handoff” season.
2. Draft a simple succession roadmap (even if it’s private): potential successors, development steps, approximate timeline, and key stakeholders.
3. Start a teaching team plan: identify 1–3 developing communicators, create a schedule, and build coaching/debrief rhythms.
4. Form a trusted succession cohort: a small group of elders/leaders who can help you think clearly, pray, and hold a timeline.
5. Communicate constants often: repeat mission/values and why they won’t change—especially when leadership changes.

For Executive Pastors / Potential Successors

1. Ask for “behind‑the‑curtain” time: observe sermon prep, decision‑making, and leadership rhythms; debrief what you learn.
2. Invite coaching, not just opportunity: request feedback after every teaching/leadership moment.
3. Practice unity publicly: raise concerns privately, then support decisions with a unified voice.

For Churches Without Staff Depth

1. Find your “Timothy.” Look for character and teachability first, then give small leadership reps.
2. Create a volunteer teaching pipeline: devotional moments, short talks, testimonies, then fuller teaching opportunities with coaching.

Link To Podcast Audio: 95Podcast 260

Link To Podcast YouTube:

Q & A Transcript

Dale Sellers: Hey everybody, welcome back to the 95 podcast. This is Dale Sellers, Executive Director of 95 Network. Going to have a great conversation today with a guy I respect greatly. We used to work together when I was part of The Unstuck Group and he was too. His name is Michael Moore. He’s a pastor in Alabama, and we’re going to talk about something that’s very dear to my heart: pastoral succession.

Michael Moore: I’m doing great, Dale. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to join you. I’m grateful for the work you do to equip ministry leaders—thank you for this opportunity.

Dale Sellers: You and I hit it off from the beginning. Being part of The Unstuck Group was one of the highlights of my life, and part of that was being around sharp, compassionate people who love the church. Recently we were together on a sad note when Tony passed. Still haven’t processed it fully. I wanted to talk to you about your transition—because you went from not being lead pastor to becoming lead pastor at your church. Before we get into that, give us a background: growing up, Unstuck, and where you are today.

Michael Moore: Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. My parents were the founding pastors of the church I’m now the lead pastor of—Bay Chapel, non‑denominational, started in the early 80s. Preacher’s kid. I lived in North Carolina for about 13 months after college, sensed a call to ministry, then moved back to Birmingham to work full‑time with my parents. I’ve been on staff 18 years. I started in accounting/finance roles, then became Executive Pastor. We didn’t even know what that job was—so for a year they called me “Vice President of the church.” I struggled to find resources on how to be a good “church vice president,” then realized we were calling it the wrong thing. That search led me to Tony Morgan and The Unstuck Group. A few years later I joined the consulting team. I served as Executive Pastor about 10 years, then transitioned into the lead pastor role in January 2023—coming up on two years.

Dale Sellers: Last time we had you on was during the pandemic, and you talked about doing online church well. You guys did okay?

Michael Moore: We did. Early on we were trying to talk to everyone and weren’t effective at talking to anyone. We stepped back and asked: who are we trying to reach digitally? What are their pain points? How do we speak to those pain points? That brought some success.

Dale Sellers: Your church looks like it’s on fire right now—social media is strong, everything seems to be moving. But succession can go south quickly, especially when a founder pastor hands off to a family member. Your dad is still there, right?

Michael Moore: Yes—still attending, still on our teaching team, just not teaching as much.

Dale Sellers: Let’s talk about succession planning in general. It seems like churches always wait too long to develop a succession plan—large or small. Have you seen that?

Michael Moore: I have, for a few reasons. The lead pastor role has so many responsibilities—teaching, leading the day‑to‑day operations, spending time with God for vision—that it’s difficult to think far out. The week‑to‑week demands remove margin. In some denominational settings, an outside committee forms for succession and the current pastor may not be fully integrated. Healthy handoffs can get lost in translation. But it’s possible to plan it well and have healthy handoffs.

Dale Sellers: Another hindrance is that many lead pastors teach every week. Preaching prep consumes time, leaving less margin for mission/vision and planning. Carrie Nieuwhof has talked about this recently. Thoughts?

Michael Moore: I agree. Tony Morgan used to say: “The team will outperform the individual every time.” I believe that’s true—even in preaching. A teaching team creates margin for rest and helps the congregation get accustomed to hearing voices beyond one person, which can be key for healthy succession. For me, my dad recruited me into the teaching team in 2018. So years before the transition, the church heard my voice occasionally, then more frequently as we got closer. When it was time to announce me as the successor, there wasn’t the question, “Can he feed us spiritually?” They were already acclimated.

Dale Sellers: A lot of this gets back to Ephesians 4—pastors equip the saints to do ministry. That means the job is equipping, not “doing it all.” In a small church, you still need a team—maybe volunteers—and you raise up young people by giving them opportunities.

Michael Moore: Yes. It doesn’t have to start with a huge team. Start by finding your Timothy—someone with character who’s hungry and teachable. Bring them behind the curtain: show your sermon prep process. Debrief after teaching. Then give them opportunities and coach them. That’s Paul and Timothy. Don’t over‑spiritualize mentorship—discipleship is also doing life together: riding to a conference together, observing, modeling.

Michael Moore: Something I tell our internal leaders: don’t look for the final product; look for leadership ingredients. Like the widow and Elijah—she said she didn’t have bread, but she had flour, oil, and water. When you put the ingredients together you get the final product. Look for character, hunger, teachability, attitude—then develop people.

Dale Sellers: That’s so good. I tell our folks: diamonds and gold don’t come ready‑made; you have to mine them and clean them. Also, staff shouldn’t be hired to “do it all.” Staff should equip others, too—so we don’t create a vacuum when someone leaves.

Michael Moore: Our default is to hire or promote from within when possible. It’s easier to coach skill than align culture. If someone is bought into the mission and values and has baseline competence, you can train skills. It’s harder when someone is talented but not a culture fit.

Dale Sellers: That’s discipleship. We talk about it, but few do it. Biblical discipleship is living life together.

Michael Moore: For us, succession wasn’t just a position to fill—it was a relationship to build. In Scripture (Moses/Joshua, Elijah/Elisha, Paul/Timothy) you don’t just see a role being filled; you see relationships. Relationship lets the successor learn the heart behind the predecessor’s leadership: values, perspective, what must not drift, what makes the church “us.” Methods change; mission and values stay anchored. Our succession was about an 18‑month journey. About 12 months of that was bi‑weekly time with my dad—two to three hours in his basement—learning what God taught him over 40 years, then passing it to me.

Dale Sellers: That’s powerful. Have you always been able to communicate that way as father and son?

Michael Moore: No. When I became Executive Pastor around 2012, the first eight years we bumped heads constantly—different approaches and philosophies. Around year eight we had a heart‑to‑heart conversation. He told me: “One day I believe you’ll be the pastor and shape the church with your philosophy, but today is not that day. You’re not the senior pastor—I am. In the Executive Pastor role, I need your support.” My job became: speak concerns, but once a decision is made, create buy‑in and own it. Staff shouldn’t see separation between us.

Dale Sellers: When did you sense a call to be lead pastor?

Michael Moore: Around 2005 I sensed a call to ministry. Around 2017 I began to sense a call to the senior pastor role. I spent the next six years preparing.

Dale Sellers: That’s wise—because sometimes pastors assume succession means handing the church to their kids, even if the kids aren’t called. I once asked a 72‑year‑old pastor if he had a succession plan. He said yes but hadn’t told anyone. Then he told us: “I’ll give it to one of my sons.” I asked the sons directly, and both said they didn’t feel called. That pastor later told me every word was from God—and he changed his plan. If you saddle your children with a ministry God didn’t call them to, and it fails, they feel like they let down Jesus and “daddy.” Don’t do that. Raise up spiritual sons and daughters if needed. So—when did your dad start sensing it was time?

Michael Moore: We transitioned in January 2023. We both began sensing around early 2021 that God was leading us to start planning. I didn’t want him to feel pushed out, but the conviction wouldn’t leave me. I brought it up; he said he’d been sensing the same thing. That began an 18–20 month planning process with our senior leaders to work through logistics and communication.

Dale Sellers: The Holy Spirit is capable of telling everybody—so you often find others sensing it too. Your transition has been healthier than most, even if not perfect. Before we wrap, speak to pastors (and younger leaders) sensing succession is needed—what would you tell them?

Michael Moore: A few things:

1. Start as early as you can—even if informal. Begin praying and discerning what season you’re in.
2. Don’t go through it alone. Pull a team together—wisdom in a crowd.
3. A book I recommend: Managing Transitions by William Bridges. It explains the difference between change (external, instant) and transition (internal, emotional, over time). You must speak to emotions and tailor communication to different groups: staff, volunteers, congregation.
4. Remind people what will stay the same: God is the same; the mission remains. That stability anchors people through change.