Q  Why is Mike leaving? Does Mike want to leave?

[A]  Mike is not simply leaving — this is a planned, prayerful pastoral transition that Mike and the elders have discerned together. Mike initiated the conversation about succession several years ago. He believes that one of his most important roles is to pass the baton to the next generation to lead the church into the future.  

Q  Will Mike still preach and teach?

[A]  Yes — Mike is expected to continue preaching and teaching on a regular basis during the transition period. The specifics of his ongoing teaching role will be communicated as plans are finalized. 

Q  Will Mike be able to do my funeral or my child's wedding?

[A]  Mike's pastoral care for individuals and families he has long served remains a priority. Please reach out to him or the church office directly to discuss any upcoming milestones you'd like him involved in. 

Q  Will Mike & Elizabeth (M&E) stay at JBC and preach some?

[A]  The intention is for Mike and Elizabeth to remain connected to Journey Bible Church. The exact nature of Mike's ongoing preaching role is being prayerfully worked out. More clarity will be shared as decisions are made. 

Q  What is Mike going to do?

[A]  Mike is committed to Journey Bible Church and to a healthy transition. Following the transition to the next leadership, the elders have asked Mike to serve in the role of Legacy Pastor for the next season. In this role, Mike will be focusing on discipleship, leadership development, and missions.  

Q  How will JBC take care of Mike & Elizabeth financially?

[A]  The elders and board have made commitments to ensure Mike and Elizabeth are cared for well through this transition. Those details are handled by the board in accordance with their fiduciary responsibilities. 

Q  Why are we just now hearing about this? 

[A] Succession planning conversations began internally to allow for proper discernment, prayer, and process. We understand this may feel sudden, and we are committed to communicating openly going forward. 

Q  How long have you been talking about succession? 

[A]  Leadership has been thinking about long-term succession health for some time. Formal, structured planning began in January with the guidance of a professional consultant who specializes in church leadership transition. 

Q  When is Mike's last day? How long will this take? 

[A]  We anticipate that Mike will continue to serve through early 2028. Updates on the timeline will be shared with the congregation on a regular basis. This is designed to be a healthy, unhurried transition — not an abrupt change. 

Q  How are you making this decision? 

[A]  The elders have led this process through prayer, Scripture, counsel, and a deliberate evaluation of our church's needs and God-given leadership. An outside consultant was engaged to bring objectivity and best practices to the process. 

Q  Why did we have to pay for a consultant? 

[A]  Engaging a consultant ensured that our process was structured, unbiased, and aligned with proven best practices for pastoral succession. This is a responsible stewardship decision for a transition of this magnitude. 

Q  Has this type of transition ever been done successfully before? 

[A]  Yes. Shared leadership and planned pastoral succession are well-documented models that many healthy churches have navigated successfully. Our leadership has studied these examples carefully. 

Q  Why are we moving to a plurality of leaders model? 

[A]  The model reflects a conviction that no single leader should bear the full weight of teaching, vision, and pastoral care alone. It is also a model well-supported in Scripture (Acts 13, Ephesians 4) and sets Journey Bible Church up for greater long-term resilience. Since our founding, we have embraced this biblical model. We believe applying this same model to our pastoral leadership will better distribute responsibilities and strengthen alignment between staff and Elders. In this model, those serving in lead pastoral roles will also serve as Elders, living in accountability with one another and with our lay Elders. 

Q  Are we still an elder-led church? 

[A]  Yes, absolutely. Journey Bible Church remains an elder-led church. The plurality of  pastoral leaders model operates within and under elder authority — that governance structure has not changed. 

Q  Who is in charge with this plurality of pastoral leaders model? Who is the leader? 

[A]  The elders provide ultimate governance and accountability. Within the pastoral team, roles and responsibilities will be clearly defined and communicated to the congregation. 

Q  Who is taking over the primary teaching role? 

[A]  This decision will be determined through the development and review process taking place in the coming months. Luke and Ian will be taking a more active teaching role in this season. Moving forward  the primary teaching responsibilities will be supported by the broader pastoral team.  

Q  Who do I call if I need to speak with a pastor? 

[A]   For the immediate future, Mike will continue to serve as our lead pastor. The church office can always connect you with the right pastor for your needs. 

Q  How does a plurality of pastoral leaders model actually work? 

[A]  The pastoral team will share responsibilities across preaching, vision-casting, pastoral care, and ministry oversight according to each person's gifts and calling. Clear role definitions and accountability structures are being established. 

Q  What happens if shared leadership doesn't work? 

[A]  The elders are committed to honest, ongoing evaluation of this model. If adjustments are needed, they will be made. The goal is always the health and mission of the church — not preserving a structure for its own sake. 

Q  Why do we need a year to make a decision about the readiness of our pastoral team? 

[A]  Pastoral readiness is shaped by God's timing as much as human preparation. The leadership is confident in the team being developed, and this transition is being made at the right time — not too early, and not delayed unnecessarily. 

Q  If they're not ready in a year, then what? When will we know they are ready? 

[A] As we continue in the season of discernment, we recognize our responsibility to remain open to the Lord’s leading in every way. The elders are applying clear criteria for readiness — not an arbitrary timeline. Readiness will be evaluated by demonstrated fruit, character, competency, and capacity. The congregation will be kept informed on a regular basis. If it becomes evident that the full range of gifting and leadership needed for the next season of Journey Bible Church is not yet present within our current pastoral team, we will be ready to thoughtfully pursue an external search, trusting God to provide the leaders for our future. 

Q  What about Journey Bible Church — will it change? Will things stay the same? 

[A]  The mission, values, and culture of Journey Bible Church are not changing. We intend to be   Bible-centered in teaching and preaching, Gospel-focused in mission, deeply committed to discipleship, passionate about ministry to families and the next generation and grounded in integrity, humility, and relational warmth. Leadership transitions are an opportunity to build on what God has already established here, not to dismantle it. 

Q  Will we have all the same ministries? 

[A]  The intention is to preserve and strengthen Journey Bible Church's existing ministries. Any future changes to ministry structure will be the result of more completely exercising our mission and will be communicated to the congregation in advance. 

Q  Will we have all the same staff? 

[A]  Some changes naturally occur during every major leadership transition, but the church is deeply grateful for the strength, health, and capability of the current staff team. 

Q  How do these changes impact the budget? 

[A]  The board has reviewed the financial implications of this transition carefully. Stewardship of church resources is a serious responsibility, and the budget plan ensures this transition is sustainable. 

Q  What do the elders think? 

[A]  The elders believe this direction is faithful to Scripture, wise for the long-term health of the church, and Spirit-led. The elders are united in this decision after extensive prayer, discernment, and deliberation. This is not a unilateral decision — it reflects the consensus of the full elder board. 

Q  What are the elders' thoughts on this change? 

[A]  The elders are genuinely excited about what God is doing at Journey Bible Church and where He is leading this church. They also hold the weight of change with pastoral care for every member who has questions or concerns. 

Q  Who do I talk to? 

[A]  Please submit questions to succession@journeybible.org. We want every voice to be heard by the full elder board 

Q How can I support Journey Bible Church during this season? 

[A]  The healthiest thing the church can do right now is remain spiritually grounded and relationally unified. Please pray for wisdom and unity, encourage staff and leaders, avoid speculation and gossip, stay engaged in discipleship and community, trust the process while remaining prayerfully involved. This season is not only about leadership transition. It is also an opportunity for spiritual maturity, renewed clarity, and deeper unity as a church family.