Signs It Might Be Time to Move On

The thought comes to every pastor sooner or later. Should I stay in my current role in my current church or is it time for me to go?

Is this a momentary dip in my enthusiasm, a temporary feeling of discouragement, or are there deeper issues at play and is there a major decision that perhaps needs to be made?

I don’t know if there’s any surefire template that can be followed. However, here are 10 signs that might seem to indicate that it’s time to move on.

1. The prompts of the Holy Spirit cannot be ignored.

This may be the still small voice you hear during a time of prayer. It could come from a section of Scripture that uniquely gets your attention or a dream you have. Or perhaps someone makes an interesting observation or asks you an arresting question about your future.

Sometimes compelling circumstances serve as a divine sign, such as a financial situation becoming unworkable or pastoral expectations that are unsustainable for you or your family.

Many times it’s a combination of these things. It’s as if the Holy Spirit seems to be giving you a nudge that a change is needed.

2. You’ve lost your passion.

The loss of passion happens to all of us. That’s actually not a reason to move on. It could indicate that you need to take some time off or adjust your rhythms.

But one sign your time in a place could be drawing to a close is that while you’re passionate about other things, your passion for ministry in that place has cooled.

Your enthusiasm for leading this people in this place into a preferred future is no longer what it once was.

3. You’ve affected all the change you can.

Another sign that it’s time to leave is simply this: your ability to move the church forward has stalled out. The ministry has stagnated, and you don’t know how to kickstart it.

It might be time for a pastor to move on when your ability to move the church forward has stalled out. The ministry has stagnated, and you don’t know how to kickstart it.

It might well be that your part of the mission is complete. You have fulfilled what God originally called you to do, and God has not extended or enlarged the challenge.

That’s a job for a new leader.

4. Your vision is not shared by your church.

The ideal leadership environment is when the leader’s vision and the organization’s vision line up. Naturally, a leader will always be a little ahead of the church or organization – otherwise, he or she wouldn’t be a leader.

But sometimes the leader has more vision than the church can handle. And sometimes the organization wants to go faster or head in a more progressive direction than the leader.

In either case, a lack of shared vision is unsustainable and typically a sign that it’s time to leave.

A lack of shared vision is unsustainable and typically a sign that it’s time for a pastor to leave.

5. You’ve lost the support of your key leaders.

There’s no way that any leader has the support of all of his people all of the time. One can expect this among the rank and file.

The situation is far more serious when such a lack of support extends to your staff, elders, and deacons. When collaboration ends, when board meetings become more and more adversarial, when longstanding ministry partners step away from leadership or even leave the church, it might be time to leave.

6. The church begins to show a lack of confidence in your leadership.

Attendance declines or plateaus. Giving falls off. Ministry involvement shrinks. Faithful members start leaving. Morale sags.

You may never actually hear the words, “We’ve lost confidence in your leadership,” but such metrics send a clear message that perhaps your time there has come to an end.

7. Your ministry is costing your family.

Before you are a pastor, you are a husband and father. This means that the health and wellbeing of your family come first.

If continuing in your role in this church is taking a toll on your spouse’s or children’s mental, physical, or relational health…that’s too high a price to pay.

Better to lose your church than to lose your family. Your church can always get another pastor. Your family cannot get another husband or father.

8. You reach physical, mental, or emotional limits.

Like it or not, no one can beat the aging process. The time will eventually come when you no longer have the physical strength, mental quickness, or emotional capacity to do the job needed.

Make an honest assessment of your ability to lead well and have the courage to step away before the time comes that someone else will have to make the decision for you.

When a pastor no longer has physical strength, mental quickness, or emotional capacity to do the job needed, it might be time to have the courage to step away.

9. Your inner circle agrees.

All of these signs notwithstanding, how do you know you’re reading the situation correctly? Answer? You don’t. But other people may.

That’s why it’s so important to cultivate and consult an inner circle of people who know you well. Bring them into your deliberations. If you’re married, your spouse will have great insight into whether you’re reading the signs accurately.

10. You receive a new call.

Sometimes you get a sense that God has something new for you before He ever shows you exactly what it is. And obedience to that call requires you to step away without a clear destination in mind. Not unlike Abraham, the call to “going not knowing” might be a first and necessary step of faith.

Or the new call may be an invitation from another church or ministry. It’s a call that excites you and seems in alignment with your gifts and passions and validated by your family and inner circle. This opportunity may be a sign that it’s time to move on.

Moving on from a church always carries a degree of pain. Leaving friends is never easy. And the mystery of the unknown can be unnerving.

Yet, the One who called you into ministry is faithful. He longs for you to know both fruitfulness and fulfillment. Trust Him. Rest in Him. Follow Him.

The One who called you into ministry is faithful. He longs for you to know both fruitfulness and fulfillment. Trust Him. Rest in Him. Follow Him.

These 10 signs are by no means exhaustive. In fact, I’d be curious if you have some additions for me. Feel free to offer them in the comments section below.

The Everyday Pastor Blog is brought to you by our partners.

To support Dave DeSelm Ministries by becoming a partner, CLICK HERE.