On Appointing a New Leader

On Appointing a New Leader
NUMBERS 27:12-23

The rector of a church I know has announced that she intends to retire in a few months, and the church is in the midst of the process for appointing a new rector. The present rector has been there for twenty years and has led the church into a period of great flourishing. They have huge congregations, magnificent premises, and a wide range of ministries. It is an exciting place to visit, let alone to belong to. I find myself thinking, what an act to follow! Who would be so stupid as to want to be the next rector? How do you go about finding a person who can lead the church into its next decade? In our culture, the answer is that you draw up a three-page list of the spiritual and personal qualities, qualifications, and experience the new rector will need to bring, you see how the 118 candidates match up to these, and eventually you whittle the list down to three for interview and thus discover the one person whom God is calling to this ministry...