The Problem Of Succession In The Charismatic Churches

Many churches will collapse when the  founders handover. How did I come by this conclusion? The greatest problem of the charismatics is succession. A church takes, at least, 20 years to handover.

A trailblazer, a torchbearer, a founder of a church starts handing over when he is 50. If he waits to 70 before he thinks of handing over, he may not find anybody to hand over to.

And he may likely hand over to somebody he doesn’t like. And one of the problems is that most of the fathers can not handover, because sons are raised; they’re not just born.

At 50 all the people who are potential replacement for your ministry should be schooled in your doctrine. The things you have preached and ministered as a pastor from the time you entered into ministry to the time you are 50 should be documented and should be a school.

When God gave the doctrine to Moses, he instructed them to write it, compose songs with it. Write it on lintels and doors and should be passed on from generations to generations.

By the time you’re handing over, there is a guy who is always with you, but he doesn’t preach what you preach. By the time you are about to hand over, there is a guy who knows all that you preach but doesn’t have the spirit you have.

Were we not of the same spirit(2 Cor 12:18)? He might not have the depths you have. He does not have the charisma, the zeal, the power that you have.

When you give the church to him, he will shrink the church. He will shrink the denomination that has over 300 churches to 150 churches, because that is his capacity.

Charismatics are now handing over, but we have not handed over yet. Orthodox churches handed over many years ago. Catholics handed over many years ago and Pentecostals have handed over.

Charismatism is almost 30-40 years. We are now handing over. However, most churches will collapse when the founders hand over, because there are no capable people ready to receive them.

Joab was with David, and yet David was telling Solomon to kill him. And he told him, if you don’t remove this guy, Shimei; if you don’t remove this one and this one and remove Joab, your kingdom will not stand but they were with David.

There are people who are with fathers, but they’re not loyal. It takes time to raise loyalty out of them, not when you’re about to handover. By the time you’re 50, your message should have been formed, your vision should have been formed, the purpose and direction of the ministry should have been formed.

Then you take 20 years to raise people. By the time you’ve raised them, they have moved from 20 to 45, and you’re handing over to them because some of them who are also faithful are old like you.

We are in a time where when people are supposed to go on retirement, they want to start their own church. It has happened in Nigeria. That is a threat to charismatism.

Note: The above is a message preached by Pastor Gideon Adamtey-Osei, Lovereign Bible  Church, which CLC transcribed for its esteemed readers.