George Barna is the guru of church research.  He’s spent more time conducting surveys of American religious beliefs, attitudes, and trends than most pastors will ever spend in sermon preparation.  And from what he’s seen, we are at a point in the American church where a generational transition has to happen.  Where the Baby Boomers have to hand over the reigns – or the church will suffer mightily.  Here’s a snippet of George’s letter to all Boomer pastors and church leaders:

If all went according to plan, we’d be hard at work implementing the world’s most sophisticated and superbly executed transition plan to install the new strata of leaders. We are brilliant strategists and tacticians – just ask us. No generation has ever risen to the heights of excellence that we have, when we put our minds to it. The Builders were a can-do, get-it-done generation. But the Boomers are the ultimate take-no-prisoners generation when it comes to shaping society – and, in some cases, the world.

But where is that transition plan? Who is working it to perfection? When are we planning to hand over the keys to the kingdoms we have built these last several decades? Who are the successors we are preparing to stand on our shoulders and build on the foundations we have laid – as our fathers did with us?

You’d think that since we are the richest generation in world history, and we have acquired more toys, amenities, comforts, security mechanism and pleasure options than we can even quantify, we’d be excited about helping our children to follow in our footsteps.

It makes sense. But it’s not happening.

Is it not happening in your church?
Who is discerning God’s will for your church community?
The same people today as twenty years ago?
Is change needed?

Here is the entire letter, Gracefully Passing the Baton, and the most recent Barna update.