Ep. 10: Ending Well: A Guide to Faithful Church Closures

with Diane Kenaston of Good Friday Collaborative

In this episode, Matt is joined by Rev. Diane Kenaston, co-founder of The Good Friday Collaborative. They discuss how churches can approach the difficult process of closing, merging, or consolidating ministries faithfully and pastorally. Diane shares her own experience leading a church through a merger and the valuable lessons learned. She also unpacks the five stages of church closures outlined by The Good Friday Collaborative as a framework for congregations.

Key Topics:
- The origins of The Good Friday Collaborative
- Diane's personal story of leading a church through merger 
- Dealing with the stigma and shame around church closure
- The 5 stages of church closures: Quiet Wondering, Naming & Normalizing, Intentional Decision Making, Planning for Final Ministry, Leading Final Ministry
- Providing spiritual care for "last pastors" overseeing church closures
- Overcoming exhaustion to achieve a good, faithful ending
- Embracing death and new beginnings as part of the church's resurrection  

Key Quotes:
"We need to approach discernment with open hands, listening for how God is guiding us." 
"A good ending is when the congregation has the chance to say thank you, I love you, I'm sorry, and I forgive you."
"Dying is inevitable, so church closures are inevitable. But we believe in resurrection and new beginnings too."

This insightful episode is a must-listen for any church leader grappling with decline and facing difficult decisions about their congregation's future. Rev. Kenaston provides compassionate, theologically grounded wisdom for navigating church closures faithfully.

3 takeaways:

1. Many pastors at declining congregations are relatively young and in the first half of their careers.  Closing a church earlier in life could profoundly impact the pastor's career for decades.  Do what you can to provide spiritual aftercare for the pastor who has guided a congregation through merger or closure.  It will impact future generations of the church.

2. Good Friday Collaborative 5 Stages of Closure is an invaluable framework for the spiritual, emotional, and logistical path to ending well.  Read it and study it long before your church is in decline.

3. Rev. Kenaston's church was beautifully intentional about every aspect of their merger despite their exhaustion.  I'm sure it wasn't perfect, but they found joy during their grief.  They made decisions in keeping with where they believed God had called them until their final service.  And then they were made into something new.  This is the work of a good shepherd. 

Resources:

https://www.goodfridaycollaborative.com/

Church Closure in 5 Stages: https://www.goodfridaycollaborative.com/writing/church-closure-in-five-stages

Article: How to Avoid the Stained-Glass Cliff When Leading a Dying Church: https://faithandleadership.com/how-avoid-falling-the-stained-glass-cliff-when-leading-dying-church

The Last Pastor by Gail Cafferata: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Pastor-Gail-Cafferata/dp/0664264980