The Succession Playbook for Small Church Pastors: Not in Our DNA is an important read for pastors and those serving in senior leadership roles within the church today. Having a thoughtful, clearly articulated succession plan for transitioning from one senior leader to the next is just as critical as the vision and strategy used to build and sustain a ministry at the start of a pastorate. Author Ronald Crawford writes with transparency and candor, honestly sharing what can happen when succession is left unaddressed. His willingness to reflect on his own missteps provides valuable insight and offers practical, actionable steps to help leaders avoid similar challenges. This playbook serves as both a caution and a guide, equipping church leaders to plan wisely, lead responsibly, and steward their ministries well into the future.

We all owe Pastor Ronald Crawford a huge thank-you for Succession Planning for Small Church Pastors, because this reality is often faced unprepared. Whether you are a Church Planter and you care about the continuation of the work you labored so hard to begin, or you inherited the Church you lead, and you want the legacy of faith to continue. This book will help you think through and navigate the important steps along the way.

As many American pastors approach retirement without a succession plan, Ron Crawford offers a candid account of his failed transition and the lessons that enabled a successful succession four years later. Practical and gracious, this book equips churches to prepare now, so succession won’t become a crisis later.

This book is both practical and deeply formative. Drawing from his own journey—including missteps, growth, and God’s redemptive grace—Ronald Crawford offers pastors a clear and compassionate guide to succession planning rooted in spiritual maturity and healthy leadership. His story alone makes this a compelling and credible read.

Succession Playbook for Small Church Pastors: Not in Our DNA is a timely and essential resource for today’s church leaders. Drawing from more than three decades of pastoral experience, Pastor Ron Crawford writes with the credibility of someone who has planted, grown, and sustained a healthy, impactful church. His voice is both innovative and practical, shaped by real-life ministry rather than theory alone.
With refreshing honesty and transparency, Pastor Crawford addresses the often-overlooked challenges of pastoral succession—particularly in small churches with limited staff and resources. He rightly reminds us that a clearly articulated succession plan is just as critical as the vision and strategy used to launch a ministry. This book will save many pastors and congregations from the pain of unsuccessful transitions and help leaders steward their ministries with wisdom and foresight.

Succession is to the church as metamorphosis is to the butterfly. It is the process by which the church evolves, changes, grows, and becomes the next iteration of itself. Failure to plan for this change properly can sometimes damage the beauty of the metamorphosis process it was designed to showcase. As Moses prepared for Joshua, as Elijah prepared for Elisha, as David prepared for Solomon, the church must also prepare. Pastor Crawford’s book will equip your church to prepare for transition and evolve from what is to what’s next while tightly holding to the beauty of the process.