Secrets to a Successful Ministry Transition | Steve Woodworth, CEO Masterworks
Release Date: 09/02/2025
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info_outlineTransitions in ministry leadership can make or break an organization. Join Phil Cooke https://philcooke.com in a conversation with Steve Woodworth, CEO of Masterworks as they unpack the secrets to a successful ministry succession and how leaders can pass the baton with wisdom and humility. Whether you are a pastor, board member, ministry founder, or nonprofit CEO, these insights will help you navigate leadership change with confidence.
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Phil Cooke – Media Producer/Writer/Speaker/Coach
Helping Creative Leaders Influence the World
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*More About This Episode* Secrets to a Successful Ministry Transition | Steve Woodworth, CEO Masterworks
With over forty years devoted to advancing Christian organizations, Steve Woodworth brings a wealth of expertise in marketing, management, and organizational development. He steered World Vision’s direct marketing and donor services through a decade of annual double-digit growth in the 1980s and 1990s. Since joining Masterworks in 1992, Steve has been instrumental in establishing it as the premier marketing agency dedicated to aiding hundreds of Christian organizations in achieving their mission.
Steve also gives back as a volunteer on boards, as a convener of industry leaders and continues to lead the Communications Working Group for The Lausanne Movement.
👉 Learn more about Steve Woodworth and Masterworks: https://www.masterworks.agency/team/steve-woodworth
👉 Get Steve’s book Lost in Transition: Lessons from the Most Disastrous and Successful Ministry Successions: https://amzn.to/3JC5a4G
Passing the baton in leadership doesn’t have to be filled with drama — it can be a healthy, God-honoring transition.
00:00 – Introduction: Why Ministry Transitions Matter
01:08 – Why Successions Often Go Wrong (and How to Avoid It)
02:50 – 5 Principles for Successful Leadership Transitions
11:25 The Importance of Humility in Leadership Change
14:40 – Common Pitfalls: Gone Too Soon, Stayed Too Long
19:30 The Key to the Best Transitions
21:26 – Debunking the Age Barrier: Why 65 Is Not the Finish Line
25:40 – The Role of Humility in Mentoring Future Leaders for Succession Success
31:29 – Closing Thoughts + Get the Book Lost in Transition
#MinistrySuccession #LeadershipTransition #ChristianLeadership
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