Simple Faith with Rusty George

In episode 5 of Simple Succession, Rusty interviews search-firm leader and former Presbyterian pastor William Vanderbloemen. William shares how a corporate CEO succession completed in 90 days versus a church search that took years sparked his “holy discontent,” leading him to start Vanderbloemen Search in 2008; the firm has since completed about 4,000 church searches and helped move succession conversations from “the parking lot to the boardroom,” including through his book Next: Pastoral Succession That Works. They discuss asking the right questions rather than using cookie-cutter models, whether a church needs a “software update” or an “overhaul,” generational and birth-rate dynamics creating a coming succession wave, and how getting succession wrong is costly. William highlights lessons from Willow Creek’s complex transition, warns against boards overcorrecting into micromanagement, emphasizes succession as an ecosystem change, and says many train wrecks trace back to forgetting the pastor’s spouse; he cites Mariners Church as a model, calling for humility, prayer, wisdom, and long-term preparation like cultivating younger donors. Check out free succession resources at pastorrustygeorge.com.

Creators and Guests

Host
Rusty George
Follower of Jesus, husband of lorrie, father of lindsey and sidney, pastor of Crossroads Christian Church

What is Simple Faith with Rusty George?

Rusty George is the Lead Pastor at Church360 in Grand Prairie. Under his dedicated leadership, Church360 aspires to flourish as a vibrant community committed to guiding individuals in their journey to discover and follow the path of Jesus.

Beyond leading Church360, Rusty is a global speaker, leader and teacher focusing on making real life simple. Rusty has also written several books and can be heard weekly on his podcast, Leading Simple with Rusty George.

Aside from being a loyal Chiefs, Royals, and Lakers fan, Rusty is first and foremost committed to his family. Rusty has been married to his wife, Lorrie, for over twenty-five years, and they have two daughters, Lindsey and Sidney. As a family, they enjoy walking the dogs, playing board games together, and watching HGTV while Rusty watches ESPN on his iPad.