Life After Ministry

A Christian Attorney on Ending Well (featuring John Melcon)

Ministry employment isn’t just HR. It’s covenant community, stewardship, and public witness. 
In this episode, attorney and former ministry leader John Melcon explains how churches and nonprofits can handle staff transitions without abandoning their values or ignoring real risks.
John shares his own sudden exit from a director role in Christian higher education and how that season led him to serve ministries as legal counsel. 
He outlines why U.S. courts often take a hands-off approach to religious leadership disputes, what that means for pastors and boards, and how to prepare before conflict ever arises.
From “talk about your last day on your first day” to using Christian conciliation instead of civil court, this conversation offers a road map: clarity in writing, compassion in tone, and a process that keeps the mission central.
Key Takeaways
Mission and values - not fear - should drive personnel policy and decisions.
U.S. law generally avoids entangling courts in religious leadership disputes; plan accordingly.
Written agreements can be precise and pastoral when drafted with mutual dignity in mind.
Succession planning is discipleship: normalize timelines and transitions early.
Consider mutual confidentiality/non-disparagement; avoid clauses that suppress lawful reporting.
Use Christian conciliation for disputes when both parties voluntarily opt in.
Involve counsel early - clarity at formation prevents costly confusion at separation.
Chapter Markers
00:00 — Welcome, the tension of boss and brother
02:54 — John’s ministry background and unexpected termination
08:55 — Discernment, law school, and a new calling
12:51 — “Lawyers aren’t the enemy” and the advisor model
16:07 — How religious liberty shapes ministry employment
23:43 — Loyalty, performance, and ending well
28:49 — Clarity at the start: contracts, bylaws, expectations
32:56 — Christian conciliation vs. civil court
37:36 — NDAs, confidentiality, and what’s wise now
41:43 — Culture signals: how we say goodbye
 
 
 
When ministry transitions go wrong, the fallout isn’t just legal - it’s spiritual.Ministry Transitions walks with pastors and ministry leaders through seasons of loss and change with clarity, care, and purpose. Start your next chapter at ministrytransitions.com.
And when wise legal counsel is needed, John Melcon brings both legal expertise and a ministry heart.Learn more about his work serving churches and nonprofits at taftlaw.com/people/john-terry-melcon/.

Building Mental Fitness in Ministry (featuring Vineet Rajan)

Quiet fatigue rarely announces itself. It hums under the surface until a crisis forces a decision. 
In this conversation, Marine veteran and Forte co-founder Vineet Rajan reframes care for leaders as mental fitness - a proactive, daily practice that keeps pastors and nonprofit teams clear-headed, resilient, and ready.
We contrast mental fitness with therapy, name the everyday pressures leaders face, and offer accessible rhythms that fit real life. 
You’ll hear why churches are becoming early adopters, how to reduce noise so you can notice what God is saying, and why outcomes - not just usage - should drive board decisions.
If you lead people, steward budgets, or carry a call that feels heavier than it used to, this episode gives you language, guardrails, and next steps to strengthen your team without adding shame or hype.
Key Takeaways
Mental fitness is proactive training; therapy is reactive care for acute needs. Both matter.
Leaders fight three constants: entropy, the enemy, and evil - training helps us endure them.
Preventative care beats crisis management; reduce interior noise to increase signal.
Ministries love the model because it separates staff care from supervisory entanglements.
Outcomes matter: increased productivity and well-being translate to real ROI.
Accessibility drives adoption: mobile scheduling, short sessions, and confidentiality.
Chapter Markers
00:00 Welcome and setup
01:00 Vineet’s backstory: immigrant kid to Marine officer
04:00 What is Forte and who they serve
05:45 Mental fitness vs mental health - clear differences
09:20 Preventative maintenance and the “office vent” analogy
11:45 The three E’s: entropy, enemy, evil
15:00 Why churches became early adopters
19:30 EAPs, engagement, and outcomes that matter
22:05 The secret sauce: accessibility and aspiration
25:40 From interrogation training to loving people well
29:00 Vision: organizations solving big problems, people known and whole
31:15 Next steps for leaders and teams
33:30 Closing and partnership
When leaders hit quiet fatigue, care starts with community. Ministry Transitions walks with pastors and ministry leaders through seasons of loss, burnout, and change - helping them rediscover clarity and calling. Visit ministrytransitions.com.
For mental fitness solutions, Forte serves both sides of the mission field. Explore getforte.com/faith for Christian organizations, businesses, and nonprofits, or getforte.com for teams in the broader marketplace looking to build resilience and clarity.

The Silent Cost of Transitions on Ministry Wives (featuring Kristen Joy Humiston)

When termination happens behind a closed door, the impact lands in the kitchen, the car line, and the kids’ bedrooms. 
In this episode, pastor’s wife Kristen Joy Humiston tells the story of being shut out of the room, hearing “you’re done here,” and driving home past the houses of those who voted yes.
Matt and Marilee name what many spouses carry in silence: rejection before termination, the isolation that follows, and how trauma forms when you have no voice, no choice, and no people. 
They also get practical. What to do on day one. How to breathe, pack, and protect your children. How boards can reduce harm and how churches can care for the whole family, not just the titleholder.
There is life after ministry. It may look different than you imagined. Yet dignity, honest community, and thoughtful planning can close a wound and leave a healed scar. 
This conversation offers language, tools, and hope for spouses, leaders, and boards who want to do hard things better.
Key Takeaways
Forced termination becomes traumatic when people lose voice, choice, and community.
Boards can reduce harm through clear policy, generous severance, and family-wide care.
Day one priorities: safety, breathing space, housing plan, immediate financial triage.
Spouses often sense red flags early; their intuition should be invited and honored.
Community mitigates trauma; isolation cements it. Build a small circle fast.
Identity untangling takes time for both pastor and spouse; purpose is bigger than a role.
Support groups for ministry wives provide consistent, safe spaces for real healing.
Chapter Markers
00:00 Cold open and setup03:22 Introductions; why this conversation matters05:49 “You’re done here”: the termination moment09:29 Red flags and the slow drift toward decision11:29 Rejection before the firing; betrayal and shock16:32 The body keeps the score: words fail, pain speaks20:06 Day zero logistics: kids, school, where to go26:51 Finding footing: packing, jobs, housing31:24 When the church orbits the pastor and forgets the spouse35:29 How boards can reduce harm and do this better40:11 Healing in community: support groups for ministry wives50:17 Life after ministry: new work, real purpose53:18 Preparing for a high-risk profession: finances and wisdom55:24 Resources, next steps, and hope
Connect with Matt and the team at MinistryTransitions.com for guidance through terminations, transitions, or succession planning. Explore Kristen’s support groups and coaching at KristenJoyCoaching.com for pastors’ wives and women navigating ministry fallout.

Finding Significance Again (featuring Joshua Gordon)

When a beloved role ends, identity gets loud. 
In this candid conversation, Joshua Gordon traces his journey from ministry-adjacent entrepreneur to a surprising new assignment after his business collapsed in COVID. A trusted friend’s hard words, deep prayer, and patient community became “spiritual physio” that restored his sense of self in Christ.
We talk about the gap between intention and impact in church transitions, why being “driven” can hide quiet desperation, and how to hear God’s still small voice before things are literally on fire. 
Josh shares the practical and pastoral moves that protected his marriage, his kids, and his future calling.
If you are a leader facing an ending, a board guiding one, or a pastor recovering from one, this episode offers language, wisdom, and hope. Faithfulness isn’t empire building. It’s walking with Jesus in ordinary choices that shape a lifetime.
Key takeaways
Intention without action creates collateral damage in transitions.
“Driven” can be desperation in disguise; identity must relocate from role to Christ.
God often speaks through memory, community, and quiet checks in the soul.
Invite truth-telling friends. Love risks being misunderstood to protect you.
Over-preparation can be control; trust requires limits on our need to manage outcomes.
Measure success by faithfulness to Jesus and people, not by platform.
Healthy endings open a window for deep heart work and future freedom.
Chapter markers
00:00 Cold open, Canadians and calling
03:20 Intention vs impact in church transitions
07:30 PK expectations and disillusionment
10:20 Building a ministry-minded business
12:40 COVID collapse and costly layoffs
16:20 Untangling identity from role
18:45 A memory from God that exposed motive
28:55 “Physio” for the soul and daily trust
38:00 Friendship that told the hard truth
47:50 Closing one work, starting another
52:15 Learning to follow quiet discernment
59:30 Wealth redefined: family, faith, and freedom
1:04:15 Kingdom over empire, final blessing
If you’re facing a ministry transition - or helping someone through one - visit MinistryTransitions.com to find confidential guidance, resources, and hope for what’s next.
For more from Joshua Gordon and The Lead Pastor, visit here: https://theleadpastor.com/ 

Leaving Willow, Finding Wilderness (featuring Steve Carter)

When the New York Times ran with allegations surrounding Willow Creek’s founding pastor, Steve Carter had a choice: keep the machine running or protect the trust of the people in the room. He chose integrity - and walked away from the stage that had defined his career.
In this conversation, Steve names the real costs: the silence inside the institution, the “values higher than the chaos” that guided him, and the morning-after reality that there was no job, no safety net, and no way to control the narrative.
He talks about the anger he absorbed, the outside leaders who showed up, and the therapist’s hard question that kept him from repeating patterns.
But the story doesn’t end in exile. It moves through a real wilderness - grief, breathing, waiting - and into a humbler, healthier life: moving back to the Midwest, choosing place over platform, and becoming the lead pastor at Christ Church. What emerges is a field guide for anyone facing a crisis of integrity in Christian leadership.
Key Takeaways 
Integrity over institutional preservation: Trust is sacred; don’t trade it for optics.
Name “values higher than the chaos”: Decide in advance what you won’t violate when pressure comes.
Healing is not transferable: There’s first-hand wounding and first-hand healing; your family needs its own path.
Interrogate attraction to unhealthy systems: Ask why certain leaders and cultures feel “safe.”
Grief takes the time it takes: Practice a Holy Saturday rhythm - don’t rush from Friday to Sunday.
Choose place over platform: Calling is often geographic and relational, not positional.
Lead from scars, not spin: Wounds can become witness when truth is told and humility is practiced.
Chapter Markers
00:00 — Cold open: Why transitions are never just “staff changes”
04:53 — “These are my people”: the early joy at Willow
06:47 — Crisis emerges; what repentance would have required
09:14 — The headlines drop; “I won’t play with people’s trust”
11:52 — Who can you trust when the room is spinning?
17:22 — Six options, and why pastoring again wasn’t one of them
19:26 — Therapist’s jolt: “Why are you drawn to narcissists?”
22:16 — Outside support vs. inside backlash; the binder of messages
25:34 — Reframing the anger; learning what people were really saying
27:59 — Starbucks incident; a son’s question about “reward”
33:25 — Grieve, Breathe, Receive: the Holy Weekend framework
36:53 — Wilderness theology: disorientation to reorientation
39:36 — Reentry: discerning a safe, healthy church
41:33 — “Steve of Chicagoland”: called to a place, not a position
43:50 — Inner Hybels and inner Ortberg: action and formation
47:20 — Staying in touch; practicing faithfulness, not fame
If you’re walking through a ministry transition or facing hard decisions about leadership, you don’t have to do it alone. Visit MinistryTransitions.com to explore resources, donate to support a leader in the thick of change, or book a confidential call.
You can also learn more about Steve Carter’s ministry and resources through Christ Church of Oak Brook and by picking up his book Grieve, Breathe, Receive at stevecarter.org/book.

Why Ministry Leaders Don’t Talk About Retirement (featuring Gabe Pelphrey)

Many pastors find themselves at the end of their ministry career unable to retire - not because they lack calling, but because they lack financial security. Churches often avoid the money conversation, leaving leaders stuck in the pulpit longer than they should be.
In this episode, financial strategist Gabe Pelphrey opens the curtain on why retirement planning for ministry leaders so often gets ignored. He explains the unique challenges pastors face, the role boards must play, and the courageous conversations that make succession possible.
This isn’t just about money - it’s about stewardship, legacy, and ensuring both leaders and churches are prepared for what’s next.
Key Takeaways
Why many pastors cannot financially afford to retire
The board’s role in annual compensation and planning reviews
How rabbi trusts and deferred compensation plans protect leaders and churches
The danger of assuming “God will provide” without planning
Why courageous conversations about money and succession matter
How retrospective compensation studies address past underpayment
Why planning early ensures dignity, security, and peace in transitions
Chapter Markers 00:00 – Welcome & Introductions 01:20 – The hidden financial crisis in pastoral transitions 03:45 – Who holds responsibility: pastor or board? 06:15 – When pastors retire into poverty 08:00 – Unique financial tools for churches (rabbi trusts, 403b9s) 10:13 – Stewardship and courageous conversations 13:27 – Strongholds around money in ministry 16:40 – Poverty mindset vs. extravagant misconceptions 20:06 – Retrospective compensation studies explained 22:53 – Gabe’s background and calling into this work 25:06 – How Stewarded serves churches and nonprofits 27:00 – Why Ministry Transitions + Stewarded work hand-in-hand 32:29 – Preview of joint webinar
Retirement should not punish calling. Visit stewarded.io to schedule a strategy session. Build a clear roadmap with your board using tools like 403(b)(9) plans, rabbi trusts, deferred compensation, and retrospective compensation studies so your pastor can finish with dignity and your church stays strong.
If succession or a financial crunch is on the horizon, do not walk it alone. Go to ministrytransitions.com to book a confidential call. We help pastors and boards craft integrity-first transition plans that protect people, steward resources, and prepare your church for what’s next.

How the ECFA Is Redefining Care for Church Leaders (featuring Jake Lapp)

Behind every thriving ministry is a foundation you can’t always see - standards, accountability, and trust. Without them, the most passionate vision can unravel overnight.
In this episode of Life After Ministry, ECFA’s Jake Lapp explains why accountability matters not just for auditors and boards but for pastors, leaders, and anyone entrusted with Kingdom resources. 
He shares how ECFA’s standards were designed to serve ministries, not stifle them, and how transparency is one of the clearest ways leaders reflect Christ’s call to integrity.
If you’ve ever wondered whether accountability hinders or helps ministry, Jake’s perspective reframes the conversation. This episode offers a framework for leaders who want to guard the mission, protect their people, and leave behind a legacy of trust.
Key Takeaways
Accountability is not bureaucracy - it’s discipleship.
Transparency builds trust faster than vision statements.
Financial integrity protects both leaders and the people they serve.
ECFA standards are guardrails, not red tape.
Trust is earned in drops but lost in buckets.
Healthy structures create freedom, not restriction.
Integrity in hidden details sustains visible ministry.
Chapter Markers
00:00 – Introduction to ECFA and Jake Lapp
02:05 – Why Accountability Matters in Ministry
05:20 – The Role of ECFA Standards
09:45 – How Transparency Builds Trust
13:10 – Common Pitfalls Leaders Face
17:25 – Trust, Integrity, and Long-Term Sustainability
21:40 – Encouragement for Leaders in Transition
Strengthen the foundation you cannot see. Visit ECFA.org to review the Seven Standards, explore practical tools, and begin a clear pathway toward accreditation. Build transparency that protects people, guards the mission, and reflects Christ’s call to integrity.
If a transition is on the horizon, do not carry it alone. Go to MinistryTransitions.com to book a confidential call and build an integrity-first plan that safeguards your people and purpose. If you’re able, give to make this support possible for another leader.

Why Ministry Needs a Mental Health Strategy (featuring Laura Howe)

What happens when the very act of caring for others leaves you depleted? 
Laura Howe, founder of Hope Made Strong, knows firsthand the toll of compassion fatigue. From her own season of burnout came a global movement equipping churches to address mental health with wisdom and grace.
In this conversation, Laura shares her personal journey from exhaustion to renewed purpose. She reminds us that burnout is not a moral failure, but a workplace hazard for anyone serving in caregiving roles. 
With honesty and clarity, she explains what resilience truly looks like, how to know when you’ve moved from “yellow” into “red,” and why churches must begin addressing mental health as part of whole-life discipleship.
For leaders in transition, this episode offers a lifeline. You’ll hear not only practical wisdom but also the hope that God redeems what feels wasted. 
Whether you’re a pastor, a board member, or someone carrying unseen weight, Laura’s insights offer courage to pause, refuel, and continue faithfully.
Key Takeaways
Burnout and compassion fatigue are hazards of caregiving, not signs of weakness or sin.
Resilience is less about powering through and more about bouncing back.
Ministry leaders must learn to recognize their “zone” on the green-yellow-orange-red scale.
Sustainable care in churches means creating belonging, purpose, and hope - not acting as clinics.
The Church has a unique capacity to support mental health across every stage of life.
Global interest in integrating faith and mental health is rising rapidly.
Hope Made Strong and the Church Mental Health Summit provide free, practical resources.
Chapter Markers
00:00 – Introduction to Laura Howe and Hope Made Strong
01:10 – Laura’s Burnout Story and Birth of Hope Made Strong
03:13 – Understanding Compassion Fatigue and Resilience
06:12 – How Do You Know It’s Time for a Change?
09:17 – From Red Zone to Hope Made Strong
12:15 – Sustainability and the Church’s Responsibility
16:04 – Why the Church Must Embrace Mental Health
19:50 – Launching the Church Mental Health Summit
23:25 – Personal Reflection and Final Encouragement
If this episode stirred something in you, take a next step: visit MinistryTransitions.com to book a confidential call about an upcoming transition, termination, or succession - or give to help another leader get timely support. Then head to HopeMadeStrong.org to equip your team for sustainable care by registering for the Church Mental Health Summit and accessing practical tools for your church.