This week, Jurgen Klopp announced that he would be stepping down as the Manager of Liverpool FC when the football season ends in May. The news was greeted with shock, and a lot of sadness from the fans of the club.
When Klopp took over, Liverpool were good but not great; questionable transfer dealings and ownership wrangles had left the once dominant force an also ran, behind the might of Manchesters United & City, and Chelsea. Now, they are one of the best teams in Europe, and favourites to win the Premier League again.
But Klopp no longer has the energy. He’s emptied the tank. And the future success of the club is now in question.
When pastors leave the church they serve, there’s a mixture of emotions. For some, they are devastated – that pastor was brilliant. For others, they are glad to see the back of him – he had his good points, but we can now make a fresh start. And others may feel fearful, doubting, wondering what the future holds.
Unlike football clubs, we don’t have to fear. Pastors and church leaders are a gift to the church. But they are only servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. Their “specialness” is only in the gifts they have been given by the Holy Spirit. Leaders don’t have special blessings and insights that mark them out as on another spiritual level. They work for Jesus. They make Him great.
And when they move on, the church doesn’t die. It doesn’t follow the pastor out of the door. It carries on, just like a football club. It continues, beyond the lives of its pastors, because it is the church of Jesus Christ. The gates of hell will not prevail against it. It doesn’t, or shouldn’t, look back to the good old days and rely on past memories. The church looks forward, to see what God will do in the future. The church ensures that new leaders hold to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The church trusts in the faithfulness of God, as it itself is faithful to Him.
The End of Klopp is not the end of Liverpool. And the end of a pastorate should not be the end of a church. It should be the beginning of a new and exciting phase of God’s blessing. And all the people should say “Amen!”
Baz the Pastor 