October 2, 2026
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Georgia Baptist Mission Board is expanding its Right Start process by training leaders beyond GBMB staff to help more churches through the transition between pastors.
The training, held on Tuesday at the GBMB building in Alpharetta, was the first time non-GBMB staff members were included in Right Start preparation. It was also the first of three regional trainings planned for leaders outside the Mission Board, with additional sessions to be held in central and south Georgia.
The goal, said Chris Reynolds, lead strategist for Pastor Wellness, is to multiply the number of trained leaders available to walk alongside churches, guide them through the six-week process, and help congregations prepare spiritually and practically for their next pastor.
“The increasing adoption of Right Start by GBMB churches affirms its effectiveness in guiding congregations through seasons of transition,” Reynolds said. “Expanding training to include Associational Missionaries and certified transitional pastors will further strengthen our capacity to serve churches with excellence and consistency.”
The effort also reflects a priority repeatedly emphasized by GBMB Executive Director Thomas Hammond, who has said that “pastors are our heroes, and churches are our priority.” By equipping more leaders to guide congregations through pastoral transition, Reynolds said, the Mission Board is seeking to ensure churches receive timely, consistent help when they need it most.
Right Start was developed to help churches avoid rushing through pastoral transition and instead use the season to refocus on the biblical foundations of church life. The process is rooted in Acts 2:42-47 and focuses on worship, prayer, ministry, fellowship, discipleship, and evangelism.
“A pastor transition is more than a search for the next shepherd,” Reynolds said. “It is an opportunity for a church to pause, pray, and prepare. Right Start helps churches use that season wisely so they are healthier, stronger, and better positioned for the future God has for them.”
The training introduced participants to the structure and purpose of Right Start, including how to help churches evaluate their current reality, revisit governing documents, clarify pastoral job descriptions, and prepare for the next season of ministry.
“Too often churches rush to fill a pulpit when they first need to understand their current reality,” Reynolds said. “Right Start creates space for honest evaluation, spiritual renewal, and intentional preparation so the next pastor can begin on a strong foundation.”
Don Coleman, a retired pastor and former associational mission strategist in northern Kentucky, said he attended the training because he wants to continue helping churches in Georgia.
“My desire is to finish out helping churches in the state where we’re living,” Coleman said.
Coleman, who pastored for 27 years and has already served one church as an interim, said he appreciated the simplicity and focus of Right Start.
“I like the idea of reacquainting the church with where we’re going throughout this six weeks,” he said. “It’s very simple. It’s something I think most church members could grasp.”
Coleman said some churches may not move into a longer transitional interim process, making Right Start especially helpful. “You can pack into six weeks the most essential things that a church needs to consider as it transitions from former pastor to a new pastor,” he said.
Kevin Muilenburg, who has been connected with Georgia Baptist churches through interim and transitional ministry, came to the training because he wants to continue serving churches during times of change.
Muilenburg said he hoped to gain “tools and better understand the whole process to help some churches out.”
John Bryan, who serves with the Georgia Baptist Foundation and has spent decades in pastoral and transitional ministry, said the training reinforced much of what he has seen in more than 20 churches. He said Right Start can help churches that are healthy enough to move forward while also guiding congregations facing more difficult questions about their future.
“If the church has enough health, we can step in as helpers,” he said. “And then if they are at a point where they are saying, ‘We need to know what we should do,’ then we can help them and assist with that too.”
That kind of assistance is one reason GBMB is seeking to multiply the number of people trained in the process. As more leaders are equipped, more churches can receive help during a season that often brings uncertainty, grief, anxiety, and important decisions.
Reynolds said Right Start is designed to remind churches that pastoral transition does not mean Christ has stopped leading His church.
“Right Start reminds churches that while they may be without a pastor for a season, they are never without a Shepherd,” Reynolds said. “By focusing on prayer, unity, and mission, churches can move through transition with confidence and emerge ready for their next chapter of ministry.”
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