On succeeding a saint

Conclusion As I look back over three years of following a much-loved minister, a myth seems shattered. It is the myth that one should never follow a man who died in the pulpit. The issue is far more profound. The issue is whether or not the new man has the inner freedom to recognize his own feelings, see the feelings of others, and then act on both. Some may say, But what if a power group tries to run the church? The problem then is the power group, not the loss of a loved figure as such. A power group may play on the death of a saint, but the death is not the issue.When both pastor and people find that they can live with their own feelings and need not feel guilty for having them, then something new can be built. Decisions can be made about problems and programs and people, because the context for making such decisions has been realized.