Josh Rhodes & Tim Haring
Foundations of Healthy Succession
About The Episode
In this episode, Sean Morgan sits down with Josh Rhodes and Tim Haring to discuss the succession journey at Chestnut Ridge Church. After 40 years of ministry, founding pastor Tim reflects on preparing the church for life beyond his leadership, while Josh shares how their long-term relationship and shared heartbeat for reaching people made the transition possible. Together, they explore humility, outside counsel, and the intentional communication strategies that helped their church navigate succession with unity and hope for the future.
Welcome to Episode 142 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan.
Insights from Josh & Tim
- Plan succession early.
Tim and the board began succession conversations five years before the transition, recognizing that waiting until the last minute would leave the church vulnerable. Starting early gave space for clarity, preparation, and healthier outcomes. - Define and protect the church’s “heartbeat.”
Rather than holding onto control, Tim emphasized the church’s core values and entrusted Josh to lead with that same heartbeat. Succession doesn’t mean replicating every method—it means preserving mission and vision while allowing new leadership to innovate. - Relationships matter more than process.
The deep, 15-year friendship between Tim and Josh created trust, honor, and space for candid conversations. That relational foundation eased the transition and gave confidence to the congregation. - Outside voices bring clarity.
Consultants, mentors, and leadership cohorts offered invaluable perspectives. Both Tim and Josh credited external advice for helping them avoid mistakes, frame their communication plan, and envision long-term leadership development. - Over-communicate with clarity.
From videos to succession websites to ongoing updates, the church kept the congregation informed and addressed questions before they surfaced. Transparency built confidence in the process and prevented division. - Identity and financial readiness matter.
For outgoing leaders, retirement is more than stepping aside—it involves preparing financially and wrestling with identity. Tim shared how careful planning and opportunities to stay engaged in ministry helped smooth the transition. - Keep Christ’s church central.
Both leaders underscored that succession isn’t about protecting legacies but about advancing God’s Kingdom. Success meant seeing the church continue to grow and impact the community beyond their personal leadership.
Episode Links
If you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof.
Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/
Who is Josh Rhodes?
Josh is the Senior Pastor at Chestnut Ridge Church in Morgantown, West Virginia. He grew up as a pastor’s kid in the northern panhandle town of Weirton and has always loved his home state — especially the pepperoni rolls, state parks, and WVU Mountaineer sports. He married his high school sweetheart, Hillary, and together they have four children — Sephora, Levi, Pierce, and Micah — and have been a licensed foster family since 2021. Since 2007, Josh has served in full-time ministry at Chestnut Ridge Church and LCBC Church in Pennsylvania, leading in student, college, and adult ministries. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies and Pastoral Ministry from Lancaster Bible College in 2005 and a Master of Theology from Biblical Theological Seminary in 2014. He also completed the Ridge ordination program and was affirmed as an ordained elder and pastor in September 2020. After a multi-year succession plan, Founding Pastor Tim Haring passed the senior pastor baton to Josh on September 29, 2024. Today, Pastor Tim and Josh enjoy serving alongside one another in this new season at The Ridge.
Who is Tim Haring?
Tim Haring is the Founding Pastor of Chestnut Ridge Church and served as its Senior Pastor for 40 years before passing on his responsibilities to Pastor Josh Rhodes. During the 40 years of ministry, Chestnut Ridge Church eventually became the largest church in the state of West Virginia and has helped plant four additional churches in the state. Tim has a Pastoral Studies Degree, Greek Emphasis, from Moody Bible Institute and a Business Degree from the West Virginia University. He has been married for 37 years and has five children and three grandchildren. Tim is currently serving in a part time capacity at the church. He is also coaching other pastors, writing his second book and speaking at conferences.
Sponsors and Partners
Thanks to our sponsor: OneHope: OneHope’s mission is to reach every child and youth in the world with God’s Word through the global church. In 35 years of ministry OneHope has reached more than 2 billion young people with the Gospel. Learn how you and your church can get involved by visiting onehope.net/learnmore/.
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About the Host
Sean Morgan is a coach and speaker with a national reputation as a catalyst of fresh vision. His passion is to help ministries navigate obstacles and turn them into opportunities.
Throughout his career, Sean has pioneered initiatives impacting thousands of leaders across the country. He started out serving as Executive Pastor and CFO at New Life Church in northern California.
As host, Sean gives you access to amazing conversations, hard-won wisdom, and poignant insights from world-class leaders in intimate “living room” settings.
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Leaders in Living Rooms
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