Nicky Gumbel on His Succession at HTB, a Vision to Train 10,000 Pastors, and the Significance of April 17, 2033
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Leadership transitions can be one of the most challenging yet crucial aspects of ministry. How can leaders step away from their roles with confidence, trusting the next generation while continuing to serve the broader mission of the Church? And how can we, as a global Church, embrace an ambitious vision for evangelism in the coming decade?
In this episode, Nicky Gumbel, pioneer of the Alpha Course and former Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) in London, shares his insights on healthy succession in leadership. After nearly two decades in his senior role at HTB, Nicky reflects on the importance of not taking changes personally, trusting new leaders, and ensuring a smooth handover that strengthens the church for the future.
Beyond leadership transition, Nicky also introduces the Caleb and Peter Streams, a new initiative from HTB focused on equipping tens of thousands of pastors—particularly those from less affluent backgrounds or those stepping into ministry later in life. This vision highlights the importance of raising up new leaders who may not have had traditional paths into pastoral ministry but who are called and ready to serve.
In the second half of the conversation, Nicky shares a profound and ambitious vision for the global Church: that by April 17, 2033, the Bible will be translated and the gospel shared with 99.6% of the world’s population. This vision underscores the urgency of evangelism and the role every believer can play in seeing the gospel reach the nations.
This conversation will encourage you to think about:
How to navigate leadership transitions with wisdom and grace
The importance of succession planning in strengthening the Church
Empowering new leaders from diverse backgrounds for ministry
The bold vision for global evangelism by 2033 and how we can take part
Why joy and passion for evangelism remain central to Nicky’s leadership
Join us for an inspiring conversation that will challenge you to think beyond your immediate leadership context and dream about what God is doing on a global scale. Whether you’re in the midst of a leadership transition or passionate about sharing the gospel, this episode will leave you encouraged and stirred for the future of the Church.
Nicky Gumbel
Nicky Gumbel is the former vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) in London. Together with his wife Pippa, they pioneered Alpha, an introduction to the Christian faith run by all the major Christian denominations in 169 countries. Nicky has written several best-selling books including Questions of Life, The Jesus Lifestyle, Searching Issues and A Life Worth Living. He is the author of the free Bible reading app Bible in One Year.
Shownotes
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