After more than three decades at the helm of one of America’s most influential megachurch networks, Andy Stanley is preparing to step down.
Stanley, 68, announced Sunday that he will step down from his leadership positions at North Point Ministries and North Point Community Church, marking a significant change of the guard for the ministry he helped build over the last 31 years.
But Stanley made one thing abundantly clear: He isn’t disappearing.
“I’m retiring from my job, but I’m not retiring from ministry,” Stanley told the congregation.
Stanley currently holds two positions: senior pastor of North Point Ministries, overseeing the broader organization, and lead pastor of North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia.
North Point Ministries says Joel Thomas, the ministry’s executive director, was unanimously nominated by the board of elders to succeed Stanley as senior pastor. Eligible congregants will now vote to approve the decision. Voting closes Oct. 30, and the board expects to announce the results Nov. 1. If approved, Thomas will become senior pastor Jan. 1, 2027, before assuming the lead pastor position at North Point Community Church on June 1.
For Stanley, this isn’t a sudden decision.
He told the congregation that he and his wife, Sandra, began discussing his eventual departure approximately four and a half years ago, believing it would be healthier for the organization to intentionally establish a departure date and prepare North Point for it.
Stanley even joked about the limited options available to a longtime pastor.
“For somebody in my position, there are really only three exit options open to me,” he said. “Here they are: death, being asked to leave, or choosing to leave.”
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Stanley joked that he believes he’s choosing the best of the three.
Yet his departure also closes a consequential chapter in American evangelicalism.
Stanley’s tenure has not come without controversy.
In its report on Stanley’s announcement, media outlet Protestia pointed back to his controversial comments about Christians “unhitching” their faith from portions of the Old Testament. The outlet also highlighted other statements Stanley has made over the years concerning biblical authority and the relationship between Christianity and Scripture. They also looked at North Point’s controversial handling of LGBTQ issues.
Now, as Stanley prepares to relinquish the leadership roles he has occupied for decades, attention turns to the man positioned to inherit them.
Stanley told the congregation that Thomas became North Point’s first intern in 1998 and later oversaw several of the ministry’s adult programs. Thomas became lead pastor of North Point Community Church in 2011, then left in 2015 to lead Mission Church in Gilbert, Arizona.
Thomas returned to the North Point network in 2021, and in 2023 Stanley promoted him to executive director of North Point Ministries.
“Basically, I put Joel in charge of the whole organization,” Stanley said. “He answered to me, and I answered to the board.”
Stanley’s confidence in Thomas isn’t new, either.
He revealed that about nine years ago, he rewrote an emergency succession letter to be delivered to North Point’s elders if something unexpected happened to him. His recommendation even then was Thomas.
“If something happens to me, if I were you, I would hire Joel to replace me,” Stanley recalled writing. “He’s the person.”
Stanley isn’t planning to disappear once the transition is complete. He told the congregation that he intends to remain part of North Point’s preaching rotation and serve on the board of elders.
After 31 years, North Point is preparing to enter a new era. Given the enormous influence of Stanley’s ministry and the theological debates that followed, what Thomas carries forward will be worth watching.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Learn more about Abby at abbytrivett.com.
