Transitions & Seasons Of Success – Rob Salvato

In this episode of the Cultivate Church Planting Podcast, Brian Kelly interviews Rob Salvato about his 30-year pastoral journey at Calvary Vista, including a thoughtful and Spirit-led transition to his successor and the church’s culture of church planting. Rob shares how he intentionally prepared his church for leadership transition by gradually releasing control, empowering staff, and cultivating a servant-leadership mindset. He also recounts his first church plant in Oregon, lessons learned about bi-vocational ministry, focusing on doing one thing well, and the importance of having a genuine burden for a city. The conversation highlights practical strategies for training church planters, investing deeply in future leaders, and recognizing that seasons of planting and supporting are directed by the Lord.

Episode Highlights

• Why pastors should begin planning succession long before they feel ready to step aside

• The importance of slowly “letting go of the reins” to prepare both heart and congregation for transition

• A real-life example of a healthy pastoral handoff after 30 years of leadership

• Lessons from Rob’s first church plant, including why he now recommends getting a part-time job to integrate into the community

• The wisdom of doing one thing really well when starting a church, instead of launching multiple ministries too quickly

• A structured, year-long training pipeline Calvary Vista used to prepare church planters across every ministry area

• Why investing deeply in leaders before sending them out produces long-term fruit

• The mindset shift from “losing your best people” to seeing God raise up the next generation

• Recognizing seasons of planting versus seasons of supporting and coming alongside other church planters

*****

The Cultivate Church Planting Website: https://cultivatechurchplanting.com

Pledge to Plant: https://tally.so/r/3xj2BG