Presidential tenures at colleges and universities in the United States have declined. Private, four-year institutions have witnessed a significant decrease in average appointments while more presidents, many influenced by personal job dissatisfaction, have chosen to retire or leave the industry rather than assuming a similar role at a more prestigious college or university. Special focus institutions, a segment of schools that includes religious colleges and universities, strongly lean towards hiring first-time presidents. Such new hires have claimed to be ill-prepared for what awaits them with regard to an evolving job description that features relationships with a diverse group of constituencies. The transition into this role can be difficult on both the president and their family, making the job tenure all the more strenuous. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to develop an understanding of the lived relational experiences of presidents from Christian colleges and universities who left their position in the last seven years and served in the role for at least four years; then phenomenon was previously not known. In response, the pairing of 10 semi-structured, phenomenological interviews with Adult Transition Theory found the lived relational experiences of Christian college or university presidents to have been described by five constituents: (1) tensions felt with institutional alignment, (2) ongoing comprehension and application of leading a shared journey, (3) making purposeful connections, (4) navigating the intersection of personal and professional, and (5) confronting big deals and presidential priorities. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]