8 Reasons Why Change is Hard for Churches

 

The very nature of leadership requires leading through change. Therein is the fundamental difference between management vs. leadership.

Ron Hefeitz said, "Leadership is the art of disappointing people at a rate they can stand.”

Churches tend to be one of the worst places for embracing necessary change. In an excellent article, Joe McKeever, Southern Baptist pastor for 40+ years, shares 8 reasons why change is so hard for churches - and gives pastors five challenges for leading change:

"I sometimes tease our young pastors that 'in all the world, there are only three people who enjoy change, and none are members of your church.'

It’s a common perception in our churches that the Lord’s people seem to be resistant to change. And there is certainly plenty of anecdotal evidence, as flockless shepherds step up to tell how they lost their pulpits when they tried to change a schedule or a program.

A church has to change or it will die. Do not be one of these shepherds who is afraid to set a new direction out of fear of resistance or concern for his job. Be prayerful, wait on the Lord, pull plenty of leaders in as early in the planning as you can, then stand up and lead the way."

Read the entire article by Joe McKeever here at Outreach Magazine.

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