Leadership Journal

A major reengineering of a church culture takes four to six years, unless a crisis fast-forwards the process, so this case is fairly typical. In the transition process, people in the church will go through four stages: denial, resistance, exploration, and commitment. Certain leadership actions are appropriate for each stage, and leadership will determine the outcome.

The congregation proceeded normally coming out of denial (characterized by business-as-usual, commitment to the past, withdrawal) into resistance (marked by anger, anxiety, loss of members). A significant breakthrough occurred with the big Sunday night meeting.

The congregation may be stuck in the exploration phase. This phase is typified by a lack of focus, an outbreak of the "crazies" (both people and ideas), and a need to quit doing some things. In the exploration period, the congregation needs some quick wins under their belt to build confidence that their future dreams are realizable. Inserting a vision retreat here may have prematurely pushed the horizon too far ahead.

It's time for the next chapter to become evident. The church needs to distill how it will carry out the Great Commission.

Other questions emerge surrounding the pastor. I cannot tell if he is ambivalent about his own life mission. He has a strong sense of call, but does he know what to do with it? What are his strengths, gifts, and passions? The pastor needs sufficient self-understanding to lead this church into its next chapter.

My hunch is his workaholic tendencies impact his ministry in several ways. Workaholics tend to entwine themselves into too much, and it does appear that most of the lines in the church run to him. His enmeshment seems normal to him, but it is one way that leaders stunt growth. The key question is not how to get administrative help; it is how to release ministry.

Second, workaholics create work to feed their addiction. His people may be flat out exhausted. Less usually would mean more.

Third, the workaholic personality can also be a micromanager or control personality. The key shift that must occur is for the pastor not to be in the spotlight as the ministry hero, but to assume the coaching role to make winners out of others.

It is significant, far beyond numbers, that through the pastor's leadership the church has had a shift in its values—which is the toughest work—and is reaching people for Christ. The pastor must keep in mind that God keeps score differently than we do.

Good news: Faith Baptist has a lot going for it. The pastor is a committed, godly leader who is serious about his faith, loves God, seeks the mind of Christ, has a heart for evangelism, works hard, and loves the people.

The church has a proven ability to do what many churches cannot do—change. There is one baptism each year for every ten members, which is high compared to most American churches. People are growing spiritually, and newcomers are regularly coming to the church ...