By Terri Lackey

RIDGECREST, N.C. (BP)–Human beings are born for change — they just
don’t know it.

"We are risk-takers. We learn to walk without worrying about
falling," Bob Sheffield told a group of church leaders attending
the National Conference for Church Leadership at Ridgecrest (N.C.)
Baptist Conference Center June 26-29.

But before long, humans learn to fear change and the challenges it
brings, said Sheffield, a consultant in the pastor-staff leadership
department at LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist
Convention who led a two-session workshop on "Leading Change
Without Causing Chaos."

"We learn early to be conservative. Nobody accepts change
equally well. The young can be just as provincial in resisting change as
older people."

Consequently, Sheffield said, it is up to church leaders to ease
members into a significant transformation when it becomes necessary.

"Certain changes cause a great deal of problems in the
church," he said. "You need to get in touch with the basic
ways you can be a leader of change without causing chaos."

But first, Sheffield said, leaders must examine some unhealthy
approaches to change that should be avoided.

A common approach to change among leaders, Sheffield said, is the
"Ostrich Syndrome, sticking your head in the sand and pretending
it’s not happening. "That not only will not avoid chaos, it will
create it," he said.

Leaders might also attempt to force the change. "When leaders
force change, people don’t get aboard. If they don’t own it, they blame
others if it goes down the tubes."

Often, leaders "will announce change and hope for the
best" or, equally wrong, they will tell the congregation "they
know what’s best" for the church and instigate change with no
discussion.

Sheffield said it is necessary to get the church to buy into change.

"You have to train people to do things differently. With
strategic planning, you can bring people along with you."

He said if the church gets involved in creating a mission and vision
statement for its future, members will get personally involved in
change. For change to take place within a church without major
disruptions or chaos, Sheffield said members must first pray for God’s
guidance and seek a God-sized vision.

"If we can accomplish our vision without God’s help, it’s too
small," he said.

Change is worth the energy it takes, Sheffield said, when it is done
to set new goals, adapt new methods for carrying out a church’s mission,
change outdated behaviors or beliefs, correct or update organization and
procedure, include more people in the mission of the church and involve
the church in current reality.

Likewise, it is more accepted when it is understood; when the people
help create it; when it doesn’t threaten anyone’s security; when it
comes from goals previously established; when it follows a series of
successful changes; and when too much change hasn’t already taken place
within the church.

Whenever a church is about to undergo significant changes,
opposition will probably be put forth by some church members, Sheffield
said. If leaders know some of the reasons why people resist change, he
said, they can be prepared to counteract it.

Sheffield listed some reasons people resist change:

1. They have no felt need or see no sense in it. "Your felt
need doesn’t translate into some one else’s felt need."

2. They prefer the status quo. "We get comfortable within our
own mess. We’re more comfortable even though we’re uncomfortable. It’s
better than the alternative — fear."

3. It’s just the culture of the congregation. "Some
congregations do not prefer change. Some will circle their wagons when
they realize the culture is about to change."

4. They have no sense of vision.

5. They have vested interest in the current culture. "When the
church changes or starts to grow, the power center changes."

6. They distrust leadership. "People will resist change if they
don’t trust the leadership."

7. They have temperament differences. "Some people can just
take more change than others.

8. They fear the complexity of change.

9. They have different worldviews than those of the change agents.

10. They are self-centered. "They resist change because they
didn’t think about it."

Other reasons people resist change, Sheffield said, are because they
fear the unknown, they fear failure, they fear power struggles and they
fear a sense of loss of control.

Resistance to change has its place, Sheffield acknowledged.

For example, resistance can clarify purpose, communication and
plans.

"It makes people stop to look at the purpose and whether they
are communicating that purpose clearly. It helps us re-evaluate our
plans — and to double check ourselves."

National Conference for Church Leadership ’98 was sponsored by
LifeWay Christian Resources.

(BP) photo and cutline are posted in SBCNet BP Photos Library under
filenames change.jpg and change.txt.

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