Home Pastors Articles for Pastors Why People Resist Change (and What You Can Do About It)

Why People Resist Change (and What You Can Do About It)

Loss of position, status and power.

People will resist a change effort if it reshuffles the power alignment. Rare is the breed of person who willingly gives up position, status or power without some resistance.

This resistance makes sense. If someone challenged your position, then you would likely resist that effort as well.

Though people are rightly repulsed by the idea of the church being a political organization, forming political allies is a necessity in every organization. Before you challenge the current power structure of a church, serve and befriend the power brokers. If you can win them over, then you will have their help in enacting long-term cultural changes.

Threats to values and ideals.

People react emotionally when you challenge their values and ideals. When change is viewed as an assault on a current set of ideals and values, you can expect widespread resistance.

These values may not be what’s formally published in the constitution and bylaws. The only way to uncover these values and ideals is to spend time with different people. Detached pastors will never know the unspoken — yet well understood — values of their congregants.

Change is likely to occur when the people within an organization believe the benefits of making the change outweigh the costs of making the change. This attitudinal shift doesn’t come easily or quickly!