Welcoming Resistance

Resistance can be a sign of vital, high-quality, and faithful life in a congregation, and a learning opportunity for congregational leaders who recognize the value of hearing from those who resist ministry initiatives, inviting their input and listening to their response. Hobgood proposes a "continuum of interventions" that can be made by pastors and lay leaders. He also observes that the degree of resistance will intensify as the degree of change deepens, but suggests that when we try to squelc