Leading Missional Change: Move Your Congregation from Resistant to Re-Energized

It seems that nearly everyone is talking about missional change for congregations. As a result, many church leaders are attempting to drive that kind of change for the ministries they lead. Some succeed. But many others hit a wall of considerable frustration as they find that congregations resist the very change that is so needed. The reasons for this resistance are many, and they are explored in this volume. What is required to move a church from resistance to readiness? Some resistance is deeply rooted in spiritual patterns. But there are other reasons as well, and they center on trust--personal trust in the leaders who offer missional change. For this work, the authors have done extensive primary and secondary research to identify patterns and behaviors that invite missional leadership. More than that, they’ve lived this out in their own ministries as pastors of traditional congregations. This book thus offers compelling first-person stories and congregational case studies alongside more generalized findings. Leading Missional Change was written to support pastors and other church leaders who experience resistance, to share wisdom and experience that may lead to readiness, and to give hope and encouragement toward a re-energizing of your own congregation.

Paul J. Dunbar is the primary author of this book. He teaches for Biblical Theological Seminary and Eastern University, both near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has also served for several decades as a senior pastor in several evangelical denominations, including his current ministry in central Pennsylvania.

Anthony L. Blair is President and Professor of Church History at Evangelical Theological Seminary, Myerstown, Pennsylvania. He has also been in church ministry as a pastor, church planter, and superintendent for nearly thirty years. He is the author of Church and Academy in Harmony (Pickwick Publications, 2010).