Navigating Change (and Emotions) in Ministry Leadership
As pastoral leaders, we're no strangers to change. Whether it's guiding our congregations through societal shifts, adapting to new ministry challenges, or pursuing personal growth in our calling, change is a constant companion in our journey of faith and leadership.
Yet, even as we preach about transformation in Christ, we often find ourselves struggling with the practical realities of navigating change. Whether the change is something individual for our own development or a change we desire to see in the church, change is challenging.
However, there are plenty of change models that can help us learn to navigate change. I’ve been doing some research specifically on two: the Intentional Change Theory (ICT) and the Navigating Change Model (NCM).
Change as a Process
While developed in different contexts, both of these change models approach change not as a one-time event but as an ongoing, cyclical process (Boyatzis, 2008; Livingston, 2024). Change is not an event — it’s a process.
For example, if we imagine the moment we get a flat tire, we often view change as the single event: The tire is changed. However, actual, real-life change involves an emotional process. We realize change is needed (e.g., the tire goes flat). Then, we find ourselves frustrated at the change (e.g., we react to the flat tire). That reaction then leads to investigating the change (e.g., we pull out the pump-jack, unscrew the lug nuts, grab the new tire, etc.). This entire change process often involves cycles of realization, reaction, investigation, and implementation until the ideal state is finally realized (e.g., we get frustrated, something else breaks, we fix it, struggle, press on, and finally get the new tire in place).
Change is a process, not an event.
This process-view of change aligns well with our understanding of spiritual growth and discipleship — it's not about a single moment of transformation, but a lifelong journey of becoming more like Christ. We go through fits and starts while experiencing cycles of realization, reaction, investigation, and implementation.
And emotions hit us at every turn, impacting the success we do or do not see in the change process.
The Emotional Landscape of Ministry Change
Both the ICT and the NCM change models recognize a crucial truth that we as pastors often face: Emotions play a central role in the change process. The ICT speaks of positive and negative emotions that emerge as we compare our ideal state with our current reality (Boyatzis & Akrivou, 2006). The distance between our current reality and our ideal state (what we want to become) can be frustrating. Even worse, that distance can actually be discouraging. Sometimes we wonder if we’ll ever achieve the ideal state.
And these models apply to the organizational level of the church also. We’ve all experienced tension between our vision for the church and the church’s current state. And we know intimately the emotional stress — we deeply feel the painful distance between where we hear God leading the church and the present reality.
Emotions play a central role in navigating change as ministry leaders. Pastors often need to navigate both our own emotions during change and those of our congregations.
From Reaction to Spirit-Led Resilience
Thankfully, the NCM provides language to help us move from emotional resistance to emotional resilience (EIexperience). For example, in applying the NCM, Livingston (2024) offered an insight that resonates deeply with pastoral work:
"Anxiety and excitement are cousins."
How often have we felt both anxious and excited about a new ministry initiative, a challenging sermon series, or a personal development goal? For me, I feel both anxiety and excitement basically anytime change is needed!
Which means that anxiety (i.e., confusion, discouragement, fatigue, frustration) about change might actually mean we’re closer to realizing change than what our emotions are telling us.
How can we reframe? What if we leaned into excitement rather than anxiety? The moment of confusion may actually be presenting a potential for learning. Discouragement may be hinting at the need to try a new path. Fatigue may simply imply the need for a fresh start. Frustration may be offering us insight into deeper values.
In the NCM, the distance between reaction and investigation is the impetus for successful change.
This perspective can transform how we view the discomfort that often accompanies change in our churches. Instead of seeing anxiety as a sign that we're off track, we can reframe it as a potential indicator that we're on the brink of meaningful transformation.
What if we continued trusting and seeking God even through the painful emotions of change?
I would argue that’s where Spirit-led strength becomes the most obvious — in the moment of our weakness. And story after story after story in the Bible demonstrate how men and women of God who continued walking with the Spirit in faith beyond sight found God-ordained solutions they didn’t recognize as possible during the seasons of their struggle (see Hebrews 11).
Practical Application in Pastoral Leadership
How can we apply these insights in our pastoral leadership?
Embrace Holy Discomfort: Remember that feelings of anxiety or uncertainty during change can be signs of growth, not just stress. Just as the disciples felt fear and excitement as they embarked on their mission, we too can expect mixed emotions as we lead change.
Seek Prayerful Feedback: Both change models emphasize the importance of understanding (and fully experiencing) our current state. Create spaces for honest, prayerful feedback from your leadership team and congregation, even if the distance between the present state and the ideal state is painful.
Build Emotional and Spiritual Intelligence: Develop your ability to recognize and manage emotions — both your own and others' — throughout the change process. Ground this in spiritual disciplines, the fruit of the Spirit, and an overall dependence on the Holy Spirit (especially during those stressful moments of realizing change).
Stay Flexible and Faith-Filled: Remember that change is rarely linear. Be prepared for setbacks and unexpected turns in the journey, always remaining open to the Holy Spirit's guidance. Change is a process, not an event.
May we as pastoral leaders not only embrace change ourselves but also effectively guide our congregations through the difficult emotions of change as we prayerfully depend on the strength, guidance, and leadership of the Holy Spirit.
References
Boyatzis, R. E. (2008). Leadership development from a complexity perspective. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 60(4), 298-313. https://doi.org/10.1037/1065-9293.60.4.298
Boyatzis, R. E., & Akrivou, K. (2006). The ideal self as the driver of intentional change. Journal of Management Development, 25(7), 624-642. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621710610678454
Change navigator. (n.d.). EIexperience. https://eiexperience.com/services/assessments/change-navigator/
Livingston, S. (Director). (2024). DOL 750 navigating change forum 3 week 6 [YouTube video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FutJpT1b7bc
