“What is really disheartening,” the
pastor told me, “is that we’ve probably
lost two years of effective momentum
and ministry.”
The pastor knew he had messed up. “I
violated my own leadership principles,”
he said. “I have always led change
incrementally in the established
churches I served. I have tried not to
surprise people. And I tried to get as
much buy-in as possible.” He paused
for a moment. “I guess I had a period
of temporary insanity,” he concluded,
but only partially in jest.
Derek knew what had to be done. It
was too late, he surmised, to move the
old pulpit back. The damage was done,
and he really wanted to accentuate his
more informal style. He determined he
would offer the congregation a formal
apology the next Sunday.
The pastor entered the worship center
the following Sunday with some
trepidation. He was not surprised to
notice the huddled conversations. He
was not surprised to feel the tension in
the room. And he was not surprised to
see many eyes glancing at the pulpit.
But he was really surprised at what he
saw when he looked to the spot where
the pulpit stood.
When he followed those glances
toward the podium, Derek gave forth
an audible gasp. Much to his surprise,
he saw the reason for the murmurings
this Sunday.
The old pulpit was back.
Many members contend that the
following response really happened. In
fact, they say it was so loud the entire
congregation paused in quiet shock.
Everyone said they heard it. In fact,
some of the members said the pastor’s
question sounded more like a wail of
agony. “Who moved my pulpit?!”
When I spoke with Derek about this
incident, he was in his ninth year at
Redeemer Church. He had survived the
crisis, but barely.
“What is really disheartening,” the
pastor told me, “is that we’ve probably
lost two years of effective momentum
and ministry. We have been so inwardly
focused dealing with this issue.”
The pastor is still processing the
issues. “On the one hand,” he said, “I
really can’t believe the members were
so preoccupied with something like a
pulpit. I don’t think they would have
been as upset if I had preached heresy
in my sermon. It just makes no sense.”
We asked Derek what he did
Solutions • 39