Growth brings change that can engender fear and discomfort. A pastor was getting a lot of resistance from the former chairperson of the search committee that called him. The church was growing and change was inevitably taking place. When he kindly reminded the search committee chairperson that she said she wanted to see the church grow, she responded, “Well, I didn’t know these new people would cause so many problems.” The “problems” she noted were actually just simple changes.

The metaphor has been called the “Berry Bucket Theory,” but I prefer the “Tipping Scales Theory.” Imagine a scale like the scales of justice. On one side of the scale are tokens that represent members who were at the church before the present pastor arrived (PPMs, pre-pastor members). On the other side of the scale are tokens that represent members who came to the church after the current pastor arrived (APMs, after-pastor members).

When the pastor first comes to the church, the scale is completely tilted toward one side because everyone in the church is a PPM. Over time, however, the PPM side can only become lighter. You can’t add to the members who came before the pastor arrived. But the APM side usually grows.

When the APM side of the scale starts getting close in weight to the PPM side, problems can develop. The church is changing to the point where the newer members will soon be in the majority. The scales are tipping, and that reality engenders fear in some members.

With that metaphor in mind, let’s look at some possible troubles for church leaders. I call them warnings for leaders of growing churches.

1. Growth brings change that can engender fear and discomfort.A pastor was getting a lot of resistance from the former chairperson of the search committee that called him….
2. Power groups are threatened.Church members in informal power groups can sense the reality of the tipping scales. It threatens their power base, and they often don’t respond well….
3. Staff resistance can take place.As a church grows and changes, it often requires church staff to change and learn new skills….
4. The per capita giving may decrease.It is not unusual for new members not to give as generously as the existing members….
5. Space can become limited….
6. People outside the church may become jealous….

[Editor’s note: This article is incomplete. The link (URL) to the original article is unavailable and has been removed.]