You’ve done the research. You’ve considered the options. You’ve communicated clearly and have covered all the bases. You’ve presented the benefits and the opportunities that the new change will provide and have given reasonable expectations for outcomes you hope the change will produce. It seems like a no brainer. So why is the recommendation met with resistance?
Over the last few years I’ve learned that sometimes people resist change, not because of the change itself, but because of the uncertain next step(s) that follows. The unspoken question among some congregants is, “If we do that, then what?”
If you present change as movement from point A to point B, not knowing point C will be a sticking point for some. Change for the sake of change uses a point A to point B with no certain following step(s). True transition is always a process with many purposeful steps. If you don’t have a point C, then maybe its best to wait on the change to allow time to develop clarity on the bigger picture. If you do have a point C, then I recommend letting your followers in on it, even if the picture is not fine tuned.