my church. I had thought I would be immune. I wasn’t. Six months into my first senior pastorate, I found myself embroiled in controversy. The church was losing old members as fast as we could bring in new ones. The board and I were having a hard time seeing eye to eye on anything. At night, I’d lie in bed and wonder what I’d do if they asked me to leave, or if the church split, or if a congregational meeting suddenly turned raucous. Fortunately none of those things happened. With God’s help, a once-divided