Once the process begins, the leaders realize that it will take more time than they hoped. It requires three to ten years to transform a church. In some cases it takes more time because major problems arise. One church has taken a two-year pause to deal with a dissenting controller. Pushing too fast will result in unnecessary conflict.
Transformation exacts a cost.
In one church the cost was that a staff member had to leave. In another situation some people left the church because they disagreed with the teams concept. In another church, the pastor went through burnout during the process. They must be able to make some withdrawals and still have a positive balance. Most new pastors do not have enough trust built up to lead transformation without soon developing a negative balance.