by Michael Pumphrey

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I was in third grade when the ground started shaking.

It was just before lunch. At first, no one knew what was happening. Teachers rushed into the hallway. Some thought there had been an explosion at one of the nearby rubber plants. We were evacuated, confused, and uneasy. Later we learned it was an earthquake, one of the largest in Ohio history.

Earthquakes like that are rare. But they leave a mark. You remember what it felt like when something you assumed was stable suddenly was not.

In many ways, that is what this moment feels like for the church.

The ground is shifting. Cultural norms are changing. Attendance patterns are different. Long-held assumptions about church life do not seem to hold in the same way they once did. For many pastors and leaders, there is a quiet question beneath the surface. What is happening to us?

It can feel unsettling—even disorienting. But I want to offer a different lens.

Disruption does not mean God has stepped away. More often, it means God is doing deeper work than we can immediately see.

Throughout Scripture, God does some of his most significant work in seasons that feel uncertain. Foundations are exposed. Old structures are questioned. New life begins to emerge in ways that are not always predictable or comfortable.

What if this moment is not about the church collapsing, but about the church being reformed?

What if the shaking is not a sign of abandonment, but an invitation to renovation?

Over the past month, I have stepped into a new role with BGAV, focused on coaching and walking alongside churches in seasons just like this one. I have had the privilege of listening to pastors and leaders across our network. The stories are different, but the underlying experience is often the same. There is both a deep love for the church and a growing awareness that something needs to shift.

Not faster activity. Not more programs. But deeper clarity.

This article is the beginning of a six-part conversation we will walk through together over the coming months. We will explore what it means to lead when the ground feels unstable. We will talk about the systems that shape us, the people who experience change differently, the capacity required for healthy movement, and the culture that ultimately determines what grows.

My hope is not to offer quick fixes. It is to create space for thoughtful reflection and honest discernment. Because when the ground shifts, it reveals something important. It shows us what we have been building on.

And the good news is this. God is still building his church. He has not stopped. He has not stepped back.

He is inviting us to pay attention, to listen closely, and to step forward with clarity and courage.

There is still blue sky ahead.

Rev. Michael Pumphrey is BGAV’s director of coaching.

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This article is the first in a series of six on leadership by Michael Pumphrey.

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