As time went on we learned just how nervous workers were about meeting with their religious leaders to ask them for support. They might stand up to their boss at work by putting on a union button, which union organizers invariably think is the scariest thing a worker can do, yet they struggle to muster the courage to ask their minister for a meeting. Note to labor: Workers relate more to their faith than to their job, and fear God more than they fear the boss.

Giving themselves strength in numbers was the key. If they went as a group to meet their minister, their request for help was likely to be successful. The training sessions we were running for these meetings were crucial, and role-playing was the crucial component.