Managing Church Conflict

Managing Church ConflictConflict inwardly Churches continues to be a problem (Tony Cartledge 2001), and it shows little sign of abating. In fact, the opp mavinnt could be much closer to the truth. Perhaps this is why so legion(predicate) in the ministry turn to the writings of Hugh Halverstgadt (2002), a ministry professor from Chicago. In the accounting entry to his book Managing Church Conflicts, Halverstgadt analyzes the personal and congregational reasons that provide the root causes, which do- nonhing lead from minor disagreements to out castigate engagement.His book develops the theme that, as in many beas of life, to sensibly cover these problems, ministries and churches glob anyy need to institute a system of run afoul steering. Leading the reader through a little by little conflict management strategy, covering a wide range of normal scenarios, Halverstgadt leads us to his image of peace in churches based upon the nonion of Shalom, which promotes the right harmo nious relationships to other(a) human beings, (Nicholas Wolterstorff, 1983). The real question is whether the views held, and the solutions that Halverstgadt promotes to do conflict, address the smear.Halverstgadts preface asks the question lavatory Church conflict be Christian? and contests that where it degenerates into a dirty fighting scenario, which is not uncommon, this is perhaps not the case. To address this he suggests that ports of turning such disputes into a bewitching Christian fight need to be found. However, he accepts that there is no need for the Church to fear conflict, provided it is engaged in a sort of sportingness.He provides an insight into the reasons conflicts, identifying that essentially the foundation for all conflict is great power and that power turns to conflict once its balance is disturbed. Such disturbances can iodine sector seeks to promote its power in a way that other may perceive would result in a weakening, and therefore narrowing or reducing, the power that they think they should enjoy.As, in the case of the Church, most conflicts be deemed centered round power battles within the congregation itself, the book promotes the conjecture that it falls to the pastor or minister to take on the mantlepiece of conflict manager. It suggests that to successfully take on and execute the region, the manager give needs to reassess their own ideas and stamps in terms of conflict and their reactions to a fact that arises. In effect, Halverstgadt is looking to the conflict managers to retrain themselves into this new role so that their approach will lead to a solution to the bonk that will be acceptable to all of the parties concerned.He acknowledges that the force nature of such a role may be alien to the person, precisely counsels that as long as they approach it from a position of self-worth, a knowledge that one is a loved member of Gods and the communities family, others will respond irrefutablely to them. Part two of Managing Church Conflicts concentrates on the understanding of the issues that look at given rise to the conflict, and analyzing these issues and the parties heterogeneous into their component parts. unmatched of the first steps advocated is to set rules for the discussion of the conflict, which may mean reorganizing the incumbent ways that existing systems of debates within the Church and its congregation be managed. Often, in conflict situations, both the root causes and indeed the participants in the dispute are not easily identifiable. Therefore, the book suggests that there is a need for the conflict manager to run away between the disputing parties and draw them together in communication that is capable and productive.One of the first, and most important, steps in this process includes ensuring that the disagreements move from a dirty fighting stance, which is characterized by its personal direction and content, to an open discussion based upon the foundatio n of Christian ethics. Haverstadt suggests that it is only once all of these issues have been addressed that the ministry or pastor can move onto the conterminous step, which is the task of managing the conflict and bringing astir(predicate) a resolution that is simply, fair and brings to the highest degree unity once again.Haverstadt further recognizes that managing a conflict situation is no easy task, even for the most experienced conflict manager, and that is has certain(prenominal) limitations. Therefore, in the second part of his book, he sets out a naive systematic process for the church mediator to follow. How they can avoid electronegative exchanges between the parties, partially by using the interpretations of faith on the issues, and pursuit calmer methods of controlling the discussions.He further discusses ways in which this process should not be limited to just the main(prenominal) protagonists as this could bring about the arising of new conflicts, but include the Church participation, so that everyone understands where the process is heading. Furthermore, recognizing that there are issues within the individuals involved that might be better served in private, he suggests that the using of a mentor, or coach, may be beneficial. This gives the individuals the probability to discuss those feelings on a personal basis, and to receive comfort and focal point from those appointed to assist them. The desire is that this will lead to a situation where parties can put forward the basis of their strategies and arguments in a positive and all the way defined manner.In the relative calmness of discussion that these moves are hoped to produce, Haverstadts book then attempts to deal with the subject of resolution itself, outlining the effects and weakness of the possibility of trying to reunite the divagations or achieving a negotiated settlement acceptable to all.The whole focus or aim of the procedures that Haverstadts book promotes is the cognition that, by following the guidelines outlined, a position of shalom will be reached. Shalom, in the biblical understanding of the term, a pot which emphasizes the notion of a united, just community bound in pleasant relationships. Although this may seem to debar discord and diverse viewpoints, as Haverstadt explains, this is not the case.Diversity in the vision of shalom is realized and accepted within an enthusiastic wish to maintain and reanimate relationships with others using the one abiding link between the congregation, namely their belief in God and the trilogy. Differences in this situation become part of the loading group strength of the community, rather than the influence that tears the community apart.ResultTo the close that the focus of Halverstgadts interpretation that the causes of Church conflict are produced by a clashing of power bases, there is little evidence to argue against his findings. If one looks at the development of the Christian Church over the centuries since its birth with the death of Christ, the power theory is evidently supported. From a that one focus, Christianity, one has seen it develop into a multi-faceted structure, with the only link, and that mostwhat precarious, being the core belief in the trilogy.Catholic, Anglican, Baptist and Methodist, amongst a host of Churches, ostensibly promote the homogeneous message, all offering the same vision for the salvation of the human being. Yet, when reflecting about each other, the divisions are obvious, sometimes almost vitriolic in their expression. Historically, it is clearly demonstrated that these divisions resulted from a conflict of power. A typical example is the way in which the King of England separated the Anglican Church from the Church of Rome.Halverstgadts promotion of the use of conflict management in an effort to resolve Church conflicts, by providing a calm and common sense vehicle through which issues can be identified and resolved is laudable. S uch systems have been used as an integral part of human resource management in business for a number of years, often with much success. However, like all strategies, it has its limitations. Successful conflict management in a community relies upon all the protagonists having the same goals.Business is possibly unique, in that all involved have a tangible focus for conflict management, the business itself. The difference with Church conflicts is that although much of the dispute is about power, it also rests in emotions and non-tangible ideas and beliefs. For example, some of the congregation would promote the idea that the Church should accumulate wealth, so that it can promote its message from a position of strength, others promote the idea that strength of message is better served and more honest from a position of meekness. finishingMy opinion of this book is that it will serve as a wide foundation for dealing with Church conflicts in a number of instances, the main areas to ben efit from this good will be concentrated on a parochial basis. At the level where major conflicts occur, as identified in the example of conflict between King of England and the Church of Rome, the power compulsive differences are too embedded within the psyche of the dominators of the various factions for mediation to be truly successful.In addition, whilst the vision of Shalom is a worthy show for all communities, particularly in Churches, such is the nature of the Human cosmos that it is unlikely the culmination of this vision will come to fruition. My conclusion therefore is that, whilst the book provides valuable direction from which the Church, its concentration and examples are too localized to make a significant impact upon the area where it is needed most, namely the hierarchy of the various religious sects themselves.ReferencesHalverstgadt, Hugh. F. (1992). Managing Church Conflict. Westminster/John Knox Press. U.S.Cartledge, Tony. W. ed. (2001). Church conflict a com mon problem. Biblical Recorder. North Carolina. U.S.A.Wolterstorff, Nicholas (1983). Until Justice and Peace press Grand Rapids Eerdmans. p 70.