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CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH CONFLICT Example:
As tenured Music Director of the church, you have decided to move to a
more contemporary form of worship in an effort to attract the younger
congregation. The Priest is not only upset with your choice, but is threatening
to remove you as Director.
Example: The Nomination Committee of your church has
selected a new Rabbi. However this choice has been met with opposition
from hundreds of congregants who are upset by the choice.
Example: Allegations of inappropriate conduct between
a staff member and several congregants have surfaced within the church.
For those who know, these allegations have brought division within the
congregation. Many members are threatening to leave.
Example: The Parish Board of Directors is about to unveil
a capital campaign and one Board member raises a concern that there may
not be much support in the congregation because the congregations was
neither consulted nor asked to be involved in shaping the goals of the
campaign. The Board wants to move forward.
Baltimore Mediation offers a transformative approach to congregational
and church conflict. This approach is both client centered and organizationally
oriented, recognizing the need for a healthy organization to function
well within as well as with outside constituencies. The focus is to create
opportunities within the system for one-on-one interactions as well as
group interactions that foster a greater degree of satisfaction with the
communication and, in turn, promote “upstream effects” for
the whole which include confidence in the responsiveness of leadership,
better communication, capacity to deal with divergent ideas and conflict
more constructively, greater understanding and respect and greater productivity
and cohesiveness for the future. Baltimore mediation works with two or
more people in a mediation setting for a specific problem or disputes
as well as facilitates large groups of hundreds of congregants with similar
and divergent points of view. The goal in both situations is to foster
the quality of the interaction and not muzzle differences of opinion but
rather provide them a safe and meaningful forum which can further shape
and inform quality decision making.
For clergy and church leaders (management), church and synagogue employees
and congregants, the same skills can be learned via Baltimore Mediation
training and used within the workplace called the church or synagogue.
See TRAINING. The outcomes are similar: better and more satisfying working
relationships, resolution of disputes and increased capacity to deal with
future conflict constructively. Additionally, in church settings, removing
the internal conflict barriers increases the potential for congregants
and leadership to be more responsive to others in the world to the degree
that conforms to the spiritual and cultural practice of each congregation.
The goals of a system and transformative approach to conflict are to introduce
and have integrated within the system an understanding that conflict is
a part of everyday interactions. To deal with conflict in a healthy direct
way, while potentially uncomfortable for many, and seemingly un-Christian
or un-Godlike, is a path for attaining not only a healthy sustainable
working environment but also a meaningful and compassionate worshipping
environment.
Baltimore Mediation mediators are professionals with
extensive experience with church, Board of Directors, staff and congregational
conflicts and disputes. They have backgrounds in law, human resources,
counseling, finance, business management and theology. Baltimore Mediation
mediators are experienced and specially trained in the art of conflict
transformation. They know how to handle difficult situations involving
groups and individuals. Some of Baltimore Mediation’s clients include
Maryknoll Missionaries, Bolton Street Synagogue, Cathedral of Mary Our
Queen Church, Zion Baptist Church, Knox Presbyterian Church, St. Francis
Catholic Church, New Life Missionary Baptist Church, New Friendship Church,
Beth Tfiloh Congregation, and First Apostolic Church.
Better Process….Better Outcome. For more information contact Baltimore
Mediation 443-524-0833.
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