When the church is sued, many conflicts may surface. Frequently, these "secondary" conflicts erupt due to fear of the lawsuit. This should not be the case, because most churches carry adequate liability insurance that engages the insurance carrier's defense attorney to respond to any expected litigation. The Peacemaker intervention team leader can work with the insurance carrier's attorney as the regular intervention process described above is undertaken.

Frequently, those bringing a lawsuit against the church can be persuaded to submit their cause(s) of action to the Christian conciliation processes of mediation, mediation/arbitration, or arbitration. In any case, all of the parties (church officials, insurance representatives and attorneys, and plaintiffs and their attorneys) must be provided a copy of Guidelines for Christian Conciliation, available from Peacemaker Ministries. These Guidelines and the "Rules of Procedure" contained therein have been case and court-tested and provide all Christians an alternative to secular litigation (see 1 Cor 6:1-8). The Guidelines and any of Peacemaker Ministries' many resources may be obtained by calling (800)-711-7118 or visiting our on-line bookstore. For more information, we also recommend reading thoroughly the Risk Management materials in the Peacemaking Church section of this website.

If you would like to talk to someone about assistance from Peacemaker Ministries, you can call 406-256-1583, ext. 07 or your can complete the Request Assistance with Church Conflict form.