| FAQ's about Church Conflict Assistance
1. DO WE NEED HELP FROM OUTSIDERS?
Outside consultants who have no personal and emotional ties to members of the church community are objective facilitators. The dynamics of most congregational conflicts involve a breakdown of trust. Loss of trust between and among church leaders and members results in an unwillingness to cooperate with those who may be viewed as "on the other side" of an issue or loyal to a particular person or group.
The Bible endorses getting assistance when Christians or a congregation experience unresolved conflict. The gospel, missionary enterprises, and even Jesus’ coming into our world illustrates assisted peacemaking. When a Christian or local congregation experiences conflict they need only ask, “Can we resolve this conflict on our own?” If the answer is yes, that is fantastic. If the answer is no, then assistance might be needed.
Philippians 4:1-2; I Corinthians 6:1-11
2. DOES PEACEMAKER MINISTRIES HAVE OR RECOMMEND RESOURCES OUR CHURCH CAN USE TO RESOLVE THE CONFLICTS ON OUR OWN?
Yes. Peacemaker Ministries encourages congregations to first contact your denominational or conference agencies. We also recommend using resources such as the Peacemaker Small Group Study and/or consulting with Peacemaker Ministries in the early stages of a conflict.
There also might be a Peacemaking Team in a church in your area. Peacemaking Teams are made up of committed Christian conciliators who have been trained by Peacemaker Ministries, some of whom are Certified Christian Conciliators™. Many of these conciliators are willing to share their experiences in peacemaking with other churches and individuals. Find a Certified Conciliator
3. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE THAT CONGREGATIONS MAKE WHEN TRYING TO RESPOND TO CONGREGATIONAL CONFLICT?
Without a doubt, failure to take intentional, significant action early, when the conflict is emerging, is the biggest mistake churches make. There is a tendency on the part of even experienced pastors to deny the seriousness of matters and to inaccurately assess the course a conflict may take if left unaddressed.
4. HOW CAN A CHURCH DECIDE WHETHER OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED?
Peacemaker Ministries employs church consultants who possess years of experience as pastors, denominational officials, Christian counselors, and attorneys. Call (406) 256-1583, ext. 27 to schedule a conflict coaching appointment with a consultant who will talk with church leaders to assess the conflict and prescribe action.
5. WHAT ASSURANCE DO WE HAVE THAT THE RIGHT INTERVENTION TEAM WILL BE ASSIGNED TO HELP OUR CHURCH?
The assessment of your specific situation includes many things, such as:
- Your church’s conflicts,
- Who is involved and what role they have in your church,
- The length of time the situation has existed,
- What has already been attempted to overcome the conflicts,
- What is the desired outcome,
- Other factors, such as legal, theological, denominational, or leadership issues that impact the conflict and resolution of conflict.
Based on this assessment, ICC selects a Church Intervention Team with knowledge, experience, and giftedness aligned with your situation. After this team is introduced to you, they will be subject to your approval. It is our goal to assign the most compatible team for your church.
6. HOW MUCH TIME WILL AN INTERVENTION PROCESS TAKE AND HOW SOON CAN A TEAM BE AT OUR CHURCH?
Generally a team can be in place within 4 to 6 weeks following the formal acceptance of a Proposal for Conflict Assistance. The amount of time to complete the intervention depends upon the type of intervention conducted. Click here for a Summary of Services.
The intervention process is comprised of four phases:
1) Consultation, which begins with your contact to us, our assessment of your situation, and the presentation and acceptance of a proposal.
2) Pre-onsite phase, which includes preparation of our team and our work with you, including scheduling when the intervention will begin.
3) Onsite phase, with onsite visits ranging from 2-10 days. Depending on the number of days, this may be accomplished in one or two visits Two-visit interventions usually include a four- to six-week interval between visits.
4) Post-site phase, which is the final wrap up of our work together, and usually takes at least 30 days.
7. CAN ANYONE IN MY CHURCH CALL AND ASK FOR ASSISTANCE?
Peacemaker intervention teams should not and cannot usurp the ecclesiastical authority that has been established as the result of a church's chosen polity (governance structure). As such, Peacemaker Ministries will not assign an intervention team to a church until the appropriate church authorities approve. In some churches this may mean a vote of affirmation by the entire congregation. In other cases, the approval of an elder or deacon board is required. In any case, if the decision to utilize an intervention team is not significantly affirmed by the body exercising lawful and biblical authority, a team will not be assigned.
8. WHAT ASSURANCES CAN WE HAVE THAT AN INTERVENTION WILL BE SUCCESSFUL?
Only God can change people. However, when Christians respond to biblical teaching and make earnest efforts to avoid both escape and attack responses to conflict, the church can expect the conflict to be resolved and healthy relationships to be established or reestablished. In every intervention case that Peacemaker Ministries has undertaken, people have grown in their spiritual maturity and have gone on to build personal relationships that reflect their faith and trust in Christ.
9. CAN WE GET THE NAMES AND CONTACT INFORMATION OF OTHER CHURCHES THAT HAVE USED PEACEMAKER MINISTRIES TO RESOLVE CONGREGATIONAL CONFLICTS?
Peacemaker Ministries guards carefully the confidentiality of its client churches. However, several churches have waived confidentiality provisions and given permission for us to share their contact information. These are available upon request.
10. HOW CAN WE OBTAIN A SPECIFIC PROPOSAL FOR INTERVENTION THAT MEETS THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF OUR CHURCH?
Our assistance begins with a consultation call with your church leaders and a Peacemaker Ministries Church Consultant. The purpose of the call is diagnostic and prescriptive. During the call, the church consultant will offer conflict coaching as well as recommendations for further assistance. If further assistance in the form of an intervention or other custom conflict assistance is recommended, and you are in agreement, the consultant will provide recommendations to a Case Administrator who will prepare a detailed proposal for your review and consideration. This comprehensive document can be presented to church boards, committees, or the entire congregation for review and approval.
11. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF LEADERS AND MEMBERS OF OUR CHURCH DURING AN INTERVENTION?
This might be called the 3 P’s for Church Leaders: Pray, Prepare, and Participate!
Pray: Most importantly you are asked to pray specifically for God’s grace to be experienced by everyone involved and by our team as we work with you.
Prepare: Church leaders (both formal and informal) are asked to complete pre-intervention assignments. We also expect you to invite the congregation to be involved in the intervention.
Participate: All church members and leaders are asked to attend The Biblical Peacemaking Seminar that initiates the intervention process. By attending the seminar, everyone will be using the same language and coming from the same perspective as the team members, who will be gathering data (through private and group interviews), conducting mediations, and providing biblical counsel. Church leaders and those particularly involved in the conflict are expected to be available to team members during the site visit.
12. WHAT KINDS OF CONFLICTS CAN AND CANNOT BE ADDRESSED BY A PEACEMAKER INTERVENTION TEAM?
Style of worship conflicts, pastoral leadership conflicts, board conflicts, church school conflicts, financial conflicts, theological disputes, property disputes, and conflicts over church government and structure are some of the conflicts Peacemaker Ministries has assisted in addressing and resolving. It is important to note, however, that when a Peacemaker team intervenes in conflict, it is not an arbitration body. That is, because the final responsibility and authority for decision-making rightly lies with the officers of the church, it is neither biblical nor lawful for that responsibility or authority to be delegated to an intervention team. Our own submission to the lawfully called and ordained leadership of the church means our authority stems from the efficacy of God's Word as it is taught and applied. Even though we work in submission to the church leadership, if an intervention team observes spiritual or other abuse by church leaders, it will not hesitate to identify and make appropriate recommendations either to those who exercise oversight authority or to the congregation (depending on the church's polity).
Peacemaker Ministries has assisted churches experiencing a variety of conflicts. Generally we separate conflicts into two categories: Personal Conflicts and Organizational Conflicts. A personal conflict is one involving two or more people and which can be resolved by those involved. An organizational conflict is one that requires the church or one of its boards to determine an outcome to the conflict. We have assisted churches where both types are evidenced.
13. HOW CAN WE GET STARTED WITH THE PROCESS?
Call (406) 256-1583 and follow the menu prompts to receive counsel concerning a church conflict. We will connect you to an intake coach who will ask some preliminary questions about your role at the church and the general nature of the conflict. You will not be asked confidential details of the conflict situation until you have read and signed an "Interview Agreement for Conflict Coaching" that will be faxed or mailed to you or made accessible on the Internet. You also may be asked to complete intake forms and to provide additional information. Peacemaker Ministries will schedule a telephone appointment during which you will be able to discuss all of the details of your church's conflict situation.
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