Why are so many congregations conflicted?

Is your church experiencing conflict?

Many churches are in conflict today. Often these fights have become abusive, traumatising parish leaders. I can give at least three reasons for why the American church scene has become so rancorous:

1) The steady decline in American church participation has caused us to feel depressed in our church work. Depressed people are risk adverse, passive aggressive, and argumentative.

2) The constant emphasis on church growth and how laity are keeping their pastors from being successful, has made us all feel ashamed. Shame-based cultures shuffle blame around rather than dealing problems in an objective fashion.

3) The world is such a complex place now that people come to church to find a sabbath rest and help in forming meaningful relationships with God and their loved ones. Instead of giving them what they crave, we give them complications.

There may be other causes. Confronting the above, however, orients us in the right direction. We, church leaders, have to forsake blaming and shaming. In each conflict, we must prayerfully seek to understand the motives of others and not fall into the trap of black-white thinking. This may take time and be a slow process. Once we understand why people behave the way they do, then we can respond without judgement or competitiveness. Once we see ourselves as having similar needs and frustrations, then we can be open to offer and recieve healing and forgiveness. 

For more on this see David's Harp by Bill Kemp  for sale at www.notperfectyet.com/books_3.html