How do we think theologically about the work of conflict transformation? This article by former Director of the London Mennonite Centre, Mark Thiessen Nation, explores this issue by reference to the thought of Mennonite theologian John Howard Yoder.

How is conflict handled in church life and what challenges need to be faced if conflict is to be handled constructively and creatively? Alastair McKay, Director of Bridge Builders, explores these questions, through a review of the existing available literature.

What are the special demands made on leaders when a church is in conflict? In this article, Colin Patterson, shares some lessons learned from experience. He suggests that, although most leaders could sharpen their skills, ultimately Christian leadership is about character - being formed in the image of Jesus.

A selected bibliography on titles related to church conflict. Titles are briefly annotated and grouped according to subject:

Conflict-Related Titles
Family Systems Theory and Leadership
Leadership
Mediation, Group Facilitation and Process
Cross-Cultural Conflict

Do you tend to avoid conflict, and view conflict in the church as something negative or destructive? In this article, Alastair McKay, Director of Bridge Builders, offers some keys that can help unlock a different understanding of conflict and an approach which can enable leaders to engage with conflict as a source of creativity and transformation in the life of the church. The article provides an introduction to some of the ground covered in Bridge Builders’ Transforming Church Conflict course. The course focuses on developing some of the qualities, self-awareness and skills covered by the article, and which are needed by leaders to enable them to work better with conflict. The article was first published in a slightly different form as a chapter entitled “Resolving Conflict” in the book How to Become a Creative Church Leader: A Modem Handbook, edited by John Nelson (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2008) pp. 194-210.

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Speaking at a national conference on church mediation Alastair McKay, Director of Bridge Builders, offered three challenges to the church in England and beyond. He says that the first challenge is to change the culture of how our churches think about and engage with conflict, and instead to build a culture of active peace-making in the Church. Second, is the challenge to promote and resource mediation as one way of dealing with conflict, because mediation offers a route through the tangled thickets that we can get caught up in. Third, is the challenge to be realistic about mediation, to recognise its limits, and to take a more systemic view of the conflicts that arise.

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Just suppose our church were to hit a crisis. Imagine that some storm blows up over an important issue and we have a significant conflict on our hands. Perhaps it threatens to split the fellowship.

What would you do?

Here are 6 options:
A. Pray that God will sort things out
B. Tell the leader(s) to get a grip on things
C. Leave before things get even more painful
D. Call for others to resign or leave
E. Do what you can to calm things down
F. Suggest getting help from an impartial outsider

Not a side issue
Why should churches be interested in the practice of conflict resolution? Well, put at its most basic, any body of people would be better off not being damaged by internal disputes, wouldn’t they? Even simple self-interest suggests that it’s worth trying to resolve conflict. But churches can go further than that.

Some reflections by Bridge Builders’ staff, May 2006

Bridge Builders has three staff members: Alastair McKay (Director), Colin Patterson (Assistant Director) and Charletta Erb (Trainer and Mediator, until July 2006). In this article, each of them offers a personal response to the question, “What is distinctive or different about conflict in churches, compared to other contexts?”

Alastair McKay:

I want to point to two things. First, I think the emotional dynamics and intensity can mark out church conflicts; and, second, I believe that there are unusual resources which can be drawn on in the midst of church conflicts.