The staff of the Centre are sad to announce the death of Kenneth Smith, our administrator from 1999 to 2004. Kenneth remained a keen supporter and friend of the LMC, visiting us just before Christmas, bringing his usual love of life and laughter to our coffee times.

He will be greatly missed.

Kenneth Kirk Smith, 27/04/1940 - 03/01/2009

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.

Explore the contents of the LMC's library, which is now online. For more information go to the library page, or search online right now.

Writing over 20 years ago, Gerhard Lohfink challenges the church to grow into a “divine contrast-society.” He continues by saying, “What is meant is not a church without conflicts, but a church in which conflicts are settled in ways different from the rest of society.” This is a vision that I share, and which has been central to the development of Bridge Builders over the last 11 years. (From the Foreward by Alastair McKay, Director of Bridge Builders Bridge Builders Annual Report 2005-2006)

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

Press Release

Church conflicts keep hitting the headlines, in both the mainstream media, and the church press. Can the Church find better ways to deal with conflicts in its midst? What hope does mediation offer the Church for addressing conflict?