In my last blog I raised the issue of “what is congregational health?” I ended up not with a definition but with a set of core characteristics I believe describe a healthy congregation. The first of those may be the most critical one: the ability to manage conflict constructively.  The question is not, “will you have conflict?” The question is, “how will you handle it?”

Though it’s nothing to be proud of, conflict has always been a part of being a community—Christian or otherwise. For any doubters just peruse the New Testament, particularly the Epistles. The challenge is not to find conflict, but to find almost any place without it. To their credit, the writers honestly recorded the stories of the communities that handled it well and those that did not. Read the stories for yourself and observe the many times and ways Christians have found to disagree “with energy.”

Unfortunately, conflict is just as ubiquitous today as in the first century—and maybe in some ways it’s worse.  At the Center for Congregational Health® we have always had a steady stream of calls asking for help in managing church conflict. It’s by no means the only kind of work we do, but helping congregations that struggle with conflict has always been a significant part of our work. Over the last few months, the calls from churches in conflict have risen noticeably. Consultants and colleagues in other places have noticed the same uptick in conflict. No doubt the economic recession has played a big role in this, but I don’t think it’s the only answer. From my perspective, many congregations have been embroiled in low conflict for some time but not known how or not been willing to address it constructively. The added pressure of decreased giving and the stresses experienced individually by congregation members may have created a tipping point in many situations where conflict can no longer be contained.

Responding to conflict constructively is not natural or intuitive for most individuals or congregations. The challenge for church leaders—both laity and clergy—is to develop their skill sets and manage their own emotions so that they can help the congregation navigate through the turbulence. I’ll talk about how to do that next time.

Chris Gambill, August 2010