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conflict resolution

When the Church Doesn’t Believe Its Own Message

If life was always peaches and cream, we would have no need for religion. We turn to God in weakness to find our strength.

So in comes the Church.

Church leaders will explain God’s ways. We will have a roadmap for solving problems.

Church leaders are rarely at a loss for words when it comes to advising congregations. They preach guidelines for peaceful and productive lives in Christ.

Followers nod in agreement. They file out of church assemblies with a sense that they are leaving a place where people care about one another and will follow God’s Word.

A pastor recently shared his story.

He had listened to a bishop address his synodical assembly with words of peace, admonishing them to work with one another to resolve differences in accordance with the Scriptures. It was a moving message which drew a standing ovation.

This pastor and his congregation were having some issues with Synodical leadership. He was encouraged by the message. He managed to buttonhole the bishop before the end of the Assembly. He told him he was moved by his sermon.

“Let’s do it,” he said with enthusiasm. “Let’s get together and talk through our issues.”

The bishop responded. “Uh, OK, why don’t you write an agenda and send it to my office. We’ll set up a meeting.”

The pastor was excited. He drafted an agenda of the issues his congregation wanted to discuss and sent it to the bishop’s office.

Months went by with no response. At last, the bishop responded that he had been advised that the issues might end up in court and he should not meet with the congregation.

You read that right! The issues MIGHT end up in court. So what’s the point of talking.

This parallels Redeemer’s experience. Bishop Burkat had a lawyer at her right hand (literally) at her first meeting with Redeemer leaders.

This attitude of—not all, but more than one—current bishops in the ELCA violates the Gospel and is a dereliction of their assigned duties. They are no longer shepherds but predators. Clergy’s key advisors are lawyers—not more experienced pastors, not people with a spiritual gift for wisdom, and not the Bible.

The Gospel is clear that we are to attempt to work out differences without the courts. But in today’s church, leadership is not looking for resolution. They are looking for the WIN. They are looking to be seen as powerful. Resolution might call for ceding some power. Opponents must be defeated!

The Church is following the way of the world—exactly as the New Testament (both Gospel and Epistles) cautions. It is crippling the Church, one little conflict after another. Every WIN by intimidation is a defeat for the Gospel.

“Resolution” is so distasteful that the word is avoided. SEPA Synod is billing an upcoming workshop as conflict “transformation.” 

Today’s Church does not believe its own scriptures.

It is a sad day when the only thing separating the Church from the world is tax exemption and immunity for its actions—but not those of its opponents—under the Bill of Rights.

Upcoming Workshop on Conflict Transformation

Weathering the Storm or System

Yesterday, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America announced an upcoming workshop for congregations. We first saw this listed as Weathering the Storm, but notice it is now advertised as Weathering the System.

Weathering the System
October 27, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
St. John’s Lutheran Church
505 North York Road, Hatboro, PA 19040

The six-hour workshop on conflict resolution is advertised as conflict transformation.

A buzzword unused is an opportunity squandered.

How do you weather a storm?

Make sure you win! Winning, at any cost, even at the expense of mission, outranks problem-solving in today’s church leadership. As one leading businessman wrote today, “It’s because defeat and power and humiliation and money have replaced ‘doing what works for all of us.'”

Although the names of presenters are not posted, you will learn from the best. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Lutheran Church in America, has been involved in years and years of conflict. They know the ropes!

Topics within synod’s expertise include:

  • how to create and define conflict using deceit
  • intimidating the opposition
  • exploiting vulnerable volunteers
  • how to identify which volunteers to eliminate to ensure victory
  • discouraging lay involvement to assure managerial success
  • how to pit clergy against laity to maximize success
  • guidelines for effective use of inflammatory language
  • when to apply the constitutions
  • when to ignore the constitutions
  • how to use Roberts’ Rules of Order
  • how to ignore Roberts’ Rules of Order
  • isolating the opposition from the rest of the Church
  • divide and conquer: tried and true techniques to guarantee divisiveness
  • tips for withholding professional services while appearing to serve
  • demonizing your opposition
  • use of litigation as a management tool
  • ignoring facts that do not serve your purpose
  • how to use partial truths to gain popular support
  • when to lie unabashedly
  • best practices in name-calling and finger-pointing
  • how to camouflage objectives with semantics
  • use of charm and charisma to deflect attention from the issues
  • how to keep knowledgeable people from asking questions
  • when and how to declare your opponents as non-existent
  • the underestimated value and strategic use of prejudice
  • creative use of statistics
  • techniques for silencing opposition
  • maximizing the “gotcha” factor
  • when and how to ignore Gospel imperatives
  • counting coup: the proper way to celebrate victory

The announcement quotes a former participant:

“Conflict and stress are a part of life. Both can be positive. It’s all in how you deal with it.”

Don’t miss the upcoming workshop. Learn how to deal with conflict from the masters!

Update: a subsequent announcement names The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Phelps Ollikainen of Liberty Lutheran as the presenter. Liberty Lutheran is independent of SEPA Synod, so content may actually be helpful!