Leadership in church congregations: conflict and change

Christopher Burkett

ConflictAND

CHANGE

This session:1. Change in organizations - difficulties, blocks,

and levers2. Change and conflict3. Conflict in congregations4. Dealing with conflict

Case study

Case study1.What do you

imagine the causes of conflict are?

2.What’s gone wrong?

3.How are possibilities for positives outcomes to be found?

‘Why can’t the status quo be the way forward in this matter?’

Speaker in General Synod quoted by Charles Handy

Slow changes in the environment can inoculate us allCharles Handy

Reactions to change

R Roller Coaster

Traditionalists Conservatives Progressives Radicals

Brake van 18% Resisting

Passengers 66% Passive

Engine drivers 14% want to

get there

Track layers 2% lead

Rational motivation

Emotional motivation

► Change train ►

3 change blockers

• Blinkers and filters. We filter the world through familiarity spectacles. Group-think.

• The predictability imperative. The unexpected often the unwanted. Carry the present into the future.

• The grip of coalitions. Alliances to block change – we like what we’ve got.

Charles Handy

Levers of changeHarold Leavatt

Task

Systems Structures

People

Change and Conflict

• Goal mission, aims, values, objectives• Role changes, differences, position• Cognition ideas, opinions, judgements, ways of

thinking• Affections feelings, intuitive responses, emotions• Relations other people, communication, alliances• Behaviours words, actions, values, behaviour• Spiritual faith, spirituality, religion• Self inner struggles, tensions, illness

Adapted from Skills for Collaborative Ministry, SPCK

Conflicts in congregations in relation to different congregational models

House of Worship

Family Community Leader Mixed

Money, staff Minister, building

Money, staff, worship, outreach, gender, sexual orientation

Money, staff, worship, outreach, gender, sexual orientation

Minister, money, staff, worship, outreach, gender, sexual orientation, governance

Administrative arguments

Personal arguments

Moral arguments

Moral arguments

Multiple kinds of argument

Confined to board or committee

Widespread and emotional

Widespread Widespread Widespread and emotional

House of Worship

Family Community Leader Mixed

Process viewed positively

Unremarked Viewed as moral

Viewed positively

Viewed with suspicion

No factions Minister v lay leaders

Older v newer members

No factions Many groups each with a preference

No obvious trigger

Prompted by minister proposing admin/finance change

Prompted by members proposing new policies/programmes

Prompted by minister or members proposing new policies/programmes

By new minister or by minister proposing new polices/programmes

Resolved by vote

By vote and/orexit of some

½ by compromise and by vote

¼ by compromise and by vote

Unresolved or large groups exit

Why conflict in Church?

• Voluntary organization• Emotions near surface• Ideological commitment

to peace• Avoidance mechanisms• Tendency to spiritualize

issues• Inevitable lack of clarity

carried over into inappropriate areas

• Part of ‘leisure time’• Nero syndrome – small

place in which imperial power can be exercised

• Natural territory for the fragile and needy

• And ...

Sources of conflict in the Local Church

• Maintenance versus missionBoth require complex organizational responses and are hard to be precise about

• Conservative versus liberal traditionsBetween congregations and denominations, but also within congregations

• Clergy versus lay peopleAgain roles hard to be precise about. Clergy use charismatic authority to defend priorities because role poorly defined. Sub-groups make competing demands. Finance problems blamed on clergy. Close-knit lay communities likely to dominate the clergy

5 styles of conflict managementfrom Morgan, G. Images of Organization

• AvoidingIgnoring conflicts in hope they’ll go awayPutting problems on holdInvoking slow procedures to resolve conflictUsing secrecy to avoid confrontationAppealing to rules to resolve conflect

continued

• Compromisenegotiatinglooking for deals and trade-offsfinding satisfactory solutions

• Competitioncreating win-lose situationsusing power plays to get one’s wayforcing submission

continued

• Accommodationgiving waysubmitting and complying

• Collaborationproblem solvingconfronting differences and sharing ideas and informationsearching for solutionsFinding win-win solutionsseeing problems and conflicts as challenging

Making conflict count for good

Scriptural examples

conflicts in scripture

Active peace-making born of realism

• Change attitude to conflict• Conflict can be a wake up call from God• Conflict happens• Conflict can be productive• Conflict can transform things

Conflict transformation

is to envision and respondto the ebb and flow of social conflict as life-giving opportunities for creating constructive change processesthat reduce violence, increase justice in direct interaction and social structures,and respond to real-life problems in human relationships.

John Paul Lederach

Digging deep

Foundations of a transformational approach1. Recognize conflict is a continuous and normal dynamic

in human relationships2. Envision conflict positively as a potential for

constructive growth3. Respond willingly in ways that maximize that potential

for positive change

Don’t be part of the problem by

• Trying to subdue things by force of personality• Letting dominant people set the agenda• Wearing two hats at once• Not declaring your intentions• Using the pulpit for personal remarks• Denying your own anger

Do work at

• Proactive intervention• Active listening and mirroring• Validating others’ opinions and empathizing• Centred speaking – yourself and what you feel,

not conjecture about others and their opinions• Being assertive but not aggressive• Consensus rather than idealized unanimity

Adapted from Colin Patterson

Peacemakers

References• Becker Penny Edgwell. (1999) Congregations in Conflict. Cambridge: CUP.• Carroll, Jackson W. (2006) God’s Potters: Pastoral Leadership and the Shaping of

Congregations. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.• Handy, Charles. (1990) Understanding Voluntary Organizations. London: Penguin.• Nash, Sally and Paul Nash and Jo Pimlott. (2011) Skills for Collaborative Ministry.

London:SPCK.• Lederach, John Paul. (2003) The Little Book of Conflict Transformation.

Intercourse (PA):Good Books• Morgan, Gordon. (2006) Images of Organization. London: Sage.• Patterson, Colin. (2003 ) How to Learn Through Conflict. Cambridge:Grove

Books.• Starkey, Mike. (2011) Ministry Rediscovered. Abingdon:BRF.• Steinke, Peter. (1996) Healthy Congregations: A Systems Approach. New York:

Alban Institute.