Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Church Conflict
Mark D Roberts is blogging a series on church conflict. (HT: SmartChristian) (Go to his "Table of Contents" at the top of his blog to read the series in order) I like everythig he has written, but am a little frustrated because so far it is pretty short on practical advice.
I have been in churches riven with the kind of conflict he is addressing. I seem to be pretty astute at seeing the signs and usually bail on the church before it gets really ugly -- done it twice in my life. Both churches, within a year or two of my departure, blew up like a fungus fed frog. And both, even while I was still there had a sermon series preached by the pastor that sounded remarkably like Mark's series to date.
My opinion, when a church reaches a point where it realizes it is in "serious conflict" and starts seeking congregational consultants, or pastors start preaching series' like this, the deal is done, the die is cast, it's over.
We need to start training pastors and lay leaders to recognize the roots of these conflicts far, far earlier in the game. And then we need to get to work making serious disciples.
I have been in churches riven with the kind of conflict he is addressing. I seem to be pretty astute at seeing the signs and usually bail on the church before it gets really ugly -- done it twice in my life. Both churches, within a year or two of my departure, blew up like a fungus fed frog. And both, even while I was still there had a sermon series preached by the pastor that sounded remarkably like Mark's series to date.
My opinion, when a church reaches a point where it realizes it is in "serious conflict" and starts seeking congregational consultants, or pastors start preaching series' like this, the deal is done, the die is cast, it's over.
We need to start training pastors and lay leaders to recognize the roots of these conflicts far, far earlier in the game. And then we need to get to work making serious disciples.
