HOW TO MANAGE CONFLICT IN A

CHURCHLYDIA VOLLAND

• PROBLEM TO SOLVE:How to be an effective leader in a situation where sometimes we do not see eye to eye with others. It is important for us to have good conflict management skills to help get through these conflicts whether with those we work with or those who attend the church.

• CRISIS TO AVOID:We need to avoid handling conflicts in the wrong ways as to not offend people and have people potentially leave the church over a conflict which was not handled correctly.

MAJOR CONCEPTS

• Communication• Respect• Understanding Roles• Introspective Thinking

JOSHUA HATFIELDADMINISTRATIVE PASTOR AT NEW HEIGHTS COMMUNITY CHURCH

INTRODUCTION OF JOSHUA• He graduated from Riverview community High School in 2003.

He was called into ministry in his late teen years and has striven to make positive steps in the area. He attended college at the University of Michigan, then transferred to William Tyndale University, finally graduating from Lee university as a Pastoral Major. He has been active in full time ministry for over six years and is currently serving as the administrative pastor at New Heights Community Church. He began his ministry as a youth pastor, gleaning valuable knowledge along the way from other mentors in his life in order to make his own ministry more effective. He attempts to follow God’s plan for his life in all decisions and carefully and prayerfully seek Him when making his next move. He is currently enrolled at Pentecostal Theological Seminary.

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF EFFECTIVE CONFLICT MANAGEMENT? • Conflict management is effective when a mutual

goal has been reached by both parties that is both fair and just. I am not naïve enough to believe that every decision that arises from a conflict will make both parties happy, but both can be satisfied in a compromise. When dealing with conflict, if one of the offending parties gets mad or defensive, I see this as a loss and not very effective. It is slowly, meticulously, and intelligently finding a solution to a problem in a very humane way.

IN YOUR OPINION, HOW DOES A LEADER MANAGE CONFLICT IN A WAY THAT DISTINGUISHES HIM/HER FROM OTHERS IN THE ORGANIZATION?• A leader will distinguish himself from

others in the way in which he handles the resolution. A leader will remain neutral and calming. A leader will place himself outside of the situation and handle it with grace and care. He is not to have an agenda or to place personal desires into the resolution, but help the conflicting parties to find common ground which leads to compromise.

DO YOU BELIEVE THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY LEADERS MANAGE CONFLICT COMPARED TO THE WAY MANAGERS AND FOLLOWERS MANAGE CONFLICT?

• Whereas a manager and follower could do well at managing conflict, most times they are much too close to the situation in order to be truly neutral and/or effective. The leader has the distinct advantage of seeing all sides as she has a “birds-eye view” of the goings on and can more effectively handle a situation that may arise. The manager and follower are not necessarily bad at conflict management, they are coming at it with the disadvantage of being a peer to the conflicting parties.

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF CONFLICT MANAGEMENT? WHAT CONFLICT MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES GUIDE YOU?

• If a compromise can be had or a decision can be made in which both parties leave satisfied, I view that as my philosophy in conflict management. Typically, when conflict arises, it is due to the lack of communication between the parties, allowing frustration to fester and grow. If we remain open and honest and show adequate communication skills, conflict will not be the norm.

HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE YOUR CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLE: AUTHORITARIAN, DEMOCRATIC, OR LAISSEZ-FAIRE (HANDS OFF)?

• My style is a cross between democratic and laissez-faire. I tend to allow minor things to work themselves out as the parties involved will usually talk and work out any problems. If leadership is to authoritarian, conflict can arise simply from not giving people enough space to work it out themselves. When a problem becomes bigger than intended is when I would step in and begin to resolve said conflict in a very democratic way. (listening, communication, honesty, etc.)

WHO DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE GREAT LEADERS WHO ADMINISTRATED WELL? WHY? • Typically I look toward CEO’s or Presidents

during times of crisis to witness good conflict management skills. I may not always agree with either their policies or the outcome, but watching them work and balance both sides is often inspiring and educational. To handle both employees, shareholders, and the public is the pinnacle of conflict management and we can learn quite a bit from these folks.

CONCLUSION OF INTERVIEW

• Joshua is well liked by the other pastors on the staff that he works with as well as the members of the church. He is very well organized and is great at delegating tasks to others so that the church can continue to run smoothly. There are a lot of behind the scenes tasks that Joshua has which are not seen by the members of the church but are vital to the churches function.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. LINK

• http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/martin-luther-king-jr/videos

• Bloody Sunday

• On March 7, 1965 around 600 people crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in an attempt to begin the Selma to Montgomery march. State troopers violently attacked the peaceful demonstrators in an attempt to stop the march for voting rights

• Martin Luther King Jr. was a great example of how to solve conflict peacefully in a situation when people did not want to listen or be open to change.

RANDY LOWRY LINK

• http://www.mediate.com/articles/lowrydvd04.cfm

• Randy Lowry discusses us conflict management from colonial times to present day

• In colonial times when a problem arose and couldn’t be solved, you could just move and start a new colony.

COMMUNICATION• The pastor interviewed

believes that communication is very important. It is important to for people to know what is expected of them when given a task and also to avoid conflict based upon being misunderstood.

RESPECT

• The pastor interviewed greatly values respect. Respect must be a factor between the other staff of the church as well as between the members and staff relationships.

UNDERSTANDING ROLES • Joshua believes it is

important to understand roles amongst the staff to know who is to do what tasks. As well as members understanding their roles because sometimes if a member steps out of the role they have it can cause conflict in the church.

INTROSPECTIVE THINKING • It is important in any

conflict situation to be able to look inward to see what hand you played in a conflict. As well as being able to change behaviors that you possess that may cause conflict in the future.

CONCLUSION OF POWERPOINT

• Leaders in the church know how to communicate well with others on their staff as well as members in their church. It is important for everyone in the church to understand their roles, communicate with each other, and respect each other. Leaders in the church need more than anyone to have introspective thinking as they hold a higher position in the church and are often held to a higher standard.

THE END