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What is the issue?

25 March  2007                                                         

In an article on the Ministry Health website http://ministryhealth.net/ , Thomas Fischer discusses some of the factors involved in congregational conflict.  He states again an old principle, that “The issue is not the issue”.

He identifies some of the common issues that emerge in congregational conflicts. My list might include conflict about music, money, evangelism, leadership style, and buildings. But my experience agrees with his, the presenting issues are never the real issue.

He identifies five more fundamental causes. One of them he calls Lay Over-Commitment (although I might prefer to call it lay over-investment) and quotes Rabbi Edwin Friedman who wrote a book about church conflict called, Generation to Generations,

"The intensity with which some lay people become invested in their religious institutions makes the church...a prime arena for the displacement of important, unresolved family issues" (Friedman, p. 198).

This is correct in my estimation. Displacement or transference is a major factor in church conflict. It affects people who have long term unresolved issues especially from their family of origin. It also affects people who have significant stress or unresolved issues in their current work or family situation.

A second cause he calls Pastoral Over-functioning and Burnout. This is the problem of ministers who try to do everything and take responsibility when others don’t carry out their responsibilities. He quotes Friedman, "If over-functioning is a manifestation of anxiety, it will serve to promote it as well" (Friedman, p. 211).

A third cause he calls triangulation. His definition is worth quoting: “In its most basic form, triangulation refers to the proliferation of in-direct communication between two principle parties by involving an additional third party to carry the messages between the two principle parties.”

The other two he identifies are changes in the status quo, and major life-cycle events. Public traumas could be included in either of these categories.

So when churches notice that conflict keeps on happening and that the issues seem to be different each time, the message is that the issue is not the issue. Sometimes the underlying issues are complex and tangled. But those who want to move a conflicted church on to better things have to be prepared to listen and learn, and listen and inquire, and listen and observe and listen, according to Fischer.

Dale

Comments

Actually talking about Church Conflict is very complex and interesting. Something like never ending, and I think it's already happened since the 1st generation of church when the apostles had their own principle (Read Acts 15:36-40, Galatians 2:11-12, etc).
It's an important thing to know how to resolve the conflict, but the most important thing is to know what's the reason of the conflict. That's why I want to say that this topic is very important. Know the cause of the conflict, then solve the problem.
But remember to take the love of Christ as the basic and the main tool to solve the problem. Love, Lidia.

Posted by Lidia on Monday, April 2, 2007 at 08:25:26

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