Constructively Managing Program-related Conflict In Local Churches

Abstract

Interpersonal conflict surrounding church programs is a major source of distress for both pastoral staff and lay members of evangelical churches. Such conflict, when destructive, may severely hinder the achievement of program objectives. However, conflict when managed constructively may lead to a more effective program and strengthened relationships. This empirical study seeks to understand the conditions under which program-related conflict in evangelical churches leads to detrimental outcomes and those which lead to constructive outcomes. In a role-playing, survey-based experiment of American church attenders ( N = 276), participants’ satisfaction with conflict outcome was measured in a scenario with various outcomes concerning their program-related goal (maintaining the starting time of a mid-week children’s program) and their social goals (e.g., having a better relationship with the director of the children’s program, being affirmed in their Christian identity, and ensuring that decisions are made fairly). The study indicates that, in a conflict concerning a children’s program, church attenders who have a salient social goal achieved, but not their program-related goal, will be more satisfied than church attenders who have their program-related goal achieved but not a salient social goal.

Why Hong Kong millennial Christians switch from Chinese local churches to international churches: A qualitative study

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“…Other interests, which are almost always present, include having a healthy relationship, being respected, and resolving the conflict in a fair way. In churches, studies have demonstrated that even when one party cannot have what it desires concerning the subject of a conflict (e.g., starting time of a children's program or the type of music used in a worship service), people will be satisfied with the conflict outcome if they feel respected and understood, if they have a better relationship with the other party in conflict than before the conflict occurred, or if they believe that the conflict was resolved using a fair process (Dunaetz, 2016(Dunaetz, , 2019.…”

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“…Charles will ask Andrew probing questions to understand why a coffee shop ministry is so important to him and what he expects the outcomes to be. Charles will ask about other concerns that Andrew has, concerns that are often more psychological such as how the coffee shop ministry relates to his identity, what he wants his relationship with Brandon to look like, and what he considers a fair way to resolve the conflict (For a detailed explanation of what these concerns might look like in missionary contexts and why they are important, see Dunaetz, 2016aDunaetz, , 2019. Charles will also explain that the purpose of the mediation process is to help Andrew and Brandon to work together to find a mutually beneficial solution to their conflict.…”