An Experiential View of Conflict in the Local Church: Focusing on Smaller and Medium-Sized Protestant Churches. Cleon E. Spencer
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Other books by Cleon E. Spencer
An Experiential View
of
Conflict in the Local Church
Focusing on Smaller and
Medium-Sized Protestant Churches
by
Cleon E. Spencer
CCB Publishing
British Columbia, Canada
An Experiential View of Conflict in the Local Church: Focusing on Smaller and Medium-Sized Protestant Churches
Copyright ©2012 by Cleon E. Spencer
ISBN-13 978-1-927360-52-1
First Edition, Revised
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Spencer, Cleon E.
An experiential view of conflict in the local church: focusing on smaller and medium-sized Protestant churches / written by Cleon E. Spencer.
ISBN 978-1-927360-52-1
Also available in print format.
1. Conflict management--Religious aspects--Protestant churches. 2. Interpersonal relations--Religious aspects--Protestant churches. 3. Church controversies. I. Title.
BV4597.53.C58S68 2009 254 C2009-904859-0
Additional cataloguing data available from Library and Archives Canada
Extreme care has been taken to ensure that all information presented in this book is accurate and up to date at the time of publishing. Neither the author nor the publisher can be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Additionally, neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express written permission of the publisher, except for brief quotations, for which credit should be given.
Publisher:
CCB Publishing
British Columbia, Canada
To all the people who have been hurt in troubled congregations; and more especially to ministers whose career and person have been damaged, sometimes severely, this book is humbly and hopefully offered with heartfelt dedication.
Notes of Introduction
from the Author
The first notion I had of writing this book was to have it as a paper for a doctoral degree from a theological seminary at which I was studying. I was hoping to get some help from them on the mechanics of writing it. It was intended to be a writing mainly from my experiences. However, circumstances at the time side-tracked me into a more academic paper based on the writings of others.
Also, with the expressed opinion of a mentor that there is nothing new to write about on this subject, I put the idea of originality aside.
Now, twenty years or so later, more experienced, and getting into old age, I find myself taking up the topic again, and focusing on smaller to medium size congregations. Larger ones seem to have a wider choice of people to fill their various offices, and may therefore be less bothered by this problem, and less likely to be or remain smaller.
The writings in this book are not meant for criticism but for constructive remedy. Also they are brief and to the point.
If a reader is looking for more elaborate writings on these and similar matters concerning difficult people, you may find help in two books previously written by this author. These books are available through most book stores. The titles are:
“THEY” CRIPPLE SOCIETY Volume One
- by Cleon E. Spencer
and
“THEY” CRIPPLE SOCIETY Volume Two
- by Cleon E. Spencer
Wishing you informative and meaningful reading with God’s Blessing.
Cleon E. Spencer
Several Books have been written and published on the topic of local church conflict. The problem is often presented with resignation as an inevitable part of the process, with many ways offered to soften the blows that are sure to come, at least occasionally, sometimes frequently.
The GUIDELINES series of books by the United Methodist Church through its General Board of Discipleship offers much helpful, though incomplete discourse on the subject of a way of church administration that will help minimize conflict in a congregation.
Guidelines quotes the BOOK OF DISCIPLINE, 2000, as follows:
“The Pastor(s) shall oversee the total ministry of the local church in its nurturing ministries and in fulfilling its mission of witness and service in the world by: (1) giving pastoral support, guidance, and training to the lay leadership in the church, equipping them to fulfill the ministry to which they are sent as servants under the Lordship of Christ; (2) providing ministry within the congregation and to the world; (3) ensuring faithful transformation of the Christian faith; and (4) administering the temporal affairs of the congregation.
{The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church – year 2000 Page 217 Item 331}
One can see in this outline a flawless description of the role of the pastor to a congregation. The pastor, who is generally the person with the most training for ministry, has oversight of the congregation and all its activity. By this oversight he/she is not meant to do all the activity himself; nor is he meant to make all the decisions concerning this activity. Rather, he is meant to oversee and ensure that these decisions and the total ministry of the congregation by both ordained and lay ministry, is performed in compliance with the general beliefs and practices of the United Methodist Church at large.
This oversight of the congregation by the pastor makes way for the ministry of the Laity – another wonderful provision of GUIDELINES for the congregation through its local Church Council. The Church Council of a congregation is com-posed mainly of Lay people who are in positions of leadership in the various committees that together with the pastor, make up