Arthur Paul Boers, Never Call Them Jerks: Healthy Responses to Difficult Behavior. Alban Institute, 1999.
Reference in: Church Conflict – Criticism, Difficult People, Difficult Conversations
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
Boers writes about difficult behaviors from a surprising and refreshing angle. He seeks to avoid the trap of overreacting and labeling others, and focuses on the self-management of leaders and civil, non-punitive, and redemptive interaction with those who behave in ornery and malignant ways without becoming absorbed or pre-occupied with their uncivil behavior. Other authors on this subject such as Greenfield, believe Boers may be unrealistic about the reality of evil in church relations. Even so, Boers is an excellent resource.
From the Publisher
No church is immune to the problems that can arise when parishioners behave in difficult ways. Responding to such situations with self-awareness and in a manner true to one’s faith tradition makes the difference between peace and disaster. In this must-read book, Boers shows how a better understanding of difficult behavior can help congregational leaders avoid the trap of labeling such parishioners and exercise self-care when the going gets rough. Foreword by David W. Augsburger, author of Conflict Mediation Across Cultures.
About the Author
Arthur Paul Boers is a Mennonite Pastor in Waterloo, Ontario, who has served rural, urban, and church-planting settings in the United States and Canada. He is also a Benedictine Oblate. Boers has an M.A. in Peace Studies a masters of divinity degree along withan advanced degree in pastoral counseling. For many years he has served as a columnist and editorial advisor for Christian Ministry and as a contributing editor of The Other Side.
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