Part of the LifeandLeadership.com Ministry Resource Guide on Church Conflict
While all materials on church conflict management address leadership at some level, the volumes below are more specifically focused on leadership challenges during times of conflict, especially in their more public functions. Remember to see the list at the bottom for resource suggestions in related areas.
Leadership in Church Conflict
First Reads
- Craig E. Runde and Tim A. Flanagan, Developing Your Conflict Competence: A Hands-On Guide for Leaders, Managers, Facilitators, and Teams — Not specifically church-related, yet perhaps the best overall program for increasing conflict competence as an organizational leader.
- Peter L. Steinke, Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times: Being Calm and Courageous No Matter What — The most succinct and understandable guide for congregational leadership during conflict. Based on emotional systems theory. See also the extensive collection of materials on Leadership and Emotional Systems – Self-Differentiation, which although concerned with larger dynamics of leadership, is especially important in conflict.
Other Helpful Resources
- Larry Dressler, Standing in the Fire: Leading High-Heat Meetings with Clarity, Calm, and Courage – A very practical guide for leaders as they convene high-heat meetings. Full of concrete suggestions.
- Dale Galloway and Warren Bird, Innovative Transitions: How Change Can Take Your Church to the Next Level – Tells the stories of several churches that have thrived through challenging conflict and change.
- James Osterhaus, Thriving Through Ministry Conflict – Coaches ministers in the feelings, behaviors, and perspectives that allow them to lead more effectively in conflict.
- Gary Preston, Pastors in Pain: How to Grow in Times of Conflict – Similar in scope to Willimon’s Preaching About Conflict in the Local Church, but is also a very true-to-life account of the minister’s personal emotional dynamics when in throes of congregational unrest.
Preaching in Church Conflict
- William Willimon, Preaching About Conflict in the Local Church — Provides direct instruction on the delicate subject of the role of the preacher during a conflict that is serious enough to be felt by the entire congregation.
- H. Beecher Hicks, Jr. Preaching Through a Storm: Confirming the Power of Preaching in the Tempest of Church Conflict — An interesting set of sermons that were especially helpful as his church weathered the storms of conflict over a building program.
- Craig A. Satterlee, When God Speaks Through Change: Preaching in Times of Congregational Transition (Vital Worship, Healthy Congregations) — Since a considerable amount of conflict is a result of congregational change, especially as it relates to worship (cf. Brubaker, Promise and Peril), this volume provides excellent counsel for preachers to use the pulpit to help churches cope with transition.
Worship in Church Conflict
- Kathleen S. Smith, Stilling the Storm: Worship and Congregational Leadership in Difficult Times — Operates on the thesis that when congregations go through different times, those difficulties will affect the worship life of the congregation, and the practice of worship will itself be a key part of the congregation’s healing process.
Related Areas
- Church Conflict, Index to Resource Guides
- Change and Transition
- Church Leadership and Renewal
- Emotional Systems
- Leadership Development
- Ministry Burnout, Self-Care
- Ministry Ethics
- Ministry Staff, Teams
- Ministry Transitions, Interim
- Pastoral Care and Counseling
See Resources on Over 100 Areas of Ministry Leadership: