{"id":1290,"date":"2018-04-24T20:59:42","date_gmt":"2018-04-24T20:59:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/missions.nalcnetwork.com\/?p=1290"},"modified":"2018-04-25T21:34:35","modified_gmt":"2018-04-25T21:34:35","slug":"congregational-leadership-a-ministry-of-reconciliation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/missions.nalcnetwork.com\/congregational-leadership-a-ministry-of-reconciliation\/","title":{"rendered":"Congregational Leadership: A Ministry of Reconciliation"},"content":{"rendered":"

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2014 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 ESV<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

There is a TV commercial playing these days in which an insurance company advertises, \u201cWe know a few things because we\u2019ve seen a few things.\u201d After several years working with pastors and congregational leaders, Bishop Bradosky and I can say, \u201cWe know a few things because we\u2019ve seen a few things.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the things we\u2019ve \u201cseen\u201d and come to acknowledge is that often congregational leaders (pastors and lay leaders) have little experience addressing disagreements, tension and conflict. Without this experience and knowledge, actions are undertaken that actually increase the tension and heighten the conflict. Some of these actions are holding \u201csecret meetings,\u201d attempting to keep the pastor, other leaders or the congregation \u201cin the dark\u201d for fear of a negative reaction, and trying to force council members or pastor out of office rather than dealing with the situation in a positive way.<\/p>\n

It is all too common for congregational leaders (again, pastors and lay leaders) to approach and deal with tension and conflict from the perspective of power and authoritarian strategies, rather than Christ-like love and straightforward communication. Unfortunately, the ways of the world are often the \u201cfall-back\u201d position of leaders in the church. When we don\u2019t know how to handle disagreements, we try what we learned in the secular world. We ignore the ministry we have been given by God \u2014 the ministry of reconciliation!<\/p>\n

In every instance of tension, disagreement and conflict in the church, the overarching goal must be to work toward forgiveness and reconciliation. The goal is never to \u201cget one\u2019s own way\u201d or to \u201cpush one\u2019s own personal agenda.\u201d Sadly, this often seems to be the goal. Does the congregation belong to any one individual? Can any one individual or small group of individuals dictate strategy, direction or decisions of the congregation as a whole?<\/p>\n

Some members of the church claim authority or decision-making power based on the fact that they are charter members or \u201cbig givers\u201d in the congregation. Pastors sometimes claim such power and authority based on their office as pastor, failing to work together with other leaders for the good of the congregation as a whole. Such attitudes hinder open and honest communication, finally leading away from a ministry of reconciliation.<\/p>\n

In the passage above, St. Paul was writing to the Corinthian congregation where there was ongoing, significant conflict. It appears individuals and groups of individuals were involved, with some writing Paul to ask for assistance, advice and counsel.<\/p>\n

The entire \u201cCorinthian correspondence\u201d reflects the ongoing conversation between the apostle and the troubled congregation. In Chapter 5, Paul reminds the divided parties that as God reconciled the world to himself, through Christ, we have been given a \u201cministry of reconciliation.\u201d In all things, in every way, we are to work for reconciliation \u2014 in the world, in our homes and families and, yes, in the church!<\/p>\n

Paul speaks directly to those who are at odds in the church in Corinth, saying, \u201cSo we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.\u201d In the midst of congregational conflict, Paul is saying that they are to be reconciled to God, as they are working toward reconciliation with each other.<\/p>\n

And what does this ministry of reconciliation look like in the local congregation? Jesus describes this himself in Matthew 18, where he teaches a specific strategy for dealing with conflict between believers. At the same time, our Lord provides us with godly principles that offer faithful, fruitful, Christ-like ways of handling issues, concerns and difficulties within the community of faith. In a real sense, Jesus is describing the \u201cministry of reconciliation\u201d which is to be the hallmark of the Body of Christ. Here are principles presented by Jesus:<\/p>\n

1. Don\u2019t globalize conflicts or disagreements. Deal with such situations \u201cone on one\u201d if possible. Don\u2019t involve others in personal conflicts.<\/p>\n

2. If one-on-one conversation doesn\u2019t bear fruit, go to church leaders and the congregation \u2014 always with the goal of reconciliation.<\/p>\n

3. Have conversation openly and honestly with all involved parties \u2014 this is the only way to resolve conflicts and issues. Refuse to participate in \u201csecret meetings\u201d aimed at complaining about persons or situations. \u201cTake no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. \u2026 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil\u201d (Ephesians 5:11, 15-16<\/em>).<\/p>\n

4. Be clear about shared responsibility and shared decision-making. Council and pastor together comprise the congregational \u201cleadership team.\u201d They are called to work together for the good of the congregation as a whole. No one person may usurp the authority of the whole. Similarly, the congregation has certain shared responsibilities. No person or group of people may usurp the responsibilities of the congregation.<\/p>\n

5. Bear in mind that the goal within the congregation is always reconciliation. Repentance, forgiveness, and speaking the truth in love are all aimed at reconciliation.<\/p>\n

We are called to be ambassadors for Christ \u2014 in every thought, word and action. What we say and do are to be shared in the light of Christ\u2019s own presence, not in darkness or shadow. May our congregations be communities of faithful disciples where leaders model straightforward, direct, loving communication aimed at reconciliation!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. \u2014 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 ESV<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1222,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[6,17],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/missions.nalcnetwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Open-Bible.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/missions.nalcnetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1290"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/missions.nalcnetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/missions.nalcnetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missions.nalcnetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missions.nalcnetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1290"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/missions.nalcnetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1290\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missions.nalcnetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/missions.nalcnetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missions.nalcnetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missions.nalcnetwork.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}