Source: (2001) Pathways to JUSTPEACE 1 (January): 1, 9. Downloaded 2 September 2004.
Susan Hassinger is a bishop in the United Methodist Church. In this article she looks at conflict in church settings. Conflict in churches may involve any number of matters, including theological differences, leadership styles, financial decision-making, and more. Some church leaders may tend to assume that conflict is always bad and is something to be avoided. Other leaders may see conflict in terms of the potential for transformation, especially if the Holy Spirit is at work in it. In reality, says Hassinger, the question is not whether church leaders will deal with conflict, but how they will deal with it. Hassinger points out that some church leaders are becoming committed to collaborative problem-solving and decision-making, including perhaps the use of a third-party mediator. In this view, conflict transformation is possible and good.
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