A strategy for resolving church conflict : a case study of Dandora Terminus SDA church, Central Kenya Conference

Abstract

The church of Christ exists to reach the world for Him. The church is to be successful in her mission when her members are united. To this end Jesus prayed that her member would be united (John 17:2) just as He, God the Son, the Father and the Holy Spirit are united. Jesus also said in John 13:35 that “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Jesus pointed out that the church members genuine love to each other does led to harvest of souls.1 However, these desirable virtues are not automatically available at Dandora Terminus SDA Church. The opposite of love, which is hate and conflict instead of unity, has been the experience between opposing sides of her members. After an in-depth study on Conflict resolution from various literatures, the researcher developed a strategy which brought together member of the opposing sides, member not on any of the opposing side and leaders of Dandora Terminus SDA church to resolve a conflict that had been a problem in the church for a long time. This was done by carrying out a survey and interviews and questionnaire exercise to confirm the existence of the conflict and its impact. An eight days conflict resolution seminar and workshops were conducted to equip the participants with skill of conflict resolution. Following, were meetings of conflict resolution itself, first the researcher beginning with meetings with the opposing sides separately to allow each opposing side to build confidence with him. Then the problem, according each side, stating meeting followed, then the problem causing conflict as agreed upon by both side meeting, then resolving of each problem at a time meeting. Finally was the Confessions, repentance and commitment meeting. At the end of these actual conflict resolution meetings, the conflict was resolved. Evaluation of this project was carried out in six month and in those six month the members who had been inactive became active. They had been inactive in disgust of the fact that their opponents were the ones now in the leadership and especially because of the manner in which they had accented to it. They became active and even reactivated their singing group which had earlier been the church choir but which had since ceased to be. The reactivated singing group was 92% of the members on that side of the opposing parties. Before the conflict resolution, these opposing sides were bitter and critics of each other. After the conflict resolution the formerly opposing side began working together. The opposing party which was in leadership and which was showing off to the opposing side and would talk them quiet, dropped show offs and became kind and accommodative to the former offending side. More of how the conflict resolved is explained by the researcher in chapter five.