Peacemaking in the Church: A Denominational Peacemaking Model

Jesus said in John’s Gospel that it is by our unity that the world will know that He is the Christ, in effect putting His reputation in our hands. There must be something so qualitatively different about our lives and our relationships with one another that the world sits up and takes notice. While this is certainly true about our individual lives, it applies even more to our lives together in the Church. The impact of a congregation that lives a culture of peace where grace is breathed to each other and to outsiders, especially in the midst of conflict, provides a compelling witness to the watching world.

This workshop will show how the Christian & Missionary Alliance has developed and implemented a denomination-wide model for peacemaking that has trained 386 conciliation coaches and 48 mediators in local churches and districts who are available to assist church members and leaders in resolving conflicts quickly and personally. The prompt and effective assistance of these “in-house” volunteer conciliators has proven to prevent many personal and church conflicts from escalating into consuming disputes, divorces, church splits or pastoral burnout. The workshop will also explore ways that your district, presbytery or denomination can implement a similar training model and develop your own network of volunteer conciliators. The opportunities for God-honoring changes to the conflict culture of our churches are virtually limitless and consequently, so are the opportunities for a skeptical world to see that Jesus is indeed the Messiah.

Session Leader: Rick Stein

Location/Times: Conference Schedule

Workshop Outline