David R. Brubaker, Promise and Peril: Understanding and Managing Change and Conflict in Congregations. Alban Institute, 2009.
Referenced in: Understanding the Dynamics of Church Conflict
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This valuable book represents the doctoral research of the author, who is a conflict consultant and Associate Professor of Organizational studies at Eastern Mennonite University. For those who want to understand the interrelationship between change and conflict in contemporary churches, there is not a better resource. Its purpose is not to provide step-by-step strategy, but for church leaders who are considering any changes in worship, leadership styles, etc. and want to wisely anticipate the impact these changes will have upon their congregations and know what change processes will and will not work, this is required reading.
The focus of Brubaker’s research was on the relationship between congregational change and conflict. Not surprisingly, he found that not all change creates conflict, especially well-managed change. He also discovered that systemic/strategic changes that alter the church’s core identity have the most potential for conflict. These include areas such as finances, priorities, leadership, worship style or shifting from a hierarchical/controlling leadership system to an empowerment model. One chapter is devoted to worship changes, as the worship assembly is the primary expression of a congregation’s culture. Another chapter looks at the impact of leadership structures and power distribution.
It would be difficult to oversell the importance of this book for church leaders who want to understand change and conflict rather than go through painful trial and error. It could save leaders from many unnecessary mistakes and equip them for successful strategic changes.
From the Publisher
Congregations cannot exist without finances, priorities, leadership, worship, and decision making, yet these five aspects breed the most conflict between church members and clergy. These conflicts unfortunately tend to bring about the most negative consequences: drops in giving, resignation of leaders, and, perhaps most pointedly, loss of members. The importance of congregations and their effect on our lives is clear, yet what is less clear is what makes conflicts in faith communities inevitable.
In Promise and Peril: Understanding and Managing Change and Conflict in Congregations, David Brubaker brings the tools of organizational theory and research to the task of understanding the deeper dynamics of congregational conflict. With a doctorate in sociology and more than twenty years working with congregational conflicts, Brubaker helps to explore the causes and effects of conflicts on a wide range of congregations.
This book will help congregations avoid the pitfalls of conflict and instead head toward a healthy relationship between and among church staff and members.
About the Author
David Brubaker is Associate Professor of Organizational Studies in the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University. He has 20 years of experience in workplace mediation, training, and organizational and congregational consulting. David is the author of numerous articles on conflict transformation and chapters in several books. He earned a BS in business administration from Messiah College, an MBA from Eastern University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona, where he specialized in religion and organizations.
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