Many churches discourage the use of lawsuits to resolve a dispute.  However, conflict may arise in the religious setting, such as disagreements between parishioners, issues between churches, purchases that church administrators make that others may disagree with or other disputes that arise that affect the church or parishioners.  Mediation often advances the goal of the religious institution and can help to successfully resolve disputes.  Mediators help those in conflict in church disputes in the following way:

Respect Religion

Mediators are trained in conflict dispute resolution.  They understand that a party’s religious and cultural values often help inform his or her thoughts in dispute.  The mediator can acknowledge these values and use them in a positive manner to appeal to the parties’ needs and interests.

Discourage Escape Tactics

Sometimes people in conflict use escape tactics to avoid conflict.  They may blame the other party or declare that they simply will not be involved in whatever the issue is.  A mediator can guide parties away from these reflexive declarations and encourage them to confront the conflict head on.  A mediator can explain that conflict provides an opportunity for the parties to come together and work out a solution that works for all parties involved.

Uncover Important Information

Mediators ask clarifying questions and dig for information.  This helps them understand what led to the conflict and to identify what the parties’ interests are.  Once the mediator has this information, he or she can use it to appeal to the parties’ desire to resolve the conflict while addressing these interests.

Promote Personal Responsibility

Mediators can communicate with each party individually and encourage the party to consider how he or she contributed to the issue and what he or she can do to help resolve the conflict.