Brilliant Bits

Rev. Lisa Presley, Congregational Life Consultant

Transforming Conflict: The Blessings of Congregational Turmoil, by Rev. Terasa Cooley

As a Congregational Life Consultant, a large percentage of the calls/emails I receive are from leaders in congregations that are in conflict. In most of those cases, they want to find simple, or easy ways, of ending the conflict. Rarely do the leaders follow Rev. Terasa Cooley’s thought of their conflict being a blessing.

But Cooley believes they are, and if you can step away from conflict to read her book, you may well end up agreeing with her. Cooley states that it is often only in conflict that congregations are motivated to look deeply into their culture and mission, and go through a process that helps them determine of that mission, and that culture, are the ones that they want to live out. Taking us through an understanding of where conflict resides in our minds and bodies, and giving many examples that come from her years as herself being a Congregational Life Consultant, and now an interim minister, she helps us realize that we can’t simply talk, or think, or rationalize our way out of conflict. It is deep, intentional work—to discover our place in the conflict, to sort out what are the underlying values and issues, and to dare to go into that conversation within our congregations.

Cooley offers tools: covenants, polarity management, storytelling, listening circles; but the more important part of her book is to help us have the courage to realize that we need to companion the conflict in a way that allows us to seek new answers, and question deeply our unquestioning acceptance of this is the way things are. We can be transformed by conflict, if we are willing to open ourselves.

(Rowman and Littlefield, publishers)