Change and Conflict in Church Revitalization
Introduction
Revenitalization is a very important process to congregations that have been declining or
stagnated or even lost its direction. It is also a process of moving back to spiritual and missional
life though this usually brings with it unavoidable struggles, in the shape of change and conflict.
Church revitalization is not a cookie-cutter process, it is a dynamic process that must be context
sensitive to be effective and requires that it be sensitive to the history of the church as well as to
the current needs of the congregation and the community. The most important element of the
revitalization process is the need to have a healthier, more productive and more relevant church
in the contemporary world. Such a wish of revival and renewal usually leads to conflict in
congregations. It is in human nature to resist change and when this change is created in such a
strong, highly individual setting as a church, one can get into serious friction.
This essay shall discuss the tense connection between change and conflict within church renewal.
We shall look into the cause of conflict, the strategies to successfully go through the conflict and
the process of resolving the conflict and the leadership in the entire process. The essay will also
illustrate some of the case studies that act as examples of successful revitalization endeavors thus
providing a working guide to churches that are in the same endeavors.
Understanding Church Revitalization
The rejuvenation of the church A church community redefines its nature and its mission to
respond to spiritual, demographic or cultural issues that have led it to stagnate or to an overall
deterioration of its activities. The process could touch on many areas which include structural
transformation, spiritual rejuvenation, leadership building and social engagements. Although the
major goal of revitalization is restoration of the flabby energy that the congregation has reached,
another possibility is to reposition the church in the community, thus constituting a more
successful tool of the mission of God.
The causes of revitalization are commonly spurred by the realization that the church is not doing
well in terms of achieving the desired spiritual outcomes or even in the interaction with the local
community. An example is Saddleback Church revitalization in the Lake Forest, California.
Lastly, Saddleback enjoyed explosive growth in the late 1990s; the church leaders wanted to
reconstruct the leadership patterns and ministry models to fit the expansion. At the head of Rick
Warren, Saddleback experienced revitalization in which there were a repackaging of the ministry
programs, new leadership models and finally the spiritual growth and discipleship culture. The
church adopted the model of purpose-driven ministry which helped the church to get back to the
teaching of the Bible, creation of community-based programs and serve their increasingly
growing and diverse church.
The Need for Change in Church Revitalization
Revitalization requires a change, it is however the most difficult part of the process. Church
revitalization may be caused by the reducing attendance, loss of vision, or the inability of the
church to reach a new generation of believers. Change is usually necessitated by the perceived
awareness that the old way of doing things in the church is no longer benefiting its community or
goal. The issues of how to effect change and whether the change should be radical or gradual are
usually a source of tension among the members of the church.
One such church which has engaged in change with success of restoring it is The Village Church
in Flower Mount, Texas. The church was started by Matt Chandler in 2002 and managed to gain
a young and revitalized congregation. Nevertheless, The Village experienced problems catching
up its pace after experiencing fast growth. To this effect, Chandler and his leadership apparatus
realized that there was need to move beyond bringing people to being disciple makers. This
movement came with a marked change in the method of teaching, the ministry of small groups,
and local ministry of an approach to the church. Although initially, the changes were not
welcomed, the Village Church eventually became one of the most influential and fast-growing
churches in the United States because of its adherence to the discipleship and mission-oriented
ministry.
Change is not always comfortably received though. Long time members of the church
particularly are very much bound to the traditions, rituals and practices which have defined the
church and the way of their worship in the church. As an illustration, the use of modern music or
a contemporary technology in the worship services may drive a rift between the members who
prefer to sing the traditional hymns and other members who would love to worship in a modern
way. Such differences could be worsened by difference in generations since; the older generation
may have difficulties in adjusting to the changes and the younger generation may think that the
church is not applicable to their lives and spiritual needs.
In instances where revitalization involved the introduction into a more modern worship, in
addition to the conventional worship, as in the case of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, the
congregation was able to provide both the worship styles to accommodate the various groups.
This two-fold worship assisted in lowering the tensions, and created the aura of inclusivity,
which contributed to increased participation and involvement of the entire congregation.
Sources of Conflict in Church Revitalization
Church revitalization efforts can bring conflict based on many sources though they are normally
associated with the change process. Top among them is resatisfescion to change that is
entrenched in tradition. Any effort to change the status quo of doing things in a congregation can
be considered as a threat to the identity of the church among its members. Such opposition may
take a few forms resistance may be very subtle, undermining leadership at the very beginning of
new practices or even the decision to exit the church.
An example is the case of Highlands church in the city of Scottsdale Arizona, which provides a
heart-touching case of resistance to change. Church had experienced a sharp increase in its
growth toward the beginning of the twenty first century but stereotyped younger generation. The
church under the Pastor Jay Howle brought in a more modern style of worship and evangelism.
Although these changes were accepted by some members, others opposed it because they
perceived that it was not according to the traditions of the church. But, keeping the channels of
communication accessible and putting the biblical basis of the changes, in the fore front, the
leadership could find people to support the revitalization initiative. In the course of time, the
church was expanding, first of all, in the spiritual and numerical sense, and coming to more
diverse congregation.
The other reason that causes conflict is the disagreement in theological matters. During the
process of revitalizing churches, most of the churches reconsider their doctrinal stands in order to
make sure that they meet the situations in society. As an example, churches based primarily in
urban locations might want to confront problems of social justice, reconciliation across racial
lines, and reaching out to the community, which might not have been a priority in their history.
More conservative members working with the traditional theological beliefs might believe that
such new emphases weaken the message or undermine the biblical emphasis of the church.
Doctrinal changes in a church are subject of debate especially in cases where there is no proper
communication or when individuals involved feel that their opinions are getting to be sidelined.
An example of the theological conflict in revitalization is the Emergent Church movement. The
Emergent Church churches adopted the postmodern theological thoughts which included the
focus on the communal approach, cultural relevance, and a reconsideration of the issues of
traditionalism and orthodoxy. Other leaders in the church embraced inclusivity and novel
interpretations of the Bible with some of them being the ones who were not okay with the
changes. The conflict that arose resulted in the division of more progressive and conservative
members that brought tensions amid the congregations that tried to revitalize.
Another conflict in revitalization is power struggles in the church leadership. Old leaders might
not like new leadership styles, new organizational structure, or new form of governance because
they fear influence loss. This happens more so when there is change of pastoral leadership. An
example of this dynamic is available in Westminster Presbyterian Church in Denver. After the
retirement of a popular elder pastor, the church has undergone a sense of revitalizing process
with a change in the structure of leadership and mission orientation. This divided the church
since, some considered that their vision of the church, which they had had, was being messed up.
The new set of leaders however managed to plow through this conflict by adopting and
embarking on in-depth dialogue with the congregants, listening to their concerns and making
them feel that they all shared values instead of individual interests.
Navigating Change and Conflict
Finding one way out through the unavoidable tension that is driven by church revitalization is a
persisting process. It is entirely about leadership, because it establishes the tone on how the issue
of conflict is to be handled and how the entire congregation is to overcome the issues of
confrontation that face it. Leaders should have effective communication skills, conflict and
vision casters.
Communication is one of the major instruments that are used to control conflict. Leaders have to
be able to deliver a vision of the future of the church that is clear and good enough to want to
share and be open to explain the reasons of the changes. There is a need to shun off the top-down
leadership styles that imply isolated decision-making inside the congregation. Rather, the quality
of leadership is to welcome conversations, feedback, and contributions of all members, no matter
the level. A church, i.e., Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, is an
example of an organization that applied open communication to deal with conflict through
revitalization. When the church leadership thought of adopting a more modern way of
worshipping as well as nurturing changes to their discipleship programs, they organized forums,
surveys as well as small group meetings so that members could have a say in the subject being
handled. This strategy was used to reduce the amount of resentment, and it also promoted active
participation.
Besides communication, the conflict resolution techniques are of essence. A church leader can
handle conflict by following church principles of reconciliation written by the bible, as in the
case of Matthew 18:15-17, in which the principles are that one must confront directly, be
mediated, and be disciplined by the church in case of an absolute need. When handled in a
humble and graceful way, conflict can be fruitful in heightening growth and unity in the
congregation. As an example, the city church in San Francisco was under tremendous pressure in
the process of revitalization with a goal to include a diverse population and not lose its
theological identity. With the introduction of balanced conflict management process and the
focus on the emotional and spiritual health of its members, the church managed to continue with
its revitalization plan without splitting the congregation.
Spiritual formation is another significant way of surviving conflict in revitalizing. Leaders in the
church have to make sure that spiritual revitalization should be in the core of revitalization
process. Praying, Bible study and fasting may offer a clear sight of vision; may foster unity and
enable people to drop personal agendas in the name of the overall contribution to the church.
Sound spiritual basis enables the leaders to be sensible, patient and understanding in the way
they steer the congregation through the unavoidable tribulations. As an example, Brooklyn
Tabernacle in New York City managed to go through the necessary transition during its renewal
by concentrating on prayer and worship and keeping the spiritual unity intact, despite other
forces to the contrary.
The Role of the Holy Spirit in Church Revitalization
When approaching any issue of church revitalization, one must be keen to see the Holy Spirit as
the one who dictates the process. The renewing of church is not literally a human thing but also a
spiritual process. The Holy Spirit also enables leaders and congregants to be equipped with
wisdom, and direction, as well as peace. It must be the process of revitalization that must be
steeped in prayer, discernment, and strong dependence on the direction of the Spirit.
Similar to the case of revitalization of the Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama, the
Holy Spirit was central in the development of the church. The church adopted prayer as a main
channel of revitalization with Chris Hodges being the head of the church. The Holy Spirit gave
them the strength to carry out their strategic planning and the church grew exponentially having
grown literally overnight as a small congregation to one of the largest congregations in the entire
country. The leaders at the church also upheld a prayerful attitude and this aspect enabled them
to be sensitive to the needs of the people and in tune with the will of God toward their ministry.
The importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church cannot be underrated in the process of
church revitalization. The Spirit is what binds the body of Christ, equips the leadership with
wisdom, as well as keeps congregations going through ups and downs of the revitalization
process. When churches involve the Holy Spirit in their renewal projects, the number of
attendants increases as well as the spiritual life with which the churches are enriched.
Practical Steps for Revitalizing a Church
Church revitalization is something that needs a lot of planning and consideration. Revitalization
requires the first step of coming up with a vision of future of church. The vision will have to be
based on prayer, biblical values and awareness on the prevailing cultural and demographic
environment. Leadership should find time to identify the will of God concerning the work of the
church, and the way to execute such.
Second, the church leadership ought to be facilitated to spearhead revitalization process. This can
be through training people on leadership, having a healthy organizational structure and having
spirit of teamwork and togetherness. Revitalization needs change leaders who are competent
with things such as management of change, conflict resolution and casting vision. The leaders
must as well be able to inspire and encourage the congregation to adopt the changes that will
bring revitalization.
It is necessary to involve the congregation in the process of revitalizing. It is necessary that
church members have the sense of ownership to the changes occurring. It is possible to
accomplish this by engaging in active integration in the decision making process, the planning of
the ministry and outreach. An active participation enhances the likelihood that members become
supportive enough to the process of revitalization and lead to its success.
Conclusion
Revitalization is both a lengthy and multi dimensional process that demands a commitment of
profound metamorphosis, conflict management and the renovation of the spirit. Conflict is a
natural component of any revitalization process but conflict can be controlled and even made
useful in serving to energize the process. Through a combination of a willingness to accept the
change, focus on communication, and trust of Holy Spirit, church leader may effectively
overcome the obstacles of revitalization and bring their congregations to the sense of renewed
purpose and fulfillment. The church will be stronger and able to deliver its mission in the world
through proper planning, praying and purposeful leadership, through revitalization.
