Skip to content
GOVERNANCE & MINISTRY
by Dan Hotchkiss
Contact Dan
Buy Governance & Ministry
Some Fences Are Too Hard to Straddle
Open external resource
← Previous
Next →
Excerpt
photo by Henry Hemming If your congregation has more than one person in it, sooner or later it will find itself divided. When that happens, leaders face a dilemma: they can advocate for the point of view they think is right, or they can work to hold the community together. Most of the time community is more important—but not always. Some fences are just too hard to straddle. It’s fine to say, “We’re one big family. We agree to disagree.” But when the disagreement is about a matter of fundamental principle, such as who can be recognized as a full member of the family, it’s not so simple. Conflicts over sexuality Today a number of denominations—including the United Methodist Church—are struggling over how and whether to ordain gay and lesbian people. The easiest difference for outsiders to see is simply between “progressives” who want to recognize a wider range of
Validate Email
Search for: