Date
5-2014
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Chair
Donald Hicks
Keywords
Conflict, Trouble
Disciplines
Christianity | Practical Theology
Recommended Citation
Sanders, Michael, "The Case for Closing the Contagiously Conflicted Church: Three Reasons Why it is Necessary" (2014). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 861.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/861
Abstract
The topic of this thesis focuses on the harm of severely conflicted congregations and necessary reasons for their existence to cease. The rationale behind this choice is that there are numerous congregations that are contagiously conflicted and harming the lives of vocational ministers, the name of Christ, and the witness of the church. This issue needs to be addressed. Having served as pastor of two contagiously conflicted congregations, it is this writer's hope that this document will help others discern if and when such an unpleasant decision is necessary. The research for this thesis was derived from surveys of pastors who may have experienced this extreme conflict, as well as an analysis of those surveys for an understanding of the effects of contagious church conflict.
