Ambassadors of Reconciliation - Help with Conflict

Reconciliation Assistance for Conflicted Groups

Unresolved conflict and broken relationships within a congregation, school, or other organization can either tear it apart or provide three opportunities: to glorify God, to serve others, and to grow to be more like Christ.

Key Elements

Reconciliation assistance for conflicted groups incorporates several elements to meet these opportunities:

Training: We begin by teaching a full-day Bible study, Blessed Are the Peacemakers Seminar, to bring everyone together to gain a common biblical understanding of peacemaking.
Interviewing: We interview leaders, leadership groups, and members to gather data on the conflicts and provide individual coaching in reconciliation.
Mediating: We identify key parties that tend to polarize the group and offer to mediate to help initiate reconciliation that will spread throughout the organization.
Evaluating: We evaluate the data collected and make observations on the people we have coached and mediated in order to make recommendations to the leaders and members of the group.
Reporting: We provide an initial oral report on-site and a final written report with a summary of observations, identification of major conflicts and their causes, results of our work with the group, and recommendations for further reconciliation.

Our Approach

Our ministry is based on the firm belief that as Christians we are guided in our response to conflict by what God teaches us in Holy Scripture. Consistently we find that the basic commandments and promises that provide a biblical response to conflicts between children, between spouses, and between Christian business people are the same commandments and promises that apply in responding to conflict within organizations.

When we are asked to assist a church or other organization in reconciliation, we seek to determine the root causes of the conflict and guide and encourage the organization's professional and lay leaders to respond with biblical faithfulness. All aspects of assisting an organization in reconciliation are conducted in accordance with the Rules of Procedure found in Guidelines for Christian Conciliation published by Peacemaker Ministries®.

Our Role and Your Organization’s Role

A reconciliation team is not an arbitration panel. We neither ask for nor seek authority to make any binding judgments regarding individual actions or particular issues. Instead, we teach, gather background information through personal interviews with key parties, facilitate meetings between parties who are ready to work toward reconciliation, and offer our insights, analysis, and counsel to assist you in guiding your organization toward a biblical resolution of these matters.

Organizational leaders or members frequently would like Ambassadors of Reconciliation to assume total responsibility for resolution of the conflict. This we cannot and should not do. While we will work with you to identify individuals involved with the conflict who would be key candidates for private mediation, it is the responsibility of the leaders and members of the organization to actually live out their vocation as peacemakers.

Although the Lord has blessed Ambassadors of Reconciliation in this area, we recognize that our role is limited. We are to clearly and accurately teach and challenge listeners with God's Word; however, only God can grant repentance and change a person's heart (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

Reconciliation Team

We have found that the most productive and beneficial approach in responding to complex organizational conflicts is to appoint a reconciliation team of several people in order to draw from a wider range of gifts and counsel and to meet the specific needs of the group. Team sizes vary from two to three or more people. The team includes a diversity of backgrounds, and often both genders are represented. Depending on the needs of the organization, team members may be drawn from pastors, lay people, attorneys, counselors, accountants, or other professions.

Summary of Process (usually spread over 3 to 4 months total)

Process begins:
• Organization accepts proposal
• Leaders authorize contract and contact Ambassadors
4-8 weeks minimum
• Ambassadors appoints team and schedules the team’s visits
• Leaders complete pre-reconciliation homework
• Reconciler Team reviews records and governing documents
1st Visit Team makes its first on-site visit (four days)
• Day 1: Team presents full-day Bible study on Peacemaking (everyone is encouraged to attend); individuals sign up for interviews at end of study.
• Day 2: Team attends worship services (if organization is a church); meets with boards and leaders; begins individual interviews.
• Days 3-4: Team continues individual interviews
Between Visits
• Leaders complete additional homework assigned by Reconciler Team
• Members/employees encouraged to begin peacemaking as coached by Team
• Reconciler Team studies all data collected; prepares for 2nd visit
2nd Visit Team returns (three to four days)
• Day 1-2: Coaching individuals
— Interviewing potential reconcilers from the organization
— Mediate with key persons who are willing to work with Team
• Day 3: Reconciler Team makes oral report to leadership
• Day 4: Reconciler Team participates in morning worship (if a church) as invited by leaders; Team makes oral report to those in worship
Written Report
• Reconciler Team provides written report within 30 days after leaving: The report:
— Notes strengths and weaknesses of congregation
— Identifies the major conflicts affecting the congregation
— Observes sinful behaviors of congregation and groups (but not individuals)
— Provides long-term and short-term recommendations, both spiritual and material
Follow-up
• Team leader makes a one day follow-up visit within 60 days of organization receiving written proposal

Where Do I Begin?

To talk to a *Certified Christian Conciliator for consultation, print out and complete a Consultation Agreement form, and fax or mail it to Ambassadors of Reconciliation. Then call us at 406-698-6107 for an appointment.

Ambassadors of Reconciliation
Ted Kober or Melissa Richholt
P.O. Box 81662
Billings, MT 59108-1662

Phone: 406-698-6107
Fax: 888-656-2523
mail@hisaor.org

*Certified through Peacemaker Ministries

Click here for a description of our Consultation and Conciliation Fees.