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Christian Versus Christian

Conflict is inevitable. When it comes, face it--and follow Jesus' style of confrontational ministry.

Christian Jones attends church regularly, contributes heavily to the budget, and is a member of the official board. He is also an obstructionist. When decisions need to be made, Mr. Jones never ceases to advise caution. To him, the status quo is a sacred trust. At a recent board meeting he responded as though on cue.

The discussion concerned launching a neighborhood outreach program that had proven successful in several sister churches. The sincerity and enthusiasm of the evangelism committee began to slowly penetrate the fog that often envelops long evenings around the conference table. To top off an exceptionally good presentation, the committee chairman, Jack Johnson, reported that a team of lay volunteers from a sister church would be willing to conduct an evangelism workshop for only the cost of travel expenses.

That was the cue! After the customary clearing of his throat, Mr. Jones began his familiar refrain: "Now don't get me wrong . . . it's not that I personally object, but I'm ...

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From Issue:Spring 1980: Conflict
March
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