For many Christians, consensus is next to godliness, and conflict means trouble, maybe even spiritual warfare.
But while agreement is wonderful and unanimity comfortable, sometimes conflict is better than consensus.
Consider the experience of Jerry Harvey, professor of management science at George Washington University, reported in his book The Abilene Paradox and other Meditations on Management. Here’s his story:
We were visiting my wife’s family in Coleman, Texas, which is 53 miles from Abilene. Her dad ran a pool hall and domino parlor right outside of town. The Baptists would get upset if he tried to run it in town. …
It was the middle of the summer-106 degrees, with a dust storm howling-and we were sitting there playing dominoes.
Suddenly my father-in-law stood up and blurted, “Let’s go to Abilene and eat at the cafeteria.”
I thought, Man, is that dumb, but I didn’t want to say anything. My wife said, “It sounds great, but I don’t want to go unless you go, Jerry.”
I said, “I was hoping somebody would invite me, but I won’t go unless your mother goes.”
Mamma said, “Of course, I want to go.” So we all get into this ’58 Buick and drive 53 miles to Abilene, where we have the worst meal you can imagine. Then we drive 53 miles back, and nobody says anything. It takes an hour for us to scrape off the dust.
I didn’t know what to say. Finally, with all the dishonesty I could muster, I said, “Well, it was a great trip.” My father-in-law responded with an expletive. I said, “What do you mean by that?”
He said, “I didn’t want to go to Abilene. I was just making conversation, and you all made me ruin my day.”
I said, “I never wanted to go.”
My wife said, “Who would want to drive 106 miles in a dust storm? Not me.”
Mamma just cried. She didn’t want to go either.
Nobody wanted to go, but we all thought the others wanted to. To avert a fight, nobody was willing to say, “No, I don’t want to go.”
In ministry, we have to remember that our goal is not necessarily getting everyone to agree. We may agree about the wrong thing. We may remain silent to be agreeable, when most people are hoping someone will have the courage to speak up, to offer a better idea.
Most of us also know the other side of conflict-the kind that causes you to lose sleep because of the pain, fear, and uncertainty. Sometimes these struggles produce something good; sometimes they’re simply to be survived.
This issue of LEADERSHIP focuses on conflict-a subject that’s disagreeable, but not always bad.
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With this issue, we enter our fourteenth year of publishing LEADERSHIP, and you’ll notice a slightly different look. Art director Joan Nickerson has given new clarity and energy to the cover, contents page, and many of the features and departments.
Joan, who also is art director for our sister publication, Christianity Today, was instrumental in establishing the look of the journal when it was launched in 1980, and she continues to provide its clean, direct, straightforward visual appeal.
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Our editors are often asked, “How do you decide what articles lo publish in LEADERSHIP?”
There’s no shortage of material. Ideas are sent to us by contributing and consulting editors and by readers who want the journal to speak to their current pinch point. We assign such topics to pastor/writers who have experienced those situations. Our research department also surveys our subscriber list regularly and reports the topics most requested.
We also receive about 150 manuscripts each quarter, most from local church pastors contacting us for the first time about what they’ve learned.
Every manuscript is read carefully, and four questions are applied:
1. Is it Christian? The content of any article must be biblical-consistent with the commands and worldview expected of Christ’s followers. This doesn’t mean the articles are punctuated by Bible references in parentheses. But it does mean the content must help church leaders be more like Christ in their relationships, personal growth, and understanding of ministry. Articles must help pastors to be faithful and effective in overseeing the ministries of the church.
2. Is it true? We look for articles that are honest, that reflect the gritty realities of ministry. Any counsel that’s offered needs to be “tried and true.” More than simply presenting ideas “that ought to work,” we seek insights refined by experience, that have in fact proven helpful.
3. Is it significant? Each article costs about $1,049 per page to produce, simply for editorial and production expenses. Our average six-page article would cost $6,296. That doesn’t count the cost of getting people to subscribe, sending out renewal notices, or any of the other business-related expenses. We don’t want to waste those dollars or your reading time on material that isn’t worth the investment.
4. Is it well-written? We want to meet the standard criteria of journalistic excellence: accuracy, clarity, impact.
These four questions help us implement the vision for LEADERSHIP: to provide practical help for church leaders, so they can be faithful and effective.
Marshall Shelley is editor of LEADERSHIP.
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