Preface

Divisiveness and fractures in the church are as old as Antioch and yet as contemporary as any problem Christians face today. And it’s not always about the pastor or the leadership; sometimes it’s about theology, sometimes worship style, sometimes power, sometimes cultural differences. The issues over which we can disagree are infinite in number. But it’s not the disagreement that breaks the Body—it’s how we deal with the disagreement that either creates unity or division…

In my work with churches in conflict, I find myself teaching many of the same lessons over and over again. There are, it seems, some fundamental principles to which God has drawn me back at every turn. I believe they are commonly forgotten or misunderstood in the church today. I believe these principles hold the solution to most of the unhealthy conflict we experience in the Body of Christ.

My prayer for you and the church where you serve is that God would renew a sense of unity under the headship of Christ. I hope through this material to equip you and your church with both understanding and specific tools to promote and maintain unity. I don’t have to tell you how important it is—the Spirit will do that. Maybe He already has.