Coronavirus Response

  • Home
  • A-Z List
  • About
    • About the NCC
    • Connectional Table
    • Staff
  • Calendar
    • Events
    • Google Calendar
    • Past Events
  • Churches
  • Contact
    • Find Us
  • Districts
    • District Office
    • Beacon
    • Capital
    • Corridor
    • Fairway
    • Gateway
    • Harbor
    • Heritage
    • Sound
  • Employment
  • Search

NC Conference

Healthy Congregations and Effective Leaders in Every Place Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World

  • Discipleship
    Developing Disciples
    • Christian Formation
      • Children
      • Church & Society
      • College
      • Creation Care
      • Differently Abled Persons
      • Older Adults
      • Spiritual Formation
      • Status & Role of Women
      • Young Adults
      • Youth
    • Church Revitalization
      • Coaching
      • Disciple Making Way
      • Evangelism
      • Grants
      • MissionInsite
      • Shift
    • From the Bishop
      • Church Transformation
      • Conflict Transformation
    • Multicultural
      • Anti-Racism
      • Asian
      • Hispanic-Latinx
      • Native American
      • Strengthening the Black Church
    • Stewardship
      • Apportionments
      • District Remittances
      • Financial Discipleship
      • Grants
      • Insurance
      • Mission & Service
      • Pension
      • Treasurer Training
  • Leadership
    Strengthening Leaders
    • Bishop’s Office
      • Appointment Book
      • Church Transformation
      • Conflict Transformation
    • Office of Clergy Life
      • Board of Ordained Ministry
      • Called to Ministry?
      • Extension Ministries
    • Board of Laity
      • Certified Lay Minister
      • Lay Servant Ministries
      • Local Church Lay Leaders
      • United Methodist Men
      • United Methodist Women
      • United Methodist Youth
    • New Faith Comm.
      • New Room Society
      • Our Communities
    • Conference Offices
      • Center for Leadership Excellence
      • Christian Formation
      • Communications
      • Conference Secretary
      • Connectional Ministries
      • Information Technology
      • Multicultural Ministries
      • Outreach Ministry
      • Treasurer’s Office
  • Service
    Ministering To The World
    • Local Outreach
      • Afghan Refugees
      • Church Construction
      • Church Loans
      • Congregations for Children (C4C)
      • Creation Care
      • Cross & Key Prision Ministries
      • Health Ministry
      • Restorative Justice and Mercy
      • Seed Funds
      • Mission Projects
    • Global Outreach
      • Love for Liberia
      • Missionaries
      • NCC UMVIM
      • Project AGAPE
      • Sierra Leone: Mission of Hope
      • ZOE
    • Disaster Ministries
      • Donate to Storm Response
      • MERCI
      • Response Plan
      • Response Team
      • Training
      • UMCOR Kits
    • Giving
      • 2021 District Christmas Offering
      • Advance/Rainbow Covenant
      • Apportionments
      • Give to Storm Response
      • Mission & Service
      • The Gary Wayne Locklear Mission Endowment
      • New Room Society
      • Special Sundays
    • Ministry Partners
      • Boy Scouts of America (BSA)
      • Camps & Retreats
      • NC Institute for Spiritual Direction and Formation
      • Partners In Ministry
      • Robeson Co. Church & CC
      • UMF
  • Resources
    Supporting Ministry
    • Conferences
      • Annual Conference 2021
      • Annual Conference 2022
      • Charge Conference 2021
      • General Conference
      • Pilgrimage
      • SEJ Conference 2016
    • Media Center
      • Catalog
      • Labyrinth
      • Ministry Tools
      • Online Resources
      • Weekly Newsletter
    • Online Resources
      • Anti-Racism
      • Archives & History
      • #BeUMC
      • Church Lookup
      • Disaffiliation Information
      • Green Church Initiative
      • Online Data Collection
      • Online Learning
      • Pastor Lookup
      • Ramus: Web Hosting
      • Video (Vimeo)
    • Publications
      • Appointment Book
      • Bible Study
      • Conference Directory
      • Conference Journal
      • Every Day Grace
      • Lenten Reflections
      • Mission & Service
      • Podcasts (NCCUMC.FM)
    • From UMC.org
      • Agencies
      • Communications
      • Discipleship
      • Finance & Administration
      • Global Ministries
      • Graphics Library
      • Relief
      • Status & Role of Women
  • Conflict Transformation
  • About CTM
  • CT Ministers’ Resources
  • Blog Roll
  • CT Minister Application

Church as a Family System

October 29, 2019 Leave a Comment

Bowen Family Systems Theory

No man [human] is an island,” mused 17th century English poet, John Donne, in his poem of the same name. Dr. Murray Bowen, a 20th century psychiatrist, would agree. Bowen saw his patients not as isolated individuals, but as members of a system. Dr. Bowen originated his Family Systems Theory over decades of psychiatric practice.  A “family system” is the web of family relationships that extends back over the generations.  Every person is a part of a family system whether by birth or adoption.

In Bowen Theory, a family system is an emotional unit with generally predictable feelings, anxieties, and behaviors.  Dr. Bowen looked closely at the dynamics of his patients’ family systems as he treated his patients’ various illnesses.  He found that his treatment of patients was more effective when he considered patients in the context of their family systems.  He could see recurring patterns in the histories of his patients’ families that impacted his patients’ symptoms and behaviors.

Is My Church a Family System?

Rabbi Edwin Friedman’s landmark book, Generation to Generation, describes churches, synagogues, and other religious groups as family system.  In fact, three family systems interlock in churches, synagogues, and other religious groups. First, you have the family system of the pastor, rabbi, or religious leader. Second, there are the existing family systems of all of the members of the group. And, third, the religious group itself becomes a family system.

Rabbi Friedman applied the eight concepts of Bowen Family Systems Theory to the lives of churches, synagogues, and other religious groups. These eight interlocking concepts can help us unlock conflict in religious groups.  Remember, we are not looking simply at individual behavior, we are looking at individuals functioning within a system.

Eight Concepts and towards a Ninth

The eight concepts of Bowen Family Systems Theory are

  1. Triangles
  2. Differentiation of Self
  3. Nuclear Family Emotional Process
  4. Family Projection Process
  5. Multi-Generational Transmission Process
  6. Emotional Cutoff
  7. Sibling Position
  8. Societal Emotional Process

Dr. Bowen was working on a ninth concept at the end of his distinguished career.  The ninth concept incorporated spirituality. Unfortunately, Dr, Bowen was not able to flesh out this ninth concept fully before he died.

With this post, I am embarking on a series of posts describing the eight concepts Bowen Family Systems Theory.  We will look at each of the eight concepts and how they apply to churches. I have found these concepts to be very helpful as I work with congregations in conflict.  In addition, the eight concepts help me work on the issues in my family of origin.  I hope that you will find Bowen Theory helpful, too, as you navigate conflict in any area of your life!

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Filed Under: Uncategorized

About Molly Shivers

I am a child of God, a follower of Jesus Christ, and a minister of the Gospel. I have been in the professional ministry since 1999 and am an Elder in Full Connection in the NC Conference of the United Methodist Church. It is my great privilege currently to serve as Director of Conflict Transformation Ministries for the NC Conference.

Recent Posts

  • What I Read in 2020
  • Up to 11
  • Finding Balance
  • The More Things Change
  • 528 years

Psalm 133:1 NRSV

How pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!
Conflict Transformation Ministries Logo

NC Conference of The United Methodist Church · 700 Waterfield Ridge Place · Garner, NC 27529
Phone: 919.779.6115 · Toll-free: 800.849.4433 · Fax: 919.773.2308

Copyright © 2022 · Privacy Policy · Powered by WordPress · Site Admin