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
      • Differently Abled Persons
      • Educational Ministries
      • Older Adults
      • Status & Role of Women
      • Young Adults
      • Youth
    • Church Revitalization
      • Coaching
      • Disciple Making Way
      • Evangelism
      • Grants
      • MissionInsite
      • Real Discipleship Survey
      • Shift
      • Spiritual Life
    • From the Bishop
      • Bishop’s Bookshelf
      • Bishop’s Sermons
      • Church Transformation
      • Conflict Transformation
      • Connections
      • Discipleship & Learning Plan
    • Multicultural
      • Asian
      • Hispanic/Latino
      • 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
      • Bishop’s Sermons
      • Church Transformation
      • Conflict Transformation
      • Connections
      • Discipleship & Learning Plan
    • Ministerial Relations
      • 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.
      • Called to Plant?
      • 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
      • Church Construction
      • Church Loans
      • Restorative Justice and Mercy
      • Disciple Bible Outreach
      • NCC UMVIM
      • Seed Funds
      • Mission Projects
        • Health Ministry
    • Global Outreach
      • Imagine No Malaria
      • Love for Liberia
      • Missionaries
      • Project AGAPE
      • Sierra Leone: Mission of Hope
      • ZOE
    • Disaster Ministries
      • Donate to Storm Response
      • Hurricane Florence
      • MERCI
      • Response Plan
      • Response Team
      • UMCOR Kits
    • Giving
      • Advance/Rainbow Covenant
      • Apportionments
      • Give to Storm Response
      • Mission & Service
      • The Gary Wayne Locklear Mission Endowment
      • New Room Society
      • Special Sundays
    • Ministry Partners
      • Camps & Retreats
      • Partners In Ministry
      • Robeson Co. Church & CC
      • UMF
  • Resources
    Supporting Ministry
    • Conferences
      • Annual Conference 2019
      • Annual Conference 2020
      • Charge Conference 2020
      • General Conference
      • Pilgrimage
      • SEJ Conference 2016
    • Media Center
      • Catalog
      • Labyrinth
      • Ministry Tools
      • Online Resources
      • Weekly Newsletter
    • Online Resources
      • Archives & History
      • Church Lookup
      • Online Data Collection
      • Online Learning
      • Pastor Lookup
      • Podcasts (NCCUMC.FM)
      • Ramus: Web Hosting
      • Video (Vimeo)
    • Publications
      • Advent 2020
      • Appointment Book
      • Bible Study
      • Conference Directory
      • Conference Journal
      • Every Day Grace
      • Lenten Reflections
      • Mission & Service
    • 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

God’s Presence in Mediation

January 26, 2016 Leave a Comment

This past November I was privileged to attend a week long Mediation Skills Training hosted by the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center. I attended the workshop as part of my internship with the Conflict Transformation Ministry of the NCCUMC. During the training we learned about facilitating mediations, personality profiles, listening techniques, and resolution skills. For those unfamiliar with professional mediation, it is important to note that there are many different mediation organizations with an equally diverse set of methods for conducting mediations. The Conflict Transformation Ministers of the North Carolina Conference, were trained by a group called Just Peace. So as I attended the Lombard training, I was struck by how different their methods were compared to some other techniques and I was interested in the unique qualities of their approach to conflict.

This made me question what, if any, are the essential pieces of mediating conflict? Psychological profiles could not be absolutely crucial to mediation, because not all mediators use them. The method of dealing with problems from large to small, or small to large, or even the number of meetings could not have been an essential aspect, because that also differs between groups. So, what is the one thing present in all successful Church mediations?

By the end of the training I was convinced the most crucial aspect of any successful group mediation is the healing presence of God! How else can we explain the success of such varying methods and practices? Despite the failings of mediators and methodology, God redeems us in remarkable ways during mediation. The Holy Spirit goes before us when we share our lives and perspectives in honest conversation.

God shows up in mediation in a number of ways: in the devotions said to open meetings, in the trained mediators, and especially in the forgiveness and love shared between brothers and sisters in Christ. One of the clearest ways God is present is in the mutual recognition of the imago dei (image of God), even in the midst of conflict. Recognizing God in one another is an essential step to living a more healthy and holy life. Just as we recognize we cannot live fully without God in our lives, we should also realize we cannot live fully without each other, as each of us contains the imago dei. This mutual recognition of the divine image helps us reestablish broken relationships and tear down the pride that separates us.

John Wesley described this mutual dependence in Christian Perfection, writing, “We may be wise but have little love, or we may have love with little wisdom. God has wisely joined us all together as parts of the body so that we cannot say to one another, ‘I have no need of you.’” Acknowledging God among us and within each other is an indispensable element of successful mediation and flourishing churches. As you inevitably encounter conflict in your personal lives, churches, and work places, take time appreciate how God is present in the conflict. When we acknowledge God’s abiding presence in conflict it gives us eyes to see how our friends, family, coworkers, pastors, and even enemies carry the image of God.

Aaron Hayworth, CTM Intern

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Filed Under: blog, Uncategorized

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 © 2021 · Privacy Policy · Powered by WordPress · Site Admin

  • e
  • k