Healthy Conflict and Communication in Congregational Systems

About this course

FORM 203 equips students to lead through congregational tension with steady presence, clear communication, and spiritually grounded resilience. The course explores how conflict functions in anxious systems, how miscommunication escalates reactivity, and how leaders can de-escalate while maintaining clarity of purpose. Students practice core skills such as defining the issue, listening for underlying values and losses, setting boundaries, naming patterns without shaming, and speaking truth with humility.

Attention is given to difficult conversations in pastoral settings (staff, session, congregational meetings, and community partnerships), including repair after rupture. The course emphasizes “non-anxious presence,” accountability, and the ethical use of authority in emotionally charged situations.