Trauma, Conflict, and Grief in Churches: Unearthing Leadership Strategies for Congregational Flourishing

Abstract

It is no secret that mainline Christianity here in the United States finds itself in an unprecedented season. A decline of resources (in both people and funds) combined with the demand to stay relevant within our fast-paced, ever-changing culture can cause churches no small amount of pain, conflict and struggle. As congregations work towards innovation and reimagining whom they are called to be, many church leaders turn to the literature of leadership theory as a possible road map. This focus can prove to be quite helpful. Even so, healthy congregational leadership goes beyond mere long-range planning and goal setting. In these uncertain times, leadership theory and its ensuing practices necessitate an engagement with system-wide grief, anxiety, and sometimes even trauma that congregations frequently hold. This work explores both fields of scholarship—that of grief and trauma research, and that of leadership theory-- with the belief that each one impacts the other in congregational systems. Perhaps most significantly: within these pages, pastors are encouraged to turn the mirror on themselves and consider how they too influence the churches in which they lead.To move beyond mere understanding, the latter half of this work focuses on the integration of spiritual practices as a means whereby pastors and church leaders might work to address the anxiety, grief, or trauma that both they and their congregation hold. The assumption is that, when churches unearth the gifts already within the Christian tradition, they find a means of addressing these struggles communally, rather than (as so often happens) the pastor attempting to shoulder the emotional weight on their own. These practices and approaches, while not simply solutions, can nevertheless set congregations on the path towards flourishing.