What is Peacebuilding Ministries?

Extend the hand of reconciliation:
Learn and use conflict resolution skills.

Ministry of the Peacebuilding Specialist

The Peacebuilding Specialist position was created in 1998 as a response to a recommendation by the Conflict Management Focus Team during the VisionQuest process. The Peacebuilding Specialist:

• provides training to individuals and congregations in conflict resolution, facilitation, and decision making processes

• trains and certifies individuals to be instructors of courses taught through the Peacebuilding Specialist office

• provides facilitation and mediation services for disputing individuals and congregations

• coordinates and implements programs and resources related to conflict resolution, mediation, and other areas of peacebuilding

• develops conflict resolution skills in congregations

• works with congregations to develop broad participatory, decision-making processes

• consults with administrators and congregations on issues related to conflict resolution and broad participatory decision making processes

• trains and certifies individuals to be used as facilitators and/or mediators for the church

• assists field jurisdictions that wish to focus ministerial efforts on conflict resolution and/or mediation

• plans training events and activities related to peacebuilding areas covered by the Peacebuilding Specialist

Definition of Terms

The words included in this handbook have a variety of meanings. The Peacebuilding Specialist office wants to help the church use words in ways consistent with its ministry. To establish trust in this ministry all persons need to use the words in ways that match the actual action/behavior we experience

• Arbitration
  A conflict resolution process that uses a neutral, third-party facilitator to decide how parties should resolve their dispute.
   

• Arbitrator
  A neutral, third-party facilitator who listens to disputants' perspectives and then decides for the parties how the matter will be resolved.
   

• Conflict


A disagreement between 2 or more people.
 

• Conflict Resolution


Conflict resolution is the process by which people deal with conflicts. There are five basic ways: 1) demanding we get our way, 2) avoiding/ignoring, 3) accommodating, 4) collaborating, and 5) compromising.
 

• Consensus Decision Making
  Consensus decision making is the cooperative development of a decision with group members working together for the common good. The goal is a decision that is consented to by all group members. Consensus does not mean that everyone must be completely satisfied with the final outcome. The decision must be acceptable enough that all will agree to support the group in choosing it.
   

• Dialogue
  Dialogue is small group sharing of perspectives. Its purpose is to gain understanding of other' perspectives. Gaining that understanding may require several dialogue sessions. If a dialogue topic is conflictual it is best to use a trained facilitator. Dialogue is not necessarily intended to be part of a decision-making process. It can be used as one of the steps of consensus decision making.
   

• Facilitator
  A trained, impartial third-party who guides a process of group decision-making or dialogue. A facilitator would not be trained to mediate interpersonal or group disputes.
   

• Facilitation


Facilitation is the use of a trained, impartial, third-party facilitators who guides a process.  Facilitation may be used in such processes as group decision making and dialoguing about difficult issues.
 

• Group Facilitation
  The use of a trained, impartial, third-party facilitator who guides a process for groups in dealing with issues needing deliberation.
   

• Listening Ear
  A trained, impartial third-party who helps one person deal with concerns/situations productively.
   

• Reconciliation


Reconciliation is making things right with another. God is the reconciler.
 

• Mediator
  A trained, certified, neutral third-party who guides the conversation between two or more disputing parties. A mediator may also be trained to facilitate group decision making and/or dialogue.
   

• Mediation
  A facilitated conversation between two or more disputing parties using a trained, certified mediator. The philosophy of the mediation process is that people have God-given resources to resolve their difference. In extremely rare cases reconciliation is not possible because of the mentally or emotionally troubled state of the person with whom differences exist. The process provides space and opportunity for the creation of a safe environment in order for people to deal with the differences in a constructive and productive manner.
   

• Reconciliation
  Reconciliation is making things right with another.

 

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