Right Relations Teams are lay leaders entrusted to help the congregation practice faithful communication and creative conflict based on values of mutuality and consent.

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Meet the Right Relations Team:

• Joy Latuvnik-Morin

• Kristen Kornkven

• gayle clark-taylor

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Their roles can include:

• Tending to the covenant by articulating and modeling its practice

• Provide training and other learning opportunities around the tensions needed for creativity in congregations

• Model and coach communication processes that promote mutuality and consent (i.e. small group ministry, discernment circles)

• Model and coach creative conflict

• In low level conflict, create brave spaces where people can move from defensiveness toward resolution

• When conflict does become more heated, they also can offer opportunities for deep listening and restorative processes.

• Create low-anxiety/high-learning experiences for the congregation around conflict and covenant

 

Bradford Community Church strives to be an inclusive community, affirming our differences in beliefs, opinions, and life experiences. This calls upon us to interact together with love and support as described in our BCUU Covenant.  At the same time, concern for the safety and wellbeing of our congregation as a whole must be given priority over the privileges and inclusion of the individual. To the degree that relationship conflict or disruptive behavior compromises the health of our congregation, our actions as people of faith must reflect this emphasis on security. These policies provide direction for our congregation to maintain a supportive, happy, and healthy community in which we may all be our better selves.

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Conflict Resolution Guidelines

 

Support and accountability for different aspects of right relationship lie within different parts of the congregation.

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• The Community supports:

  • BCC Covenant Culture 

  • Encouraging people in conflict to engage the processes

  • Communal learning to deepen abilities of all to engage in interpersonal conflict in healthy ways

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• The Covenant supports:

  • Clear expectations

  • Clear guidance on solving conflicts directly

  • Clear guidance on who to turn to for more help

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• The Right Relationship Team:

  • Supports community in updating covenant, culture, and skills

  • Supports individuals needing assistance with direct conversations

  • Supports building/growing healthy relationships 

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• The Safe Congregations Team supports:

  • Setting limits for community safety

  • Sex offender limited access agreements

  • Destructive persons’ process

  • Holds the process for asking someone to leave the community

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• The Board supports

  • Creating policies; appointing leaders; funding training

  • May receive appeal requests from those in conflict

  • Formally approves vote to remove someone from leadership or membership; or to leave congregation

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• The Minister supports:

  • Pastoral care for all

  • Creating worship that supports culture shifts; theology and spiritual practices of engaging in conflict and restoration

  • Has boundaries with conflict between congregants; rare to have a “side”

  • Rarely leads conflict process

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Click here to learn about our pathway to conflict resolution.​

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REQUESTING ASSISTED CONFLICT RESOLUTION  (with RR team member)

If person A is hesitant about approaching person B or persons A or B are unsatisfied with results of an attempt to reach conflict resolution, either may choose to ask for assistance from the RR team, by clicking Right Relations.