What does the Conference Treasurer do when….

What does the Conference Treasurer do when….

• A local church wants to withdraw from the Denomination and take its property-
• A local church refuses to pay apportionments because of controversy about gay and lesbian inclusion in the church.
• A local church is experiencing conflict over a building remodeling plan.
• A local church finance committee thinks their apportionments are too high and request a meeting.

These and many other situations have brought a sense of challenge to the role of Treasurer in the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference working with CFA and the Conference Trustees.  When I left the local church ministry in October of 2000 and became the Annual Conference Treasurer I quickly discovered that I did not have command of all the skills I need to be successful.  Even after seven years as a District Superintendent I was not prepared for the variety conflict situations.  It seemed reasonable that conflict resolution or mediation or skill in dispute resolution would be very helpful.

In 2001 I was elected a General Council on Finance and Administration director.  In that capacity I met Tom Porter who was developing JustPeace as a way of being and working toward the restoration of relationships in conflict. When Tom invited Bishops to send Annual Conference teams to JustPeace Training, I began to see a strategy, not only for myself but for Superintendents and District teams to develop skills in just resolution of conflict. We have had three teams trained, our first team was nine people, next two, and final twenty three. We now have thirty trained people across the conference and me, who has been trained three times just to make sure I “get it”.  The presence of JustPeace trained people around the conference has offered the District Superintendents an additional tool for the work of the conference.

When the phone rings in my office and the caller is asking for information or is upset, my mind goes to the JustPeace principles.  I ask questions and listen for the thread that will unravel the story behind the callers concern.  Once listening takes place there is a real opportunity to serve the caller and the church.

The power of JustPeace lies in the story telling made possible by the process itself.  The opening ritual establishes a holy environment where the presence of God is recognized.  Working out a relational covenant sets the stage for powerful questions to draw out the personal stories that have formed people and situations.  The telling and the listening lead people to a new understanding, appreciation and respect for one another.

An illustration: I was invited by the leadership of a local church to facilitate a session where they could experience a new way to communicate with each other.  They had recently embarked on the campaign to remodel their building. Now they were bogged down in fund raising. We experienced the opening ritual, the relational covenant and the first question which was, “Introduce yourself, and tell us what you are passionate about in the life of this congregation”.  The second question, “What do you see right now as a barrier to moving ahead”.  After the group had made the second round there was silence.  Finally one person offered that he had no idea there was such deep feeling about the remodeling plan.  Everyone there supported the plan but not the phasing of the project. Some wanted the larger narthex first and others wanted the kitchen first. The group discovered that the leadership had not created a process for information sharing and gathering that had worked very well.  There were acknowledgements and apologies.  The talking piece was set down and soon a new plan for communicating the project was developed and on the way. It was a great day of discovery.

Perhaps other Treasurer’s offices are different than the Pacific Northwest.  My office is often the first place to receive a call when there is trouble in a local church.  In other situations I raise questions on the basis of what I see in apportionments receipts or other reported data.  If the District Superintendent did not call me, my first call is to the District Superintendent.

JustPeace is a powerful tool. In the Pacific Northwest we now have thirty people, who in teams can facilitate the JustPeace principles within our local churches.  The District Superintendents are the primary gate keepers for the utilization of the teams. The teams are volunteers and include counselors, lawyers, clergy, and lay folk. I am ready to organize training for a new group of JustPeace facilitators.