What is mediation?

How might it benefit our congregation?
Conflicts between individuals, groups, teams, members of a Session, or within a congregation are a part of life. Different types of conflict arise—about ideas, facts, goals, personal style differences, and values. Though inevitable, conflict can be addressed in healthy and productive ways that can help and heal.

The Presbytery of Wabash Valley has trained mediators who are available to help our congregations in their efforts to move through conflict in healthy ways. Trained by the highly esteemed Lombard Mennonite Peace Center, meditation team members are ready to assist you.
Listen to what some of our trained mediators in the Presbytery of Wabash Valley have to say about the benefits of mediation:
“Mediation allows an outside set of people to convene conversations in order to slow down a quickly rising conflict. This invites the Holy Spirit to breathe wisdom into situations that seem to have no good options.”

“Mediation keeps the control within the congregation. With litigation, a lawyer or judge is in control, at their convenience and at our expense. Mediation keeps the process “in house,” where we all still have power over the desired outcome.”

“Like our polity, mediation recognizes ‘One size fits all’ does not apply to every situation or group/congregation. Mediation provides for different styles and approaches that are flexible enough to better fit the needs of those it engages.”

To learn more or if you’re ready to engage with a mediation team, please contact Mediation Team member the Rev. Barb Kenley at pastorbarb@kenley.org or the Presbytery’s Visioning and Connecting Leader, the Rev. Jennifer Burns Lewis at Jennifer@ourpresbytery.org.