Church Conflict
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About Dr. Newberger
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What Do Those Who Have Worked
with Dr. Newberger Have to Say?
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Onsite Services (serving churches throughout the USA)
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Coaching by Phone
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Before Dr. Newberger began to work with us, I was quickly losing hope that relations could be restored and conflict resolved. But the more he worked with us, not just instructing us in how to resolve conflict, but actually helping us to take specific steps and make needed changes, our hopes for a healthy church actually began to be realized.... Dr. Newberger, I can't thank you enough for your work with us! Church Elder
Dr. Newberger was very thorough and committed to help our church leadership work through a very difficult situation. His preliminary work and study of the church's structure and culture helped him enter our community with wisdom and care for all those concerned. We were able to identify and set up a plan of action to move forward with staff, leadership and congregation. His personal interest in individuals was refreshing and built trust and cooperation from all those involved. Church Elder
Ken I cannot express my appreciation adequately to you for the service you provided for our church. I know I speak for all on the Church Stewardship Board and Church Life Board. You are a Godly man and a true professional in the mediation field. Chairman, Church Life Board
I am happy to recommend Dr. Ken Newberger as a Church Conflict Resolution Specialist.... He provided a theologically sound, biblically based and refreshingly creative approach to the nuts and bolts of conflict resolution. Dr. Newberger listens empathically, analyzes with precision and communicates with grace as he guides individuals and groups through the landmines of conflict. He was able to win the confidence and respect of numerous personalities quickly and navigated the difficult terrain of relational and organizational conflict with poise and perseverance. Though he is a specialist who is well equipped in his field, he was open to input and suggestions given to improve the experience. Instead of attempting to force rigid prescriptions onto our situation as “the expert,” he offered empathic, creative solutions to our unique circumstances. He was able to bring his considerable gifts and expertise to our situation while displaying the ability to integrate our experience and observations into workable solutions.... I look forward to his forthcoming book on the topic, convinced he has a significant contribution to make to the field of conflict resolution, as well as to any relationship this side of heaven. Senior Pastor
Thank you for gently leading us through a very difficult and potentially destructive conflict that threatened the life of our church. You gave us hope and encouragement that we could successfully navigate through very troubled waters and reach an acceptable outcome. Your quiet confidence, years of experience, and non-threatening manner all contributed to a reasoned and mostly peaceful solution. When a recurring interpersonal conflict exploded to a new level between two church leaders, we all felt defeated and ill-equipped to even know where to begin on a path to reconciliation or peaceful separation. But you were able to counsel and guide all of us until all parties reached a common ground that diffused a highly emotional standoff.... In addition to our many scheduled meetings (with each of the key participants), your willingness to be accessible by phone for counsel, listening or discussion communicated your commitment and personal interest in genuinely helping us.... I could not give you a stronger endorsement for your services as a conflict resolution specialist, especially in a Christian or church context. Church Elder
Our church just completed a four day reconciliation event with Dr. Kenneth Newberger. I was apprehensive going into the experience but soon felt we had made the right decision in hiring Dr. Newberger. After gathering a great deal of information, he came to us with a well thought out plan that is already bringing healing to our body. Dr. Newberger is a gifted individual with a great deal of wisdom. He is a former pastor who understands the nuances of church life. I would not hesitate in bringing him back. I hope we won't have to. Senior Pastor
We were experiencing conflicts at every level within our church - among the staff, elders, and congregation. We initially called in Ken because we wanted someone without a preconceived idea of what our issues were or how they should be resolved. He came in and was well prepared due to the prework he had done and was able to hit the ground running. Through his leading we were able to discuss openly and honestly the issues before us and explore ways to address them. The end result was a more unified Session [i.e. governing board], a better line of communication with the congregation, a clearer understanding among staff and Session of each other's roles and responsibilities, and the framework for managing issues and conflicts in the future. We believe this effort has given our church the best opportunity to move forward together in a positive way that glorifies Christ. Board of Elders
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 The column below is reprinted
from the 2006 Desk Reference
edition of Your Church magazine
published by Christianity Today.
A Published Column about
Dr. Newberger's Work
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When we contacted Kenneth Newberger, we were desperate.... Ken Newberger's work with us was that of a skilled and loving shepherd who led us out of our quagmire to higher ground. He knows the way out because he truly understands the church, respects the needs of human egos, and is uncompromising about the importance of clean, honest communication between persons. All this gives to his consulting both balance and integrity, rare commodities in these days of the quick fix rip-off. It's no understatement to say that transformation happened here in the wake of Ken's ministry with us.... The man truly has a gift! Senior Pastor
I was skeptical until I saw the process work. I saw the two major antagonists apologize and hug one another. Where there was tension, there is now a spirit of love. Church Member
I feel that you did a magnificent job. Church Member
It was decided by the deacon body to bring in Kenneth Newberger. His work with us helped to save the church from splitting.... I whole-heartedly recommend him to you and your specific situation. I found him to be caring, helpful, considerate, and encouraging. It is a joy to recommend him to you if you find yourself in a rough situation as I did. Senior Pastor
Through Ken's consultations, we developed healthy communication practices for a staff team, improved our ability to hear each other, increased our awareness of different personality types, and created a covenant that both inspired us and kept us accountable to each other. Ken's strengths as a group mediator include: strong listening skills; good insight into underlying issues; the ability to balance compassion with accountability; a gift for staying focused; and a faith foundation expressed in his Scriptural reference and prayer interwoven in the mediation process. I would recommend that any church dealing with transition or conflict seriously consider consulting with Ken; even one meeting with him would bear good fruits. Associate Pastor
I strongly recommend Ken to you as a consultant in any situation that requires an objective, analytical and biblical lens coupled with a mature and realistic heart. He is a man of God and a genuine professional whom God is using to advance His Kingdom purposes for the unified Body of Christ in our divided and relationally volatile world. Senior Pastor
I think you did a great job of moderating the discussions. Clearly there was a lot of emotion in the room, and you let us deal with it without injecting yourself into the middle of it. By guiding us the way you did, you let us get to where we needed to be without dragging us there.... Aside from being a very talented professional, you always showed us how much you cared about what we were going through.... You also clearly did your homework before you arrived. You were well-prepared; that showed as you shared your detailed understanding of our situation. Chairman of the Board of Deacons
I feel that I learned much from Ken about the need to face up to problems before they ignite church conflict. Starting with the first conversation I had with Ken, I was convinced that he was the right person to try and help our church. During our attempt to resolve conflict, Ken never displayed any bias and was unafraid to tell us hard things we needed to hear. I grew to really respect Ken for that and for his commitment to the principle that God can restore any situation ... if we'll just let Him. Church Elder
You were the perfect person/consultant to help us resolve the problem. Church Member
The conflicted church decided to hire Mr. Newberger from a list of quality professionals, and it appears to have greatly benefited from his competent interventions. Before he arrived on site, he researched the issues by targeting specific church factions with questionnaires. He continued his listened and research on site at a long-weekend event with the church's pastor, session [board] members, and staff. The event ended with all parties feeling that their needs were truly heard and fairly responded to by one another. Mr. Newberger helped them negotiate an extensive covenant which outlined the church's commitment to keep the process going into the future. Mr Newberger also provided timely follow-up with the church after the event. I appreciate that he also kept me in the loop throughout the entire process. I highly recommend Mr. Newberger for his work in conflict negotiation and resolution. He is skilled, empathetic, and professional, and he certainly helped one of our churches survive a very difficult conflict. Denominational Leader
I want to thank you, Ken, for working with us these past weeks. This has been difficult and hard work (!) but I am so grateful to have "stayed the course." I feel I have learned so much about myself, as well as how to better handle relationships with my co-workers and others. Thank you for your patience and understanding, and for using your professional skills to help us achieve a positive solution. Church Administrative Associate
I can testify to the fact that Ken is very good at what he does. He helped our church through a difficult conflict situation before I came here, and I have personally used his services to help me through a conflict with our Elders. Senior Pastor
What you accomplished with the cooperation of our pastor and board was simply as effective as the highest hopes of anyone involved. Church Member
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