Mending the Fracturing Church: How to Navigate Conflict and Build Trust for Thriving Communities

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Description

The local church in the United States is at a crossroads. Declining attendance, aging congregations, and costly buildings are compounded by deep divisions over issues like sexuality, gender, race, and immigration. Generational gaps have widened, and many congregations lack diversity, becoming politically homogenous and fragmented. Amid these tensions, the sense that something is profoundly wrong is palpable.
Mending the Fracturing Church offers a way forward, inviting churches to confront and navigate the issues that divide them. By addressing relational challenges such as biases, communication styles, and conflict dynamics, this book provides tools to understand and respond to the cultural and theological polarization affecting so many congregations. Each chapter combines theological reflection, insights from social and cognitive psychology, and stories from real congregations. Group exercises and step-by-step guides help leaders put these insights into practice, transforming theory into action.
With a focus on connection, trust, and belonging, this book provides the tools to help churches build stronger relationships, engage their communities more effectively, and embrace a renewed vision for thriving together.

Author Bio

Rev. Dr. Andy Hale has served in congregational life for over 25 years, holding diverse roles as a denominational leader, consultant, church starter, pastor, and coach. He earned a Doctor of Leadership in Global Perspective with a focus on organizational psychology from George Fox University. Hale is the creator and host of the award- winning CBF Podcast Conversation, along with The Clergy Confessions Podcast. Hale serves as the associate executive coordinator of CBF North Carolina, one of the largest state-level entities within the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.