Apostles in Acts 15 & 16, even when they disagreed it, was in a orderly fashion!

Take Paul & Barnabas for example. They parted ways, but they didn’t stop others from working with those who couldn’t work with them.

When they parted ways, they were able to continue their assignments without involving others in their dispute.

They just connected with who they needed to work with and continued to do the will of YAH.

I don’t see where they tried to bring others into their personal conflict, or to get them to choose sides.

They parted because of their convictions, not because they were in competition with each other.

Each showed an example of great leadership and strength by being able to resolve a personal ministry conflict, without destroying the other’s character, credibility or name!

In this hour, the dimension of maturity necessary between leadership has diminish. Most don’t have the ability to disagree about things, without trying to bring destruction upon an other and involving others in their conflicts.

They display childish behavior by:

1. Publicly voicing the conflict to gain support for their side, thereby involving people who often get one side of the story.
2. Involve others who are connected to them causing division and often disrespect toward another leader.
3. Become enemies toward each other, thereby closing any opportunities to work together any more.
4. Debating scriptures to prove who is right and who is wrong causing, thus biblical confusion among those who they are training and teaching.
5. Gossip and scandalize the names and characters of people so that others won’t connect to them or be involved in their visions.
6. Try to force people to take sides, because they want to be the one who is right in the eyes of the people.
7. Refuse to come to a peaceful solution, because they want to play the victim as much as they can.

If leaders can learn that it’s okay to disagree, and not have to lose friendships and fellowships with each other, we will see better success take place in ministry.

Learning how to be effective in conflict resolutions is something that should be taught in every ministry school.

~ Apostle Barbara R. Thomas

Apostle Barbara R. Thomas is founder of I Come to Heal Ministries, A Woman’s touch Ministry, The Next Dimension Global Outreach Ministries and Spoken Word School of Ministry and is on a mission, traveling the world, proclaiming the Gospel, for souls to be won to the Kingdom of God. She has life mandate to help bring others to their divine purpose.

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