The resolution and management of intra-church conflicts and its implications for church and state: A case study of the Evangel church and Assemblies of God conflict

Abstract

This study is premised on the assumption that the body of Christ is today plagued by numerous internal conflicts resulting in breakaways or divisions because the appropriate conflict resolution and management mechanisms are not used to manage and resolve them when they do occur. Using a methodology based on a combination of the purposive and stratified random sampling techniques coupled with both qualitative and quantitative analysis of data collected, a case study was done on the 2002 Evangel Church Assemblies of God conflict. The major findings of the research indicate that Assemblies of God, Ghana does not have a functional conflict resolution and management mechanism. It was also confirmed that the major causes of conflicts in the church include poor communication skills, poor administrative structures, the absence of well written and generally accepted church constitution and the reliance on obsolete and unbiblical church traditions and doctrines. By way of its implications for church and state, we are sitting on a time bomb because many churches, especially the Pentecostal-charismatic churches, Para-church and religious organizations in general (who control a greater percentage of the population in Ghana), have similar situations as it pertains in Assemblies of God, Ghana, given some recent events in some of them.