“A Spiritual Stronghold That Can Immobilize the Strongest of Leaders” – Bishop Trevor Walters leads Powerful Seminar on Conflict Resolution
Bishop Trevor Walters led an outstanding one-day seminar on conflict resolution for ADNE Clergy, Wardens, and Vestries on Saturday, May 5th. Bishop Trevor is the Chair of the ACNA Mediation Committee and in 2009 he was the Circuit Civil Mediator with the Supreme Court of Florida.
Bishop Trevor is passionate about bringing peace to the Church through conflict mediation. He commented, “Conflict is a spiritual stronghold that can immobilize the strongest of spiritual leaders. Not surprisingly, many of us have a poor experience of conflict and in the heat and pain of crisis this can generate a lot of ungodly beliefs. In this way, we come to understand conflict as destructive, that it engenders hatred, that it can all to easily escalate to anger and the irretrievable destruction of relationships. These ungodly beliefs lead to low expectations around successful conflict resolution. In turn, our low expectations cause our behavior around conflict to be defensive, evasive, and often avoidant. As followers of Jesus, however, conflict can be one of the greatest opportunities we have to make a profound difference. My hope is to help erase those ungodly beliefs, to raise Godly expectation around successful outcomes and so reduce anxiety and change our behavior.”
Josh Vanada, ADNE’s head of Leadership Development, remarked, “I found Bishop Trevor’s seminar on mediation to be very practical and life-giving. His gentleness, quick wit, and experience made a difficult topic very accessible. I left with a process and specific strategies that I am prepared to use not only in the Church, but also in the marketplace. I’m very grateful to ADNE for continuing to invest in ordained and marketplace leaders throughout the Diocese so that we can become the Church that mirrors the tender, loving mercy of the Father in the power of the Spirit.”
Bishop Trevor covered a broad range of topics including early response strategies, conflict investigation, and multiple practical strategies for conflict resolution. Bishop Andrew commented, “Bishop Trevor has become a great friend and partner in the Gospel. His ongoing support of the mission and health of the ADNE is a gift. Conflict can be deeply unsettling. It often brings with it a lot of fear and anxiety. Bishop Trevor’s experience and wisdom placed before us godly tools that can help us navigate the stormy waters of conflict resolution in the knowledge that, with God’s help, we can all make it safely to the other side; often with a lot more wisdom and an increase in God’s love for all involved. In Jesus, this really is possible!”
Bishop Trevor’s book, “The Power of Christian Mediation – Realizing Spirit-led Outcomes” is available through Anglican House Publishers (here) and is a highly recommended resource on this subject. Bishop Andrew added, “Behind my desk is a vast library of books. On my desk is my Bible, the Prayer Book, and a copy of Bishop Trevor’s “The Power of Christian Mediation.” Can I give you a higher recommendation!”