Don’t be political about politics. Jesus said: “be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16), but He never meant for you to fight people’s personal agendas to defend, or in protection of, your own personal agenda. That’s how it is in Washington DC. We live in the greatest country in the world but the political back-scratching and political back-biting is so complex that it’s nearly impossible to know who really stands for what. In the midst of that complexity, it is nearly impossible to get anything done. Sound familiar?

You must remain on your knees and beg God to help you keep your perspective clear and your motives pure. This is not easy when you are under attack.

The place to start is to clearly name the elephant in the room. If it’s not already obvious, everyone involved must come out of the corners, back hallways, and Starbucks gripe sessions and own their issues personally. Never allow the phrase “everyone agrees with me.” Who’s everyone, and do they even go to our church?! It’s imperative that each person involved owns their own stuff. Do everything you can to break down the “angry mob” group mindset, by meeting with key people one to one and insist that they take responsibility for their opinions and behaviors, on their own.

Find the source. In 25 years of church leadership, I’ve never found a problem in a local church, especially those of political nature that didn’t have a source. The source is always a person. I’m not saying it’s a bad person, but good people can do some really dumb things. Meet one to one with this person. If it is a tight-knit group of two-three people then meet with them. Start by discovering what they really want and go from there.

If things are more subtle, meaning it’s not a good old fashioned church brouhaha, thank the Lord for the reduced heat, but beware of the dangers of passive aggressive behavior. Again, force out into the open what the key influencers really think and feel.

This is complicated. You might ask at this point, “What’s the difference between church conflict and church politics?” Sometimes nothing. However, with “pure” conflict, people can be upfront, honest, agree to disagree and seek a common solution. But politics involves agendas, positioning, maneuvering – and usually with a sense of a righteous cause (subtle or not).

You may need to bring in outside help. A church consultant with a good reputation could be of great help to you. Make sure you know this consultant well before you hire him. This person must be strong, relational, and have spiritual gifts of wisdom, leadership and exhortation.

Be prepared to lose people. Jesus did. Again, don’t get sucked into your own personal Holy War. (Yes, most politics are softer and more subtle than all out war, but skirmishes that are left untended can result in one.) Be willing to lovingly let people leave your church who ultimately believe that their mission is more important than the mission of the church. Or more commonly, that their way of accomplishing the mission is the way the rest of church should go.

The bottom line is that you must act. Churches that have a political bent don’t get better if left to their own natural course. They get worse. Politics feeds politics. Further, you must address the big blatant issues head on. You can’t do this half way and survive. If you need heart surgery, you can’t go in for half now and half later. It’s all or nothing, and either way the results are dramatic. Be prepared to engage for a long period of time. This is a process that is not solved overnight, but with prayer, wisdom, and a steady leadership vision, you effect the changes you need to make.

In Part 2 of this article, I will address Church Politics for those of you who lead in a church where things are good, but you want to be proactive in developing or maintaining a politic free church.

Be blessed and thanks for all you do!!