On October 18th, 23 pastors from the Ozarks District of the United Methodist Church gathered to talk about their congregation’s feelings, concerns, and reactions to the United Methodist Church’s General Conference’s pending decision relating to how churches include LBGTQ individuals (referred to as The Way Forward plan). This time of sharing was coordinated by The Center for Dispute Resolution (CDR), at the request of the United Methodist Church’s Ozarks District Superintendent and District Learning Team. Missouri State students trained by the CDR and volunteering as facilitators and note takers helped make this project a success.

Student Training

Missouri State University students were trained by the CDR as facilitators for this project. This training included an overview of the dialogue process and skill development focused on helping dialogue participants remain focused while going in-depth in discussions of challenging issues. Students also learned how to use ground rules to guide the conversation and how to manage common challenges that can arise in small group facilitation. Additionally, the CDR trained students to serve as note-takers; these note-takers were responsible for keeping track of the major points discussed and serving as spokespeople for each small group during a final report out at the end of the evening.

Dialogue Structure

To prepare for the dialogue, discussion questions were drafted by CDR, with assistance from the District Learning Team, to focus the conversation and prevent it from turning into a debate about the proposed Way Forward plans. Rather, the goal was to prompt conversation where pastors could share with and listen to one another about their concerns and the needs of their congregations as they wait for the General Conference.

The evening of the dialogue, small groups of participants representing a diverse range of viewpoints shared with one another and respectfully and thoughtfully listened to the viewpoints of their peers. A report-out at the end of the evening allowed the major points of discussion from each small group to the shared with all in attendance.

Dialogue Outcomes

This facilitated dialogue provided a safe space for pastors to share and listen, and a final report produced by the CDR based upon the notes taken in each small dialogue group offered valuable information to the District Learning Team about how they could best meet the needs of pastors and congregations as all await the General Conference.

In a post-facilitation evaluation, 100% of pastors indicated they were glad they attended and that they were likely or very likely to attend a similar facilitated dialogue evening after the General Conference.  Comments on evaluations confirmed that the pastors in attendance felt the structure of the evening, and the facilitation provided by CDR staff and students, provided an opportunity for pastors to “discuss the common conflict we as pastors are facing without the discussion getting heated.” One participant noted that “I connected with people I didn’t know well and [heard] perspectives I hadn’t considered before. I also got to share about a tough topic that is worrying me that I don’t have many other opportunities to share about.”  Others shared that “it was a wonderful time of sharing, learning, and getting differing perspectives in a respectful gathering” and that it felt “good to state feelings and fears in a safe environment.”

The facilitation project not only met the needs attendees, but it also helped the Missouri State students assisting with the session develop skills that are applicable not just to this volunteer project, but in a wide variety of professional settings as well. Public relations major Kyle Richardson, who volunteered with the project, shared that, “Serving as one of the facilitators was simply incredible. I delved into a skill set that I never knew that I had, and I learned how to communicate across a huge cultural, generational, and religious gap. I think the skills that I’m developing will certainly help me in my professional life, as I plan on moving forward into a corporate setting.”

Future Facilitation Projects

The CDR is available to work with a variety of groups to develop and facilitate similar discussions in the future. The CDR is pleased to help fulfill the University’s public affairs mission by supporting these types of programs and offering invaluable experiential learning opportunities for the students who are trained to volunteer with these projects.

For more information, please visit the CDR website or contact the CDR at 417-836-8831 or CDR@MissouriState.edu.