The election season so often brings out the worst in people.  The extreme ends of the spectrum gain control.  Either you're a money grubbing facist capitalist oppressor or a commie athiest pinko liberal muslim apologist!  There is no middle ground. 

We see it in churches: liberal vs. conservative; formal vs. informal; visionary vs. practical, leadership vs. management... You can make your own list.

Roy Oswald of the Alban Institute and others have noted that these kinds of issues are not problems to be solved but polarities to be managed.  Take the tension between Tradition and Innovation.  There are upsides and downsides to both.

Tradition's upside is that it provides stability, a sense of history, an anchor to the past.  We Presbyterians joke about doing things decently and in order.  Our clearly defined policies help us avoid having to invent anew for every issue.

However, Tradition has a downside.  A church that focuses too heavily on tradition can become totally out of touch with all the changes in the culture.  Music that resonated with folks in the '60's seems passé now. 

Enter Innovation and its upside: creativity, responsiveness to new challenges, openness to change, energies unleashed from those who have been bored.

But Innovation has its downside: disruption of the familiar ("don't use any of those new translations of the Lord's Prayer!"), uncertainty about leadership ("who are these new people in charge?").  All this leads to anxiety and anger.

Leaders, especially the pastor, have to manage all this.  One pastor I know decided to switch from his black pulpit robe to an alb.  He simply noted that albs had been in use in various Christian traditions for centuries.  What was new to them was actually very old.  One church that introduced a "contemporary" service was careful to keep the same liturgical structure so that the flow of worship was clearly the same though the forms were different.

I find it helpful to simply reframe the debate, identifying what seems to be an issue to be won for one side or another as simply a polarity to be managed - a both/and.  Jesus gave us both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.  It's both evangelism and social action - caring for the whole person.  It's seeking freedom and justice from all that would oppress - whether political or spiritual powers.

Leaders need to change the emphasis from one side of the polarity to the other when things start getting imbalanced. 

While there are clearly theological and social issues that disrupt churches and organizations, I encourage you to reflect on issues you face and explore whether you are dealing with a polarity to be managed rather than a real issue to be resolved.

Here's a link to an Alban Institute article on Polarity Management by Roy Oswald:

http://www.alban.org/conversation.aspx?id=8797

He and a colleague, Barry Johnson, have an Alban book on Polarity Management.

I'd love to coach you if you're wrestling with some polarity or a divisive issue.  Please email or give me a call.  I'd be glad to talk with you about the process and set up a demonstration coaching session.