Decent and in Order: Conflict, Christianity, and Polity in a Presbyterian CongregationThis is a systematic study of how a congregational conflict involving allegations of sexual harassment and power abuse against a minister was seriously mishandled by church authorities. The conflict escalated to entangle regional and national authorities and worked its way into the civil courts. Stockton focuses on the interaction of organizational dynamics and ill-defined Christian concepts (such as reconciliation and discipline), showing that in conflict situations the ideals of pastoral care are squeezed by an organizational mentality. Key themes involve the role of women in the church, the complex question of sexual harassment, and the interface between church law and civil law. The narrative, which is based on interviews and official documents, captures the human dimensions of the story while simultaneously giving unique insight into congregational disputes and organizational behavior. |
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Contents
| 3 | |
BETHEL EARLY PROBLEMS | 17 |
The Congregational Setting | 19 |
Arrival at Bethel | 29 |
Escalation | 43 |
INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS | 69 |
The Calvinist Concept of Discipline | 71 |
The Special Case of Women in the Church | 79 |
Picking Up the Pieces | 155 |
INSTITUTIONAL PROCESS | 169 |
Presbyterian Polity and Function | 171 |
The Question of Due Process | 183 |
SOME REFLECTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS | 201 |
Lessons from This Case | 203 |
Epilogue | 217 |
Key Named Personalities | 221 |
BETHEL AND THE PRESBYTERIAN LEGAL PROCESS | 95 |
Into the Breach | 97 |
Back in the Pulpit | 113 |
The Final Wave | 139 |
Glossary | 223 |
Bibliography | 225 |
Index | 235 |
Common terms and phrases
abuse accused action administrative commission allegations asked Assembly authority became behavior believed Beth-el body Book of Order called chair charges choir Christian church civil clergy clerk committee concerns conduct congregation court critics deal decision denomination discipline discuss effort elders executive fact feel felt filed Friends happened harassment Hayes individuals institutional interests involved issues judicial later leaders leadership leave letter Mapp's matter meeting minister ministry months names never noted obligation occur offense offer officials organization parties pastoral percent person position presbytery problem procedural programs protect question raised received reconciliation responsibility Reverend Mapp role rules says seemed sense session sexual sexual misconduct situation someone staff suggested talk tion told violation wanted women wrote
Popular passages
Page 51 - So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your bro'ther, and then come and offer your gift.
Page 84 - ... submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment, (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual, or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.
Page 74 - And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Page 189 - A lawyer, who has previously occupied a judicial position or acted in a judicial capacity, should refrain from accepting employment in any matter involving the same facts as were involved in any specific question which he acted upon in a judicial capacity and, for the same reasons, should also refrain from accepting any employment which might reasonably appear to involve the same facts.
Page 83 - It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer (1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin...
Page 26 - Church government and discipline are: that the several different congregations of believers, taken collectively, constitute one church of Christ, called emphatically, The Church; — that a larger part of the church or a representation of it, should govern a smaller, or determine matters of controversy which arise therein...
Page 51 - If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Page 51 - If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.
Page 26 - ... of controversy which arise therein ; — that, in like manner, a representation of the whole should govern and determine in regard to every part, and to all the parts united ; that is, that a majority shall govern: and consequently that appeals may be carried from lower to higher judicatories, till they be finally decided by the collected wisdom and united voice of the whole church.
Bibliographic information
| Title | Decent and in Order: Conflict, Christianity, and Polity in a Presbyterian Congregation Religion in the age of transformation, ISSN 1087-2388 |
| Author | Ronald R. Stockton |
| Publisher | Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000 |
| ISBN | 0275966682, 9780275966683 |
| Length | 238 pages |
| Subjects | › Religion / Comparative Religion Religion / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |