An Analysis of Mediators' Conflict Resolution Strategies of Selected Africa Inland Churches in Kangundo, Kenya

Abstract

The African Inland Church has undergone leadership wrangles at the national offices. These conflicts have however percolated to the local level which has resulted into schism which have caused some churches to separate completely and some factions went to courts to seek regress despite the mediation process that have taken place. The aim of this study is to analyse the mediators' resolution strategies of selected African Inland Churches in Kangundo. The objectives of the study are to analyze which conflict resolution strategies the mediators used in handling the conflicts and if they were balanced and to map out a pragmatic way of addressing and handling related conflicts in the future. The study adopted a qualitative research design. The target population was 11 KRCC churches where members of the congregation of all categories of men, women, pastors, adult youth and leaders were purposively selected. The researcher sampled 100 respondents from the 11 churches, approximately 25% of the total churches selected. The data was collected using questionnaires, focus group and narrative interviews which were administered by the researcher. The researcher used NVIVO 11 to analyse the data. The data was thematically analysed where responses were organized according to themes with the aid of the analytical tool. The predominant strategies mostly employed by DCC/RCC going by the numbers in QSQ2 were litigation and police force. Litigation received more responses and thus was the mode. Mediation and arbitration were the second key strategy. The DCCs involved together with the RCC did these efforts to their LCCs according to the responses. But the nature of these mediations was highly critiqued by the LCC elders, pastors and congregants. The other strategies to curb the conflicts were expulsion of the pastors, dismissal of the DCC chair and closure of churches. Litigation and court orders issued to churches were not balanced. Being authoritative and not giving the LCCs time to air their views was also imbalanced. On the side of LCC, sabotage and insubordination was an avoidance mechanism to face the real issues. The study recommends that LCC should be made to participate in grass root mediation process. There should be national dialogues and outlined mediation policy procedures in AIC church concerning conflict, schisms, mediation, and conflict transformation and the theology of mediation must be re-emphasized in theological colleges and universities.