Preaching Our Principles—Not Our Politics
In today’s polarized climate, church leaders can navigate political tensions by preaching principles, not politics. David R. Brubaker says leaders should share personal convictions with…
Author
David R. Brubaker
David Brubaker is Professor Emeritus of Organizational Studies at Eastern Mennonite University. He has trained or consulted with over 100 organizations around the world. He is the author of Promise and Peril: Understanding and Managing Change and Conflict in Congregations and When the Center Does Not Hold .
Confronting 3 Crises: Pandemic, Racial Reckoning, and Political Violence
David Brubaker says congregational leaders are in the precarious position of responding to three simultaneous crises — the pandemic, racial reckoning, and political violence. This…
5 Suggestions for Managing Conflict in Polarized Contexts
Effective leadership is the critical variable that holds an institution together when conflict threatens to tear it apart. David R. Brubaker says a high level…
Leading in an Age of Political Polarization
David Brubaker says leaders need different skills in this age when deep political divisions affect our families, congregations, and communities. It requires clarity, compassion, courage,…
3 Keys to Congregational Success: Meaning, Belonging, and Values
Dave Brubaker says making meaning of life, providing a network of relationships, and transmitting essential values are three essential ways congregations respond to core human…
Beyond Hospitality to Inclusion
David Brubaker says that most congregations are quick to welcome newcomers but slow to extend a much deeper form of acceptance — genuine inclusion in…
Congregations as Political Systems
David Brubaker says that while every congregation is a political system, political activity doesn’t need to be manipulative, polarizing or demeaning. He outlines four requirements…
The Promise and Peril of Conflict
A compelling example of leaders turning conflict into opportunity for structural and cultural change is found in the first seven verses of Acts 6. The…