It’s pretty easy to talk about church conflict from a safe vantage point.  Most church people know some war stories. And, the basic principles of handling conflict are simple. They have to do with things like respect, humility, speaking one’s mind, and listening to others speak their mind.
The topic is deceptively simple, and talk is cheap.  The reader might well ask, ”Who is Dennis Hester to be adding to the list of books on church conflict between pastor and congregation?” 
    Hester asked the same question of himself.  In the acknowledgments section he describes how he sought wisdom by consulting his trusted friend and mentor, Paul Sorrells.  The reader would do well to take time to read this brief acknowledgment section.  It gives the sense that the author is not just passing along a list of platitudes he picked up somewhere along the way.
    Each chapter title is in the form of the question.  Examples:  At what level or stage of conflict is your congregation?   Are you trying to solve a problem or get rid of a person?  Are you talking to each other in a way that can be understood?
    Each chapter includes a mix of material. There is basic research about such things as different styles of leadership, different stages of conflict, the needs of different size churches, etc.  Each chapter also contains at least one anecdote of a church situation.  Where these are based on actual events the names are changed—but the situations are so universal that any church veteran will find them all familiar.
    A major concern of the book is finding alternatives to forced termination of ministerial staff.
    Wisdom, courage, and love are the underlying themes of this book, as they are in Paul’s second letter to Timothy.  (2 Tim 1:7)  The book is effective and convincing because the reader can sense that the author has submitted to the process of struggling with these themes and internalizing the related truths.  The concepts are not rocket science, but they are oh so hard to remember and apply when you’re on the hot seat.  The book is well researched and seasoned with experience and wisdom that comes from the trenches.
    This book is an easy read, but it has some profound insight in its pages.  Hester worked hard to condense his extensive research into a form that would not bog down readers experiencing the stress and pain of conflict.
    It would be worth your time to read Hester’s book for yourself, whether or not you are currently experiencing church conflict.