Program aims to keep peace at churches BY T. KEVIN WALKER THt C HRONICLE When it comes to strife, no place is sacred. No one knows that better than Richard Blackburn. For years, he has been training pastor* and other church folks in the an of resolving jspnflicts that arise in the church. Blackburn founded the Chica go-based Lombard Mennonite Peace Center in the early 1980s. Back then, the center's conflict resolution seminar, and resources focused largely on healing the wounds caused by the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. But when the Cold War ended, Blackburn found that conflict resolution training was in great demand at churches, where rifts, disagreements and outright disdain among congregants is not uncommon. "There is conflict in the church just like there is conflict in every other arena where we inter act with other human beings." he said. , Each year, Blackburn leads week-long mediation training seminars geared for church lead ers. Much of the training is rooted in the centuries-old teachings of the Mennonite Church, a denomi nation known for its affinity for peace, love and understanding. Blackburn brought his seminar to Winston-Salem last week. About 60 people paid about $600 each for five intense days of the inno vative training. In a large meeting room at Home Moravian Church, participants listened to lectures, held discussions and took pan in role-playing activities. all designed to help them quash con flicts. both small and large. Blackburn took every oppor tunity to toll participants that church conflict is not necessarily bad. Constructive conflict, he said, can actually help a church grow stronger through interaction and i Photiw. by Kevin Walker Above: Richard Blackburn addresses trainees last week during a seminar held at Home Moravian Church. Right: Bishop Simeon Nxishu ra and Rev. Titus K. Oyeye mi attended the seminar. collective discovery. "(Constructive conflict) is an opportunity to learn something new about God and what God has in store for us." he said. But, Blackburn said, constructive con flict can turn to destructive con flict, the kind so divisive that it can tear away at the church's very core. The seminars are aimed at training church leaders to defuse situations before they get to that level. The Lombard Mennonite Peace Center has developed such a reputation that those who took part in last week's training came from near and far to learn the skills. Bishop Simeon Nzishura trav eled from his church in Burundi to attend the training. He is no novice to conflict resolution train ing He had already attended one of Blackburn's sessions and found what he learned so helpful that he came back for more. "1 think church leaders should really be involved in healing, not only within the church but also in the country," he said. The issues that Nzishura's congregation had to work through were far from petty. Burundi is in Central Africa, a region where two tribes, the Tut sis and Hums, have been fighting and killing each other for years. Nzishura, who also heads the Union of Christian Churches in his country, said the strife between the two tribes is so bad that some churches are divided along tribal lines. He credits what he has learned through the Lombard Menn'onite Peace Center with helping to make some headway. "We have showed people how to unite by forgiving one another," he said. The Rev. Titus K. Oyeyemi was also a repeat attendee at the training. Oyeyemi, who is also African, is hoping to incorporate the training in his ambitious African Projects for Peace and Love Initiatives, which aims to bring conflict resolution and even tually kinship to everyone on the continent. "Our goal is to develop inter tribal good will and .interfaitlj good will for ethnic and religious harmony in Africa," he said. Oyeyemi is confident that the same skills that would be used in a church to resolve a conflict can be used on a larger scale. The Rev. Judy Davis, a pastor of a church in Boonville, said mediation training is especially helpful to new pastors, such as herself. Davis has been a pastor for less than two years, and she has already encountered issues that had to be ironed out. She said she took courses dealing with con flict in divinity school, but they were not as intense as the training she got last week. "I think it is a great opportuni ty for new pastors to come to get the tools that they'll need to han dle (conflicts) effectively from the forefront," she said. Churches are not the only onr. who have called on Blackburn to settle disputes. He also works with other groups. Recently he has been working with a school dis trict that recently went through a strike. But Blackburn believes that his work with churches is key. He says churches should set the stan dard and lead by example. "I think the church is called to be a light." he said. "And it starts with how we relate to each other. Then we can witness to others in the world." For more information about the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center, log on to ww.Lmpeace center.org. Face to Face Photo by Kevin Walker Phillip Boyd Jr. got a chance to have some face time Saturday with U.S. Senator Elect Richard Burr. The two met up at the grand ribbon cutting for the Children's Museum of Winston Salem. Before chat ting with Burr ; Boyd had his picture taken with the future sena tor and Mayor Allen Joines. A&T receives science grant SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE N.C. Agricultural and Technicaf State University has been awarded a three-year National Science Foundation grant of $187,457 for the project titled "Implications of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Dis ciplines Research for Instruc tional Innovation and Assess ment in Economic Educa tion." Led by Dr. Scott Simkins, interim director of the N.C. A&T Academy for Teaching and Learning, and Mark Maier. associate professor of economics at Glendale Com munity College (Glendale, Calif.), the project explores a set of NSF-supported STEM did every now and then." HOPING TO BUY YOUR FIRST HOME? LOOK TO SOUTHERN COMMUNITY TO HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN. You can count on the mortgage team at Southern Community Bank and Trust to give you the information, advice and assistance you need to make owning a home a reality. All delivered in a comfortable setting with a 'plain talk' approach. Our first-time homebuyer specialist, Lynn Golden, is an expert in the field. In fact, Lynn has more than 30 years experience helping people reach their dreams of home ownership. She can help you too. Give Lynn a call at 774-2356 or email her at Lynn.Golden@smallenoughtocare.com today to see how. ^Southern Community BANK AND TRUST www.smallenouKhtocarR.com Serving the Piedmont Triad and Surrounding Communities ; Member FD1C. Equal Housing Lender Ci) j