by Carlus Gupton
Leadership conflict does not usually explode overnight. It simmers. It appears in tense meetings, guarded conversations, stalled decisions, and quiet frustration between elders and ministers. Most teams care deeply about the church’s mission yet find themselves navigating unclear authority and unspoken expectations. The question is not whether conflict will surface, but whether it will strengthen trust or slowly erode it.
In many churches within the Stone-Campbell heritage, leadership conflict reflects inherited assumptions about authority and the proper place of ministers alongside elders. In the late nineteenth century, J. W. McGarvey, seeking to guard congregations from clerical dominance, emphasized elder oversight in strong terms, even describing elders as exercising “supreme control.” Isaac Errett, in another stream of the Movement, envisioned a more shared model in which the minister functioned as “first among equals” within the eldership. Churches of Christ largely inherited the McGarvey trajectory. Even expressed today in softer language, that tradition can leave congregations with ambiguity about how authority is shared and what genuine partnership requires.
Healthy teams learn to surface and reframe these deeper issues.
First, thriving leadership teams redefine authority in cruciform terms. In the New Testament, power is reshaped by the cross. Authority is not grasped or protected but stewarded for the good of others. When elders and ministers practice restraint by deferring, listening, and refusing to leverage position, conflict shifts from competition to discernment. The goal becomes not “Who wins?” but “What best serves Christ and his church?”
Second, clarity reduces friction. Many tensions arise not from disagreement over mission but from confusion about roles. Scripture presents elders as shepherd-overseers entrusted with spiritual care, while also depicting evangelists and teachers as essential partners in equipping the church. These roles are distinct yet interdependent. When teams articulate shared expectations about decision-making, dissent, and accountability, conflict becomes constructive rather than reactive.
Third, strong teams invest relationally before crisis hits. Trust cannot be improvised in moments of tension. Leadership teams that pray together, reflect theologically together, and speak candidly build goodwill that sustains them through disagreement. Conflict handled within relational capital deepens respect rather than eroding it.
Fourth, teams cultivate emotional maturity and steadiness. Many conflicts are not theological but temperamental. Differences in personality, pace, and communication style generate tension. Some leaders think out loud; others reflect before speaking. Some move quickly; others proceed cautiously. Without maturity, these differences are misread as resistance or indifference. Emotionally grounded leaders manage their own anxiety rather than project it onto others. They remain connected without becoming reactive and can disagree without withdrawing or escalating. Such steadiness keeps disagreement from hardening into distrust.
Finally, conflict remains tethered to mission. Leadership teams exist not to preserve comfort but to equip the saints and advance the gospel. When mission remains central, ego recedes. Leaders can yield and collaborate because the church’s flourishing, not personal validation, is the shared aim.
Thriving leadership is not conflict-free leadership. It is leadership formed by humility, clarified by conviction, and sustained by trust.
About the Author
Carlus grew up playing trombone, singing, and acting. This presumed call to entertainment arts was profoundly redirected by his conversion at age 17 and a small congregation that welcomed him as their teen preacher. This led to training at Lipscomb University (B.A.), Harding School of Theology (M.Div.), and Abilene Christian University (D.Min.).
Dr. Gupton’s first love is preaching and teaching the Word, which he has done for 50 years since he was 17 years old. He has served churches ranging in size from 15 – 800. In 2001, he expanded his ministry into teaching leadership, conflict, and spiritual formation. He taught at Johnson University (2001-2013) and the University of Tennessee School of Communication Studies (2001-2011). From 2014-2021, he was Professor of Ministry, Director of Field Education, and Co-Director of the Doctor of Ministry at Harding School of Theology. He is currently Director of the Doctor of Ministry and Professor of Ministry at Hazelip School of Theology, Lipscomb University.
Dr. Gupton has consulted with churches for 30 years. He has expertise in numerous forms of congregational development, is an ICF credentialed coach, and is certified in an extensive suite of psychometric instruments for leadership and team effectiveness. He published two websites, LifeandLeadership.com and DISCPersonalitySource.com.
Carlus and Ann have been married for 43 years and have two grown daughters, Erin and Katlyn (David) Nowers, and two grandsons. He reads voraciously, loves listening to music, enjoys TED Talks and Ken Burns documentaries, and runs slowly to the tunes of 70s classic rock.
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