⎯⎯ PROGRAMS
Peace in
Practice Study
The Peace in Practice Study is a national research and listening project designed to uncover how Christian leaders are navigating conflict and division in today’s polarized culture, and identify the support and resources they need to lead with wisdom and grace in times of conflict and division.
Dissension and disagreement are natural parts of congregational and public life. But how leaders respond to them can either deepen wounds or open the door to healing.
The Peace in Practice Project is a national research and listening initiative that explores how Christian leaders are engaging conflict and division in today’s polarized cultural landscape. Grounded in the life and mission of the Church, the project seeks to understand the real challenges leaders face and to identify the practices, resources, and forms of support that enable faithful, wise, and grace-filled leadership amid disagreement.
Rather than relying on assumed answers or abstract theories, the Peace in Practice Project centers the lived experience of Christian leaders themselves. By listening closely to their stories, questions, and struggles, we aim to illuminate what truly helps leaders grow in confidence to transform conflict, deepen their capacity to foster unity and reconciliation, and strengthen their courage to live out their calling as peacebuilders in complex and divided contexts.
Here are a few more reasons why we undertook this study.
Today, only one in five pastors (20%) say they are equipped to lead on “politics and civic engagement.” In fact, 45% of pastors say this is the realm they are least equipped to lead in.
“The Tricky Mix of Politics & Pastoring,” Barna Research
Among pastors who step down, two in five (40%) say it was related to a change in their calling. This was followed by conflict in their church (18%), burnout (16%), family issues (10%), and personal finances (10%).
“Former Pastors Share Reasons Behind Their Ministry Exit,” Lifeway Research
More than two-thirds of congregations that experienced conflict (69%) recalled loss of members. In at least one quarter (25%) of the congregations, the leader (usually clergy) retired, resigned, was fired, or otherwise “left” the congregation.
“Insights Into: Congregational Conflict,” Hartford Institute of Religion Research
Future Plans
The final phase of the study is a capstone gathering of theologians, pastors, practitioners, and organizational partners at Rose Castle in Dalston, England, March 8–12, 2026, to reflect on the data and how Christian leaders and communities can more effectively cultivate practices of reconciliation, resilience, and peace—for themselves, their communities, and for the sake of Christ.
Insights and themes from this study will directly shape our future programs, partnerships, and resource development designed with and for leaders navigating conflict in their communities.
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Capstone Event
In March of 2026, and as the final phase of the Peace in Practice Project, twenty Christian leaders, theologians, practitioners, and philanthropic partners joined together for four days of prayerful reflection and dialogue. More than a traditional conference, this gathering served as an intimate design lab for the future of Christian peacebuilding; a space for discernment, mutual learning, and creative collaboration. In a place once built to keep enemies apart, participants gathered as co-laborers in the gospel of reconciliation, imagining together what it might mean for the Church to be a faithful agent of shalom in our time.
