Conflict Management for Faith Leaders
February 4, 11, 18, & 25, 2025
12:00–2:00 pm
Ryan Dunlap

This transformative four-week course, tailored for faith leaders, is expressly formulated to enhance leadership capabilities in both self-management and the facilitation of conflict resolution within faith-based organizations. The course curriculum delves into the nuanced challenges unique to such organizations, encompassing topics such as the potential drawbacks associated with a grace culture, intricacies surrounding conflict arising from strong belief systems and ideologies, inadequately structured internal reporting mechanisms, and the imperative for specialized conflict management strategies. Each week of the course is dedicated to an in-depth examination of a distinct facet of conflict management. The curriculum spans the exploration of conflict management systems, the reinforcement of conflict management and resolution skills, and an analysis of the intricacies involved in cultivating effective conflict management practices. Upon completion of the course, faith leaders will have acquired the proficiency to discern between conflict management and resolution. Furthermore, they will possess the tools to foster constructive conflict resolution within their faith communities. 

Class Structure:

1. The Dynamics of Conflict Management

   • This class session will explore the primary components of a conflict management system and examine the dynamics of effective decision-making while under pressure.

2. Managing Conflict in Faith-Based Organizations

   • This class session will explore the intricacies of managing and resolving conflict within faith-based organizations.

3. Conflict Transformation

   • This class session will explore practical ways to implement conflict management systems in faith-based organizations that lead to lasting conflict transformation. 

4. Strategies for Leadership Resilience

   • This class session will explore the importance of individual and organizational emotional health on the back end of conflict while also addressing the importance of relationship management.

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Participants will…

• Gain a nuanced comprehension of conflict management systems, examining their primary components and dynamics.

• Acquire practical insights into addressing challenges unique to religious bodies.

• Learn practical strategies to implement conflict management systems.

• Discover a strategy for addressing resistance and sustaining change over the long term.

• Identify practical strategies for examining and improving organizational and individual health, both during and after the conflict management process has been deployed.

Ryan Dunlap has over 20 years of combined law enforcement, ministry, and executive leadership experience. He is an internationally recognized conflict management coach and trainer. He is a Certified Leadership Coach as well as the founder and Chief Conflict Officer at Conflictish, a conflict strategy firm dedicated to helping leaders improve how they lead themselves and others through conflict. He is the creator of The Real Tact Model®, a framework for developing conflict competence. To date, he has coached leaders around the globe and in several industries including biotech, government, nonprofit, faith-based, healthcare, pharma, education, food and beverage, and commercial construction, among others. 

Ryan is a former SVU Detective, SWAT Hostage Negotiator, and Crisis Intervention Officer who has facilitated hundreds of high-stakes interviews, interrogations, and negotiations. As a Certified DCJS Instructor and Field Training Officer, Ryan has developed and facilitated training and development programs for hundreds of law enforcement personnel. Following a decorated law enforcement career, Ryan went on to serve as the Pastor and Executive Director of Operations for Victory Church in Atlanta, Georgia, overseeing a $20M operations budget while leading operational readiness and enterprise-wide alignment of teams, processes, and systems during an organizational restructure following the succession of the founding leaders. Following his time at Victory, Ryan went on to serve as the Executive Director of a faith-based anti-human trafficking organization, Street Grace, for the state of Tennessee, driving the statewide expansion into the state and leading the overall strategy and execution of all statewide operations. Ryan simultaneously served as the Executive Pastor of Leadership and Development at City Light Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee.