Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You decide to call up the choir members and the director and speak
to them about the problem.
This is the real-life decision of Terry Dempsey. The problem is best dealt
with when it is small, instead of waiting until it blows up.
"Usually, one side or the other will let me know what is going on," he
says. "Very rarely will these things simmer."
But if someone from the outside calls before the people involved
say anything, it's the minister's responsibility to find out what's
going on. A minister is expected to act as a mediator in church disputes,
even in minor ones.
"You have to be careful in these situations and try not to be the one who
throws the oil on the fire," says Dempsey.
Once the choir and the director met with the minister they started listening
to each other, rather than just making demands. "We eventually found some
common ground and found music that suited everyone," Dempsey says.