A three-day mediation training for the leaders of the Protestant Methodist Church in Benin has ended in Cotonou.
Facilitated by the Gamey & Gamey Group from Ghana, the training is to equip the leaders with the necessary skills for the resolution of disputes in the church.
The training, which came ahead of a mediation session to resolve protracted disputes in the church, was to enable the leaders to appreciate the importance of using Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms in seeking amicable settlement of disputes.
Nineteen Bishops and National Lay leaders participated in the training which exposed them to ways to engaging in conversations to either prevent or resolve disputes, using Appreciative Inquiry methods.
Led by Mr. Austin Gamey, CEO of Gamey and Gamey Group, the training and the mediation of the disputes, are expected to create a paradigm shift towards unity in Benin’s largest church, after almost 20 years of misunderstandings and factionalism.
Eminent Rev. Dr. Kponjesu Amod Hounsa, President of Protestant Methodist Church of Benin, in his remarks at the end of the training session, urged all the leaders in the church to overcome their differences and support the unification process.
He expressed the commitment of the executive of the church in involving all members in the quest for peace and growth of the church.
In their brief remarks, the other Bishops supported the call for unity, and promised to contribute to the rebuilding of the church.
Mr. Gamey, for his part, commended the leadership of the church in seeking an amicable resolution of their differences, and urged the leaders to be agents of change.
By Edmund Mingle/ www.adrdaily.com
