Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Confidentiality is not secrecy

Appropriate confidentiality breeds health in a congregation. It fosters confidence in the leaders, trust within the congregation, and encourages healthy behavior and accountability that builds up people and strengthens relationships.  Secrecy fosters fear, anxiety, mistrust, gossip, and dysfunction in the congregation. It destroys accountability and gives space for untruths to develop which produces many victims.  Secrecy affects church growth. Finally secrecy hampers the congregation’s ability to come before God and allow the Spirit to move in the midst of the faith community.

Nancy Kauffmann, Denominational Minister for the Mennonite Church, USA

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