Pastors must embrace ADR training — Institute’s director
The Director and President of the Global Institute of ADR Centre (GIAC), John Quansah, has called on pastors and church leaders to take up Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to become professionally equipped mediators capable of transforming conflicts into opportunities.
That, he said, was to ensure peace, unity, and growth within the body of Christ.
Mr Quansah made the call at the Assemblies of God, Awutu North Pastors Meeting at Jei Krodua in the Awutu Senya West District in the Central Region.
The event, attended by 25 pastors and leaders, was on the theme: “Why Reverend Ministers Need ADR Training”.
Participants
Mr Quansah urged the participants to become ambassadors of peace and reconciliation within their congregations and communities, noting that no church, family, or organisation is free from conflict. He said disagreements often arise over leadership decisions, finances, marriages, and ministry directions.
However, he said, when conflicts were managed through ADR, relationships were preserved, emotions were calmed, and peace was restored.
He emphasised that ADR was a biblically aligned and professional tool for maintaining peace and promoting forgiveness and understanding — all of which were crucial to the growth and stability of any ministry.
Mr Quansah said Church members often turned to their pastors to resolve family and interpersonal disputes and explained that ADR training helped ministers handle such cases with fairness, confidentiality, and compassion.
He added that ministers were already called to be peacemakers; “ADR simply strengthens their ability to act as skilled mediators who can bring genuine reconciliation to broken relationships within their congregations.”
The GIAC Director said if the church wanted to grow, there must be peace and harmony among members.
He noted that conflict, when left unresolved, can hinder the move of the Holy Spirit and disrupt the unity needed for God’s presence to manifest during services and gatherings.
He, therefore, encouraged pastors to use ADR tools to detect, manage, and resolve issues early, ensuring that the church remained a place of healing, love, and restoration.
A facilitator at GIAC, Augustine Adu, also shared insights on the enforceability of ADR settlements.
He explained that once disputing parties agree and sign a settlement through ADR—whether in private mediation or under the Court-Connected ADR system—the agreement becomes final and binding, as provided under Ghana’s ADR Act.
He emphasised that this legal backing gives ADR its strength, making it an effective and credible system for resolving disputes outside the courts.
Mr Adu added that ADR had come to stay and, therefore, Reverend Ministers must embrace it, be trained, and acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to serve as mediators, counsellors, and peacemakers in both the church and the larger society.
