Steadfast Leadership: Pursuing Unity in the Midst of Fracture
by Alan Cleveland, Executive Director of Church Strengthening
"Where is Abraham Lincoln on the ballot?" the man shouted from the middle of the gymnasium.
As an election official, I had the responsibility to keep the process moving and address disruptions. The man was intoxicated. After I explained that Lincoln was long dead, I helped escort him out. He stumbled down the street, cursing and ranting into the air, staging a one-sided debate with ghosts no one else could see.
It was bizarre—but also revealing. That man wasn't really listening or engaging—he was simply projecting his frustrations into empty air. I've since thought about that moment as a picture of how fractured our public discourse has become. Too often, we're all shouting past each other into echo chambers, reacting more to headlines than to truth.
And that fragmentation doesn't stop at the church door. We may gather weekly for worship, but our people walk in carrying divided hearts, distracted minds, and deep tribal loyalties. So how do we lead the church toward Gospel-rooted unity in a culture of fracture?
Let's be clear: unity isn't uniformity. We're not seeking identical opinions, but rather hearts aligned around Christ and His mission.
1. Remember Who We Are
Peter writes: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession..." (1 Peter 2:9-10).
Our identity is not first political, ethnic, regional, or generational—it's Kingdom. When we lose sight of that, we act like exiles without a homeland, turning on one another for survival.
Unity begins by grounding ourselves and our people in who we are in Christ. This isn't soft theology—it's soul-stabilizing truth that transforms how we relate to one another.
2. Tear Down the Dividing Walls
In Christ, the dividing wall between us and God has been completely removed. Yet in His Church, we so easily build new ones based on preference, politics, or personality.
Consider this: when members can predict each other's positions on non-Gospel issues based purely on demographics, we've allowed cultural discipleship—being shaped more by our surrounding culture than by Scripture—to divide what Christ died to unite.
What walls still stand in your congregation? And what would it look like to address them with grace and truth?
3. Fight for Gospel-Rooted Unity
Unity isn't easy—or optional. Jesus prayed in John 17:21, "That they may all be one... so that the world may believe that you have sent me." Our unity is directly tied to our witness.
Paul echoes this urgency: "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders... Let your speech always be gracious..." (Colossians 4:5-6). Wisdom. Grace. Patience. These aren't just personality traits—they're spiritual disciplines for leaders committed to reflecting Christ in a fractured age.
"We don't need to make the gospel relevant. It already is. We need to show how."
—Tim Keller
Practical unity looks like this: a congregation where a retired teacher and a young entrepreneur can disagree about economic policy but serve side-by-side in children's ministry because their shared love for Christ transcends their differences.
Moving Forward
God has placed you in leadership for such a time as this—not to panic, but to shepherd with conviction, clarity, and compassion. The world is watching to see if the Gospel actually works when it gets difficult.
Three Action Steps This Week:
Pray specifically for unity in your next leadership meeting
Identify one "wall" that needs addressing in your congregation
Model grace in one conversation where you typically feel defensive
Reflection Questions:
Are we discipling people more toward Christ or toward cultural alignment?
How might our church reflect the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17?
Where have we confused uniformity with unity?
We are better together.
Shalom,
Alan Cleveland
Executive Director of Church Strengthening
Converge Great Lakes