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WHY HUMAN RELATIONS TRAINING IS NEEDED 

1. The work of pastors and lay leaders of all congregations involves complex interpersonal competence. The ability to communicate clearly or to differ without defensiveness or aggressiveness are simple necessities for constructive work in a congregation. A few extraordinary leaders are adept at those abilities. But for the vast majority of us who need to learn those skills, they are only learned in experiential situations with real people. The ability to teach those skills was invented in the 40's by a group of educational innovators at Bethel, Maine, in what was called a "Laboratory Educational Event." Leaders who do not have those skills intuitively are at a very great disadvantage in leading groups of any kind. 

2. The nature of religious commitment is such that the deeper and more strongly felt one's faith is, the more difficult it becomes to communicate it with others, particularly when others have differences from you. The commendable pressure in many denominations to clarify and deepen their faith, when unaccompanied by a similar deepening of our skill at communicating with one another, is a perfect formula for exacerbating differences and causing polarizations. 

3. The traditions of religious education and theological training have emphasized the rational, the logical. Indeed, theology itself is a powerfully rational exercise. Omitted from the equation, however, has been the emotive, empathetic, the "binding together" dimensions of learning. In modern terms, religious leaders are trained in "left brain" skills, with less attention to "right brain" learning. Human relations training, added to the traditional means, has the potential for bringing about a healthier balance. 

4. Competence in understanding and leading group life is essential in congregations. Equally important is the skill of designing educational formats that take into account personal dimensions other than the rational. Such learning is often more conducive to energizing change. 

Loren Mead