Healing After Conflict: Reconciliation, Truth-Telling, and Hope in the Church with Rev. Dr. Leanna Fuller

What happens after a church conflict ends, but the pain remains? In this episode, Sean and Frances welcome Rev. Dr. Leanna Fuller, Joan Marshall Associate Professor of Pastoral Care at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and author of a new book on congregational healing and reconciliation. Together they explore why unresolved conflict continues to shape congregations long after the original events have passed, and why healing requires more than simply moving on. Leanna shares practical wisdom for churches seeking to tell the truth about what happened, name grief and loss, confess harm, rebuild trust, and discern a faithful future together. The conversation examines the realities of polarization, the importance of surfacing differences rather than avoiding them, and the role of pastoral care as a shared ministry of the whole community—not just clergy. They also discuss leadership formation, self-differentiation, healthy boundaries, and why reconciliation is not about returning to the past but creating something new. Whether you are a pastor, church leader, or someone navigating broken relationships, this conversation offers hope-filled practices for healing, belonging, and faithful discernment.