Home Opinion The top reasons for church conflict (why fights start over trivial matters)Some churches have disagreements over matters of consequence — doctrine, governance, or leadership. We’ve encountered some strange reasons for church conflict. Conflict over trivial matters, especially in churches, usually isn’t really about the trivial matter at all. People channel all their pent-up irritation into one minor conflict because it feels more manageable than addressing the deeper, messier problem. Members may have personal frustrations (marriage, work stress, health issues) that they subconsciously displace onto church matters.