Preserving unity in the church is an action. Do not pick apart the things that hold us together and expect to remain together. Do not undermine the structure and expect things to stand as they are. Saying it positively, we are held together by love, patience, perseverance, kindness, gentleness; we are also strong together when there is accountability, responsibility, and genuine caring for each other. The Person around Whom community is built is Jesus Himself. We are held together by the way He has taught us to be in relationship to Him, the world and each other. When His Spirit is the unifying force of the community there will be both cohesion and peace.
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3 (ESV)
