It was way more than "cool"! I'll forego telling how we became friends other than to say we first met as "leaders" (however each of us came to be there) of opposing forces in the church. Fortunately I'd been immersed for years in the consensus-building process, and here... it worked: the situation was resolved and our parish not only did not lose any parishioners, most who'd already left came back.
I’m pleased for your congregation, and your larger (pardon my uncertainty) ecclesial body. The more consensus-building we have, where the essentials are agreed upon, the better!