Transforming Church

Obsessive is a Good Word When it Comes to Selection
If someone wants to be a board member, a good general guiding principle is that they should not become one. If someone tries to be a board member they definitely shouldn't become one. Think about it, any board you've served on — you were asked to serve. And like most of us you gave it a lot of thought and probably tried to turn it down. Being nominated, selected, or invited is a very different deal than seeking the position. Once someone has accepted a board position, a desire to remain on the board is different issue as long as that desire is about service and not power.

Set the bar high. I Timothy 3 makes it clear that an overseer's role requires high standards. Are your qualifications clear? What kind of interview process is in place? Is there a vote? How do you keep politics out? How do you select the most qualified rather than the most popular? What accountability is in place? How do you make certain that the candidate is a good leader, loves God, and is committed to your church? It's so much easier to make a good selection up front than to remove a board member who has become divisive, drives a personal agenda, or in some way is counter-productive to the mission.

Don't be rushed in your selection process. Take the time that is needed. It's better to have an empty chair than to fill it with the wrong person. No one wants to be a rubber stamp. Board members in a wide variety of churches tell me they feel like nothing more than a rubber stamp and they don't know why they bother to show up. Others feel more needed but don't know what their role is.

It's encouraging when I meet board members who know they are productive, their voice matters and they enjoy being on the team. Those men and women consistently tell me they know exactly what the expectations are. I can't tell you what the roles and responsibilities should be for your church, but I can share ours and hopefully that will be helpful to you. The best context is a comparison of board and staff member roles.

Board Members
• Affirmation of the vision (usually from Senior Pastor) through prayer and discernment of God's voice.
• Direction / affirmation of values and big picture ministry direction, again with Senior Pastor.
What does Church look like in 5-10-15 years?
What does (Your church name) look like in 5-10-15 years?
• Determine pace and values for facility and finance
• Act as discerning partners with the pastor: e.g. theological, political, social and community issues and public position on key issues.
• Ask productive questions and serve a provider of solutions.
• Decision making responsibility for major business matters of the church. (Example: A land purchase.)
• Serve as prayer warriors for the general ministries of the church and lead with a positive influence in the congregation.

Staff Members
• Responsible for morale, momentum, and culture of the church.
• Carry the day to day leadership of all church functions.
• Decision-making responsibility for daily ministry, staff and operational issues.
• Responsible for unity in thought for practical expression of theological issues in ministry.
• Design and implementation of church ministries.
• Selection and hiring (and dismissal) of all staff (except the senior pastor)
• Budget design and management (approved annually by Elders)
• Creative design and execution of all worship services
• Leadership development.

I have not included the role of finance and or trustees. This of course adds complexity to the matter. Many boards carry these roles themselves, or have one finance board that covers both. The following are the issues to consider.

Personnel Team:
• Salary (& salary structure) Approximately 50% of budget
• Approve new positions
• Benefits
• Policy and employee handbooks

Trustees
• Financial matters on approximately 50% of budget (non personnel issues)
• Building design and construction
• Capital Campaigns
• Property matters

Make Prayer a Driving Engine
Kevin Myers, senior pastor at 12Stone Church, has made prayer a trademark of our monthly business meetings. Some of our greatest board experiences include us leaving the board room to pray, for example, office by office over the staff. Another example, if we are meeting on a Wednesday night, is to go one of the student ministry meetings and take part in their gathering by praying over the students and staff. We all know that the power of God is the real deal, but human nature makes it easy to get so caught up in the business of the church that we forget the One who owns the business. He can solve in minutes what takes us hours! Make no mistake, prayer is work.

We've often begun a prayer time very late at night and I've thought "It is seriously time to go home!" But without fail, this is the best part of the meeting. Afterward we all have a deep sense that it was then that we really got something done. Don't misunderstand, I don't see an entire board meeting as some mystical event that requires no preparation beforehand or work during the meeting. The opposite is true. In fact, the more preparation the better the prayer!

Invest Deeply in Leading and Growing Your Board Members
Rarely if ever is someone born a good board member. It takes a unique person to be both positive and supportive of the vision and yet strong enough to speak up, tell the truth and ask productive questions. One of the reasons I'm not an advocate of large boards is because it's not practical to invest in that many people to the level required. Five to seven is a great board size; ten to twelve is at the outside of what is manageable.

First, the pastor is the chief shepherd of the board. No matter how large the church becomes, he is the pastor of that group. From hospital visits to weddings and funerals, he is their shepherd. The pastor prays for them, stays in close communication with them and offers counsel when appropriate. It is very important to maintain this close and personal connection.

Second, the pastor is the mentor leader of the board members. He or she teaches the board how to think like a leader. Not what to think, but how to think like a leader when it comes to church matters. The pastor puts good books in the hands of the board, takes them on strategy retreats and creates opportunities for the board to attend church and leadership conferences.

Third, the pastor is willing to go "the last 10%" with each board member. That's our phrase at 12Stone. It's really all about honesty. For example, if a board member begins to lose sight of the overall mission and gets focused on a pet agenda of their own, the pastor must step in to offer guidance. This takes artful leadership because the goal is not to shut the board member down, but to keep the focus of their effort and energy positive and productive.

Leading a board requires a substantial amount of work. Pastor, either you lead the board or they lead you. Preparing the agenda alone is a major undertaking if done well. If you have a volunteer chairman of the board that helps with the agenda, don't delegate the entire responsibility. Stay in the game, work hard on the agenda together.

Board meetings are not something to "get through and get over with." They are a vital part of a healthy and growing church. And believe it or not they can be fun. Of course, at least in the case of our board, massive quantities of food seem to make the whole experience just a little better. Stay tuned for part two.

This article is used by permission from Dr. Dan Reiland's free monthly e-newsletter, "The Pastor's Coach," August 2008, Vol. 9, Issue 15, available at http://www.INJOY.com