Church Board
Part I: The Key Ministry Role of a Church Board Chairperson
IN A CHURCH COMMITTED to congregational polity the path to becoming a church board chairperson normally follows one of two directions. One is that the bylaws may require the congregation to appoint the chairperson. In this case, a nominating committee will seek someone among the membership who will be willing to serve in the role of board chairperson as a member of the church board. Other churches leave this decision to the church board and expect the board to appoint a chairperson from among the board members whom the congregation appoints. A third option is sometimes dictated by denominational practice, namely that the lead pastor will function as board chairperson.39
Frequently in none of these three options for selection and appointment is there any specific training offered to prepare a person to fill this chairing role, and more often than not there exists no formal role description to assist the candidate in understanding what is required. The church board probably has a list of the basic qualifications for candidates to serve as a board member (usually described as “elder” or “deacon” role) and may even have a rudimentary position description for the board chair, if this is a congregational appointment. 11 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and sometimes Peter 5 most often serve as the source for these qualifications. Where no position description for a church board member or church board chairperson exists, the board can easily remedy this deficit. You can find a sample church board chairperson role description in Appendix A.
The encouragement is that the Holy Spirit does operate through these processes to call people to fill this role, even though they may not feel qualified, competent, or capable. If God’s people discern within you some ability and giftedness, as well as the integrity, to fill the role well, then the question is this: Will you step out in faith and obedience to help the church of God? Although you may have accepted the invitation to fill this role with great reluctance, can you move from grudging hesitancy to a passionate yes? This is possible with the Spirit’s help, a willing, humble disposition to learn, commitment to give the role the time it deserves, and confidence that God can do something wonderful through you, enabling you to have a remarkable kingdom impact. Sometimes the previous chairperson will be willing to mentor you. As well, the lead pastor may have resources to assist you. You will find other resources at the churchboardchair.ca website.
Getting to a passionate yes requires first that you understand the two central realities that define a church board and thus the role of its chairperson. First, a church board forms one of the most significant ministry teams in a community of faith, i.e., a local church. Whether the board members are called elders or deacons or some other title, in every case a church board is first and foremost a ministry team. A local church simultaneously is a faith community and a ministry organization/agency. It is a seedbed of kingdom reality growing in “this present evil age” (Gal 1:4). The board oversees the development of this special, divinely created community called a church, under the direction of God’s Holy Spirit.40 Everything the board does in its governing role is worshipful, spiritual leadership, devoted to advancing the spiritual health of a community of believers, demonstrating good faith governance.
Does God’s Spirit give this ministry team (i.e., the church board) the capacity to achieve the desired results (i.e., build a healthy church)? If you answer this question with a yes, then you believe that God has given his church the capacities it needs to be both a faith community and a ministry agency. It does not depend upon you as board chairperson, but upon the willingness and ability of the Holy Spirit to empower and resource his church. The primary responsibilities of a church board and its chairperson are to discern, develop, and steward all of those capacities so that the church can achieve its divine mission and be a thriving spiritual community.
This fundamental premise gives to the board and its chairperson hope (i.e., confidence that things operate according to a deep, divine sense, even though the current experience may be chaotic) and responsibility for the healthy growth and development of this local church, exceeding what any other group in the church may perceive.41 The board must give its full and constant attention to this primary responsibility. A church board chairperson facilitates the capacity of the board to accomplish this fundamental spiritual activity. A chairperson is then a spiritual leader in the church and within the board.
The second reality is that the church is a ministry organization/agency, i.e., a nonprofit society fulfilling a mission of service and promoting the life of a specific, cultural community. The primary group that guides this nonprofit society and ensures mission fulfillment is the board who acts with accountability to the members of that ministry agency/nonprofit society. This reality sets the board within a legal framework and a context of public accountability that the chairperson needs to understand well so that the board functions appropriately within this framework. There are things that the board must do in order to fulfill and sustain this legal status.42 The chairperson helps the board to accomplish these legal responsibilities in a timely, ethical, and effective manner. Whether this has to do with fiscal integrity, preserving resources, employee welfare, liability issues, truthful communication, board evaluation, or annual general meetings, a board chairperson has to keep an eye on these matters, lest the board forget or overlook its legal and ethical obligations and put the entire ministry agency in jeopardy.
These various ministry and legal aspects constitute the two significant realities of church board life. The congregation trusts that the board and its chairperson will give appropriate care and attention to both, but especially to the ministry aspect, otherwise the church community will suffer. This is where spiritual wisdom and creativity on the part of the chairperson become critical factors. Learning how to carry forward both the spiritual and legal mandates in an integrated and appropriately balanced manner requires skill, insight, awareness of the future, and a deep sense of the church’s mission. The legal and ethical elements nestle within the context of the spiritual values established by the church. However, the ministry mandate always has priority and the legal aspects serve as means to help the board advance the ministry mandate.
A chairperson’s role can be one of the most exciting ministry opportunities that a person ever experiences. The challenges are great, but so too is the Spirit within. As you realize the scope of what a chairperson oversees and facilitates, you can appreciate the need for a passionate yes to fill the role. It is not for the timid. As Peter says in 1 Peter 5:1–4, candidates should embrace this role with a willing heart, with zeal for God, and with a deep desire to serve as an example to the “flock of God.” Understanding the dimensions of the role helps a person get to the passionate yes.
If people in your local church are asking you to consider serving as the chairperson of the board, this may be one of the ways God wants you to live out your calling43 as a Christian for the next period of your life. It would be wise to seek some affirmation of this by following your usual method of discerning God’s direction in your life. Pray about it. Talk to one or two people whose wisdom you respect and who will give you some honest input. Ask to meet with the current chairperson and get some perspective on what the role entails and some of the current challenges that your church board is facing. Consult with your lead pastor. Then pray some more.
Reflect on the following questions:
1.Has the course of my life prepared me to fill the role of board chairperson?
2.Do I have a passion for Jesus and his church that motivates me to give time and energy to serve in this way?
3.Do I have the leadership capacity to facilitate the board?
4.Are my motives pure in this matter?
5.Am I willing to be held accountable in this role?
6.Am I prepared to carry the burden of this leadership role?
7.Are my communication skills sufficient to help me succeed in this role?
8.Am I willing to study and learn what it means to serve as chairperson so that I serve as effectively as possible?
If you can sincerely say yes to most of these questions, then you should consider saying yes to the request to serve.
Part II: The Role of a Church Board Chairperson
What attitudes and spiritual commitments will be necessary?
Paul makes it very clear that ministry leadership, whether volunteer or vocational, requires spiritual maturity. Take a few minutes and review carefully the qualifications for ministry managers/stewards (overseers/supervisors) and assisting agents (deacons) (1Tim 3:1–10; Titus 1:6–9). The majority of these qualifications have to do with character and only a few relate to competence.
Reference
Character
Competence
1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:6
Above reproach; blameless within and without the congregation
1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:6
Husband of one wife
1 Tim 3:2
Temperate
1 Tim 3:2
Sensible
1 Tim 3:2, 8
Respectable
1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:8
Hospitable
1 Tim 3:2
Apt to teach
1 Tim 3:3, 8; Titus 1:7
Not given to drunkenness
1 Tim 3:3
Not violent, but gentle
1 Tim 3:3
Not quarrelsome
1 Tim 3:3
Not a lover of money
1 Tim 3:4; Titus 1:6
Cares for his own family well
1 Tim 3:6
Not a recent convert
1 Tim 3:6
Good reputation with outsiders
1 Tim 3:8
Sincere
1 Tim 3:8; Titus 1:7
Not pursuing dishonest gain
1 Tim 3:9
Preserves the deep truths of the faith
1 Tim 3:9
Tested
Tested
Titus 1:7
Not overbearing
Titus 1:7
Not quick-tempered
Titus 1:8
Loves what is good
Titus 1:8
Self-controlled
Titus 1:8
Upright, holy
In effect, Paul required ministry leaders—and this includes a person who fills the role of board chairperson—to be mature disciples of Jesus and to have a track record of caring for others well.
One of Paul’s instructions to Timothy is “not to lay hands quickly on anyone” (1 Tim 5:22). Those entrusted with the spiritual care of the Messiah’s people require tested faith and evident obedience to Jesus. Maturity in following Jesus arises because of consistent attention paid to the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit. Presumably, your fellow believers are asking you to consider the role of board chairperson because you demonstrate this level of maturity and have a strong appetite to learn more of the ways of God. Probably no one feels entirely ready to fill this role, but as God directs, accept it with humility and eager anticipation because the Spirit will help you.
A significant mark of spiritual maturity will be your track record of caring for others well. When Paul says that someone suitable for the role of overseer “manages his household well” (1 Tim 3:4), I think he focuses attention upon the ability of the individual to care well for people for whom he has responsibility. So when they approach you to fill this role, can you say that you have a heart that truly cares for the congregation? Will you invest yourself in this role because you want them to have the best possible spiritual care in their journey with Jesus? A person accepts the chairperson’s role not because it gives any authority or power over people, but rather because it enables a person to serve people well. Much of this caregiving will find expression in mentoring others. Sometimes protection will be required, as false teaching may enter the congregation. On other occasions, the care will be quite practical, i.e., ensuring that the congregation has means to provide food to a needy church family. Then there is the care for the spiritual growth of people, ensuring that the leaders are teaching God’s word well and completely. A board chair is not responsible to do this alone, but the chairperson must help the board give these matters serious and constant attention.
If you ask current board chairs what critical capacities and competencies a new chairperson requires the most, you will receive diverse answers. Consider the following:
1.A capacity for visionary leadership. The phrase “visionary leadership” undoubtedly is overused today and people define it in many different ways. If leadership essentially is the ability to influence people toward a specific goal, then visionary leadership in a church context would entail possessing a deep sense of what God desires a particular congregation to be in their context, confidence in God’s ability to enable the congregation to fill out that vision, and the ability to influence people toward the achievement of that vision. There has to be an unrelenting obedience to impact the community for Christ and discernment as to how best the congregation will accomplish this. It will require a commitment to continually develop your leadership capacity and to apply your leadership and facilitating skills for the good of the board and its members.
2.An intentional embrace of spiritual discipline is necessary. I think the most radical change in perspective about this role that you may have to embrace relates to its spiritual character. A congregation appoints church board members because they evidence spiritual maturity. The board members appoint you as chairperson because among themselves they have discerned within you the spiritual intelligence necessary to lead them. If the lead pastor is speaking in favor as well, then you also have his evaluation of your spiritual wisdom to consider. (If he is not, then in such cases it is probably best to decline the invitation to fill the role.)
What does this spiritual discipline entail? I would suggest three key elements. As chairperson, you must act with complete integrity. You cannot manipulate decisions by withholding information, nor can you play favorites. Your leadership in the board must be above reproach in following policy, process, and any other principles that the board has adopted. Self-interest cannot factor into this role. Second, you must carry forward the duties associated with the role faithfully. This has two parts. First, you will need to devote the time necessary to learn the role, prepare yourself and the board for good meetings, and diligently seek to advance the board’s work effectively. Second, you will need to lead with evident trust in God, i.e., faith-filled leadership. Knowing where the line is between acting presumptuously and acting faithfully will form a key part of your leadership. Third, you will need to embrace the spiritual care of the congregation as a primary value in all that you do. This includes a ministry of prayer, a willingness to suffer with the burden of such leadership, and walking with a sense of deep dependence upon the Holy Spirit.
3.A grasp of essential board functions and duties. If you are new to the role of board chairperson, then you will need to study the nature of this role and its craft. Much of it involves sustaining the board’s routines, i.e., agenda preparation, writing of appropriate minutes, reception of standard reports, preparing for the annual general meeting, etc. If you do not know how to read and analyze a financial statement, you will need to develop this skill. Some aspects of this role require you to help the board discern future direction for the congregation and designing ministry roles that will help it realize its future. Other aspects involve learning the ethical and legal standards that enable the board to function well and sustain the trust of the congregation. For example, through an organization such as the Canadian Council of Christian Charities, you may need to become conversant with government regulations regarding charitable agency financing. Finally, you will need to think deeply about how the board through its actions can develop the congregation’s capacity to succeed. If your church has experienced considerable leadership turnover recently, you will have to help the board discern why this has happened and what the board must do to create a healthier leadership climate and to foster good employment relations. Or, maybe your congregation has struggled to gather the financial resources to sustain ministry growth and this becomes a key issue that the board must solve if the church is to move into a healthier space.
4.Learn how to get the job done. Essentially what a church board does is steward the church’s resources so that its mission is accomplished. The word “steward” comes from two Anglo-Saxon words: the lord’s great house was his sti and the individuals responsible for its well-being were his weard, the keepers or wardens.44 So sti-weard-ship involves the act of entrusting (being put in charge of what belongs to another), faithful management (all affairs managed for the owner’s welfare), and accountability (return of the property in good or improved condition to the owner). All board members have to act consciously as stewards of what the congregation (and God) has placed in their care. The chairperson helps the board to exercise faithful stewardship.
Good stewardship only happens when those responsible remain focused in a disciplined way on achieving progress and following good process. For the chairperson, this will mean developing and circulating agendas for board meetings at least a week in advance of the meetings, along with necessary reports so that board members have time to read, pray about, and reflect upon the decisions before them. No one else within the board can manage this other than the chairperson.
When key decisions are being made, the chairperson has to facilitate the board’s deliberations ensuring that all board members are speaking to the question, that motions are being made in an orderly fashion, and that the board is exercising due diligence in these deliberations, i.e., ensuring that it has the required information to make informed choices. The chairperson needs to know what specific professional or experiential expertise various board members bring to the table and how to enable them to speak to the question out of that expertise, whether that is financial, theological, ministry leadership, human resource management, legal wisdom, or facility management.
This means that a board chairperson’s relationship with the lead pastor must be cultivated carefully. If that relationship becomes dysfunctional, then the ability of the chairperson to lead the board becomes seriously compromised because the lead pastor normally will be a member of the board. The next chapter gives attention to this issue.
5.1Evaluating your leadership potential. Whatever your perspective, entering into the role of board chairperson can be a daunting prospect, as is the case with any position of major ministry leadership. Peter ( Pet 5:1–4) offers three criteria that individuals can use for self-evaluation when considering this role: willingness before God, proper motivation, and commitment to lead through personal example. While initially you may conclude that you do not understand the role very well, are you willing to study it and acquire the skills and competence necessary to serve as an effective board chairperson? None of us has achieved spiritual perfection and so for persons considering the role of board chair they must consider their relationship with God and whether anything they currently are doing or have done would eliminate them from serving in this role. Finally, we have to check our motivation. There is some authority residual in this role, as well as honor and respect in the congregation. It is a public role, as you may have to represent the congregation in the broader community for various reasons. Your motivation has to be sincere love for the church, the bride of Christ, and your willingness to use the gifts and wisdom the Holy Spirit has given to you to advance his kingdom.
6.Willing to accept the burden of leadership. The work of a church board chairperson requires a spirit of courageous endurance. The weight of the responsibility can be significant, particularly when crisis occurs. Without a sense that in this role you are exercising your calling in Christ at all times, it will be easy to give up or take the easy road, to the detriment of the congregation. Be prepared to carry the burden of this leadership assisted by the Holy Spirit. It may entail some suffering, but this is the norm for followers of Jesus. However, as chairperson, please realize that you can do a lot to minimize the suffering through your wise leadership.
Serving as a church board chairperson is not rocket science, and neither is it simply a function of chairing a committee. With prayerful diligence, you can fulfill this role in ways that will sustain and deepen the health of the congregation within which the Lord Jesus has called you to serve.
Church Board Chairperson and Lead Pastor Relations
WE KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT church culture to realize that tradition, social context, personal perspectives, church size, and leadership gifting shape the relationship that develops between a church board chairperson and the lead pastor. Without a doubt, this relationship is critical to the health of a congregation and its ability to pursue God’s mission with singular focus, deep passion, and sustained energy. However, it is also the case that church leaders have few resources to which they can turn to guide them in fostering this significant relationship. Yet, if the lead pastor and board chairperson fail to develop a working relationship that is robust and demonstrates spiritual maturity, the whole congregation surely walks with a limp. They must work together like a pair of chopsticks in order to accomplish their respective responsibilities well.
I readily acknowledge that the model of the chairperson and lead pastor relationship that I propose in this chapter runs counter to several strongly-held perceptions of the role of the lead pastor in congregational life. These perceptions elevate the authority of the lead pastor and often place this person beyond accountability to the church board. Some consequences of these perceptions for chairpersons would include: a) the lead pastor believes that he controls the board and that the chairperson is merely the facilitator of a committee; b) the lead pastor establishes the vision, which is then communicated to the board; c) the lead pastor is not accountable to the church board and so the board cannot require any kind of performance review; d) the pastoral staff form the strategic ministry leadership team in the church, not the board. In my view, these perceptions ignore the role of board members as key ministry leaders in the congregation, potentially create opportunities for the abuse of power by a lead pastor, relegate the board to being merely an advisory group to the lead pastor, and create excessive and dangerous conflict of interest patterns on the part of the lead pastor.
The lead pastor and chairperson each lead an influential ministry team—the lead pastor leads the staff and volunteers to implement ministry and the chairperson leads the church board to discern vision ends and policy. Both of these ministry teams contribute to a local church’s ability and capacity to function as a community of faith. In new churches and smaller churches, often the church board and the ministry team are the same or overlap to a large degree, because there is only one or two paid employee positions. In such cases, the roles of the board chairperson and lead pastor can easily get confused because it is unclear when the leadership team is functioning as the church board or as the ministry staff. The paid ministry staff in larger churches become more numerous and it is easier to distinguish the respective roles of the board and the staff. However, new challenges arise because one group may contest the authority and role of the other group. Further, the board may struggle to understand and define its voice as a ministry team responsible for the spiritual health of the congregation.46
Both board chairpersons and lead pastors get involved in their roles for limited periods of time in a particular congregation. A lead pastor who serves a church for twenty years may have to learn to work with four or five different board chairpersons during his tenure—not an easy task. If a board chairperson continues in his role for several terms, he may find himself giving leadership to a pastorless church, as well as managing the delicate task of discerning the preferred way a new lead pastor desires to relate to the board chairperson. If the individuals in either role do not exercise spiritual wisdom, patience, mutual respect, and humility, the relationship can easily become confused and strained, i.e., essentially dysfunctional. In cases where the board chairperson is female and the lead pastor male, or vice versa, they will need to exercise care lest their interaction itself become a matter of criticism.
Congregational size does matter in this relationship. Some variables arise because of the stage of church development and size.47 To use some commonly accepted categories:
1.Family church: active membership/attendees fifty or less
Less formal structure; decisions taken mostly by consensus; pastoral influence shared with other key family leaders; board agendas shorter and board meetings conducted with less formality.
2.Pastoral church: active membership/attendees fifty-one to one hundred fifty
The lead pastor is more central to the church’s leadership. The board is hands-on or a working board. It sets direction and assists the lead pastor to manage and implement. The board needs more formal processes, because governance becomes more complex and accountability has to be exercised carefully. The pastor is the board’s primary resource who develops the board’s capacity to enable the congregation to grow. Volunteers lead most ministry projects and some of them also serve as board members.
3.Program church: active membership/attendees one hundred fifty-one to three hundred fifty
The lead pastor becomes more central to the execution of ministry. Lay leaders accomplish more ministry functions and the church staff also is growing. Building and maintaining alignment around vision is critical. The lead pastor tends to wield more influence than the board and the board tends to remain more like a working board while starting to shift to a policy-making board. It shifts from micromanaging to empowerment and accountability. A chairperson must construct the board agendas carefully so that the work of the board is appropriate and managed well, distinguished from that of the pastoral team. Committee structure will become more complex. Most churches in this category function with three or more staff people. Activity and structure often expand faster than the available resources.
4.Corporate church: active membership/attendees three hundred fifty-one or more
The lead pastor pastors the staff, who in turn oversee ministry. The lead pastor spends considerable time hiring the right staff and generating alignment around vision. The lead pastor must hone skills in organizational leadership, including communication, team-building, and oversight. The board tends to become dependent on the knowledge base of the lead pastor, as well as the ministry staff. The board governs mostly by policy, while setting direction for ministry and establishing outcomes for which it holds the lead pastor accountable. The board relates primarily to the lead pastor and the authority and power of the lead pastor will be balanced with accountability to the board. Board members need more training in boardmanship and specific aspects of governance.
Most evangelical, congregational churches in Canada would fit in the first three categories. The lead pastor and board chairperson must understand how the size of the congregation shapes their roles and the working relationships that they both have. Failure to grasp this will result in wrong expectations, improper interventions, and frustrations. The larger the church the more significant leadership succession issues become. In larger churches, ministry is done by many, but policy is discerned by few. In smaller churches, ministry is done by few, but policy is decided by all. Communication in a larger church must be more repetitive and intentional. In larger churches, the staff needs to be more continuous, because volunteers tend to change more often. Concurrently the board needs to employ the concept of shared governance more intentionally, so that groups or individuals do not feel disenfranchised in decision-making.
The potential personal variables that exist between a church board chairperson and a lead pastor can be quite substantial: age, leadership experience and ability, spiritual maturity, amount of theological training, cultural expectations, gifting, personality differences, risk aversion, gender, job expectations, beliefs about the nature of the church, fiscal approach, and degree of confidence. Institutionally, the church rarely has developed a set of principles that it desires these individuals to follow in managing their relationship. The bylaws may have a paragraph or two that defines with more or less clarity their respective roles, but the bylaws normally say little if anything about how their relationship should proceed. If it does get off-track, who in the church has the status or experience to intercede and help them develop it properly?
The board chairperson and lead pastor form a unique ministry duo in the local church. They are not accountable to one another, because both are accountable in different ways to the entire board48 to fulfill their respective responsibilities. The board requires that the individuals in these roles work together wisely, respectfully, and consistently, because this interaction is necessary for them to fulfill their respective roles. Their attitudes toward one another are significant and both must engage the relationship with humility and mutual support. Their interaction must be highly relational so that they can discuss any congregational or ministry matter together without one or the other feeling threatened. Together they seek before God the best wisdom that will generate mission-focused solutions and recommendations for the congregation. Their discussions will proceed within the context of prayer. Each should know well the roles and responsibilities of the other so that each understands the respective authority that their differing roles possess.
Some of the following principles would be basic to fostering and sustaining the kind of relationship between a board chair and lead pastor that contributes to a healthy church:49
1.Create clarity about the respective roles, responsibilities, and accountability to the entire board.
2.Keep your focus on advancing the mission and fulfilling the vision of the congregation. This is the main thing, and developing a strong, effective board is a key part of this.
3.Foster deep trust that grows out of the spiritual commitment you each have to Christ, the church, and one another. This includes sustained prayer for one another.
4.Operate with humility that arises from a heart that desires to serve, and recognition that you both can learn from the other even if large differences exist in personal gifting, experience, or expertise.
5.Maintain mutual respect for each other, the job that you each must do, and your respective authority.
6.Have a commitment to enable each to succeed. This means the avoidance of any territorial tendencies.
7.Agree that your roles must be interactive and collaborative.
8.Schedule regular interactions that are relational, candid, and confidential, and which are capable of sustaining fierce conversations, but always keep your emotions under control. This requires spiritual maturity and a professional attitude.
9.Sustain the confidence to discuss any matter and hold one another accountable, not for specific responsibilities, but for the integrity of the relationship.
10.Work toward adaptive change, constantly seeking innovative responses to common problems, supporting one another when it is appropriate to take risks.
When this relationship is working well, the two major ministry teams in the church (i.e., church board and ministry staff) can focus appropriately and collaboratively on their respective work.
One of the growing pains that churches experience is that pastoral leaders do not always know what to do with the board. In the analysis of church size referred to in this chapter, you will note that churches tend to be group-centered or pastor-centered. However, pastors frequently misunderstand the changing role of a board as a church grows.
Both the lead pastor and board chairperson have distinctive, but related roles. I realize that in some denominational settings the lead pastor also serves as the board chairperson. However, in this publication I assume that the board chairperson is a different person than the lead pastor and that this individual probably is a lay person, i.e., does not have professional theological education. Further, in some denominational settings churches have both councils and boards, with the council providing discernment and leadership in spiritual matters, which may include the performance evaluation of the lead pastor.
So, one of the critical aspects of the lead pastor-board chairperson relationship concerns the management of their respective boundaries. It is normal for a lead pastor to have a position description that defines core responsibilities and aspects of accountability, especially to the church board and through the board to the congregation. As I have noted previously, this is not always the case for a board chairperson. In many churches the only direction a board chairperson has to guide him/her in fulfilling this role will be a few statements in the congregation’s bylaws and these in turn will probably relate to matters of appointment, term, and general board responsibilities. The absence of such a position description for a board chairperson creates considerable opportunity for misunderstanding in the management of the boundaries that these respective roles entail.
If you are just beginning to serve as a board chairperson and there is no position description, then make it one of your first priorities to work with the board to create such a description, even if it is only a series of key principles. Because you are accountable to the board, it is the board that must decide what it is they desire you to do for them as their leader. With your respective position descriptions in hand you both are in a position to discuss how the two of you can work together to advance the congregation’s mission and help the board fulfill its essential work.
As noted earlier, the lead pastor gives oversight to the leadership team responsible for implementing ministry (paid staff and volunteers). This leadership team is accountable to the church board through the lead pastor and includes the lead pastor. The board chairperson is accountable to the board and facilitates the life of the church board, helping it to establish policies, oversee key employees, manage risk, and bring recommendations to the congregation that enable its vision to be accomplished. The church board, however, is accountable for its actions to the congregation, not the lead pastor. The lead pastor may seek the advice of the board chairperson on diverse matters and the chairperson may do the same.50
The lead pastor usually is a member of the church board, but the board chairperson is not a member of the ministry staff team. This arrangement can become problematic if the lead pastor does not keep the board chairperson informed of key ministry issues that the ministry staff team is engaging. It is important not to allow the boundaries, as important as they are, to hinder clear and open communication between these two leaders. These two ministry teams cannot operate as completely independent, closed silos. Rather, the lead pastor and church board chairperson form the primary communications linkage between these two teams. For example, when the board makes decisions about employment issues, it may be wise and helpful for the church board chairperson to communicate these decisions directly to the ministry staff team. It creates a bit of space within which the lead pastor can work with the staff, if the decision is a difficult one.
When the church board chairperson also has ministry responsibilities over and above his or her board involvement, he or she will be accountable to one of the pastoral staff for such ministry leadership. For instance, the chair may also lead a small group in the church. In fulfilling that responsibility, the chairperson is not accountable to the board, but rather to the pastoral staff person who is overseeing small groups in that congregation. Conversely, in the board, the lead pastor has to recognize when he is speaking as lead pastor, i.e., employee, or as a board member. While it is difficult for the lead pastor and the board members to segregate these two roles, it is important to do so. All board members, for example, must exercise their vote in ways that advance the whole ministry of the congregation. When ministry proposals come to the board from the ministry staff, the lead pastor may initially present the proposal, but when it comes to a board decision, the lead pastor must vote on the matter from the standpoint of the board, not from the standpoint of the ministry staff, otherwise a conflict of interest exists.51
As noted earlier, a lead pastor and board chairperson may come into their roles possessing very different levels of experience and expertise. This may particularly be evident in their respective understanding of governance52 as it operates within a congregational setting. It is important that both leaders be on the same page on this issue as much as possible. For example, some lead pastors may regard governance processes as an impediment to their leadership. Alternatively, some board chairpersons use governing processes inappropriately as devices to control the lead pastor. As a congregation grows and moves from being smaller to larger, the matter of governance will become more important to the congregation’s health. Both leaders will need to discern the implications of growth for the governance process, their respective roles, and the best ways to facilitate the board members in managing these changes well. Sorting these matters out becomes especially critical during periods when pastoral leadership is changing. A chairperson would do well to schedule personal time with a primary pastoral candidate to explore this issue in depth. Unless there is clarity and basic agreement about how the candidate and chairperson discern the relationship between the church board and lead pastor, conflict will inevitably occur in the future should the congregation affirm the candidate as lead pastor.
As a congregation becomes larger and more complex to lead, the board may desire to move toward a policy style of governance, which will require the lead pastor to give more attention to ministry oversight and implementation, staff development, and communication within the congregation. However, if the board does not carefully work with the lead pastor in making such changes, the ability of the lead pastor to accomplish assigned responsibilities will suffer because expectations will become too diverse. Further, the board may need to plan to establish and fund additional staff positions to assist the lead pastor to work effectively with the new governance processes (i.e., executive pastor).
If you do not want to be dancing on eggshells or stomping on toes, then sorting out this relationship will be an important priority for you as chair.
Governance becomes an issue when defining vision and developing strategic ministry plans. Who bears the responsibility to develop the vision and the strategy? If the board is responsible in governance for establishing ends policy, then the board will have to have some voice in both the discernment of vision and the final definition of the strategic plan. If, however, lead pastors consider that they alone have the responsibility (and prerogative) to discern the congregation’s vision and develop the strategic plan to accomplish it, but the board believes is has authority to define key ends, then board chairpersons will have to work very hard to avoid constant conflict between lead pastors and church boards as each jockeys for jurisdiction.
Understanding governance responsibility can also become critical when serious problems arise (e.g., a lawsuit arising over the injury of a child during a church-sponsored function) and dispute occurs internally as to which body should provide the leadership necessary to resolve the issue. Is it a staff issue or a board issue? Who has the authority to decide? In my view, the board always has the last word where bylaws do not provide clarity. Frequently, a lack of clarity in governance will surface when significant financial matters are in play. Who has control of the budget, or who can bring to the congregation recommendations concerning amendments to the budget or for extraordinary expenditures? What happens when the lead pastor and the board are at odds regarding such matters and the lead pastor decides to speak in opposition to the board’s recommendation at a public meeting?
Such situations do happen and this is why the lead pastor and church board chairperson need to have a common understanding of governance within their respective congregation. If you as board chairperson discern that a major difference of opinion does exist, then with the support of the lead pastor bring it forward to the board for discussion and resolution before a major crisis ensues. It is very hard to sort out such matters in the midst of public conflict. The key focus of the board in such matters would be:
I.What understanding of governance is congruent with the current bylaws?
II.What understanding will help the lead pastor fulfill assigned responsibilities without violating board policy? Does policy have to change in order to resolve the impasse, and is such change wise?
III.What understanding will enable the board to advance the mission of the congregation most effectively?
In the end, good governance will be congruent with the “best interests”53 of the congregation, which the board and the lead pastor hold in trust together. While it is always possible for egos to distort good, sensible processes, spiritually mature leaders who serve on the board will listen carefully to God’s Holy Spirit. The best interests of the congregation will not necessarily be what the lead pastor deems is in the best interest of the pastoral staff or what a particular board member regards as the best interest of the congregation.
One of the ways in which a lead pastor and church board chairperson can find common understanding about governance is to learn how to think institutionally. Hugo Heclo, in a recent book entitled On Thinking Institutionally,54 challenges the current primary focus on the self as the sole determiner of value and meaning. He explains and argues for the value of institutions such as the legal system, health services, education, government, family and marriage, and philanthropy. They can be “enabling constraints that make it possible for us to live out and further develop our humanity.”55 Human beings as moral agents have to consider “what it is to think as moral agents within a framework of institutional values.”56
Thinking institutionally requires the following mindset:
I.To “be committed to the ends for which the organization occurs rather than to an organization as such.”57 The mission and values of the institution require the loyalty of those involved, not necessarily its current forms and functions;
II.To live and act “mindful[ly] in certain ways, exercising a particular form of attentiveness to meaning in the world.”58 Decisions and actions reflect the organization’s vision and values, accumulating to habitual responses demonstrating a certain kind of intelligence;
III.To be “in a position primarily of receiving rather than of inventing or creating.”59 There is a sense of rootedness in the legacy received which has thus shaped the institution. An indebtedness to carry forward the vision and values in faithful reception shapes the consciousness of those involved;
IV.To embrace “value diffusion as well as infusion. Institutions diffuse values by connecting a person to something that goes beyond the self-life.”60 People are shaped personally by these values and the life of the organization in turn more or less incarnates those values;
V.To attend to precedent and “to stretch your time horizon backward and forward so that the shadows from both past and future lengthen into the present.”61 We work with what belongs “to predecessors and successors,”62 guided by a deep sense of stewardship.
Sometimes leaders in the church shy away from regarding it as an institution because many voices urge us to see it only as family or community. The word institution reeks of hierarchy, authority, bureaucracy, and rigidity. However, if we apply Heclo’s definition of institution to the church, we can agree that the church does constitute “enabling constraints that make it possible for us to live out and further develop our humanity.” Of course, it is more than this, embodying as it does the mission and values of the Messiah himself. However, it demonstrates institutional traits and so it is important for its leaders to be able to think institutionally about the church.
The board chairperson is one of those leaders. What might be some of the implications of thinking institutionally about the church as Heclo would enjoin? I would suggest the following:
I.The current shape of the church as institution is only an imperfect representation of its vision and values as defined by the Holy Spirit in Scripture. While there may be culturally conditioned reasons for doing certain things certain ways in a particular congregational setting, a board chair must be able to think more fundamentally, i.e., to be asking how the vision and values embraced by the congregation can best be expressed in policies, systems, programs, facilities, use of resources, etc. The means are important, but not as important as the ends. For example, the fact that your board has never required an annual evaluation of the lead pastor does not mean the board should not decide to implement it. The more important question is whether such an evaluation will enable the board to achieve the ends or goals that the congregation has established in accordance with its values. If the board does not require this, will it be delinquent in its stewardship of the congregation’s resources and fail to fulfill its vision?
II.Church board chairpersons have the responsibility to be so imbued with the congregation’s vision and values that they intuitively guide the board to make decisions that advance and exemplify them. The exercise of this spiritual intelligence consistently shapes the congregation’s life. Not every proposal brought to a church board aligns with its mission or its vision or its values and so the chairperson will help the board members to discern this and act accordingly.
III.Church board chairpersons realize that they steward a legacy, one created by predecessors and faithful stewardship. They must attend to this heritage. This does not mean that tradition rules, but rather that significant change occurs carefully and prayerfully, so that the essence of the church continues even as its forms and functions ebb and flow. One practical application of this principle would be the realization that the vision and values of the congregation are more important than the desires of any particular individual or small group. As much as we desire in Christian organizations to be sensitive to the needs and desires of individuals, at the end of the day, no one person is more important than the whole. As board chairperson, you must model this principle.
IV.The life of a church board represents the continual diffusion and infusion of values. The board chairperson and the other board members are moral agents acting individually and collectively to carry forward the congregational mission. The values of the congregation must diffuse through their deliberations and decisions and in turn infuse the life of the congregation. In this sense, everything a church board does has spiritual implications because it reflects the values of the congregation.
V.Church board chairpersons lead with a deep consciousness of time—both past and future, as well as present. Church boards make decisions not just for present stakeholders, but for the congregation as it will be in five or ten years. Often this becomes evident when planning a new facility or renovating and expanding current facilities. The planning has to consider what the congregation will require in ten years, not in the next twelve months. This long-term vision should be operating in the case of all major decisions.
At the beginning of this chapter, I proposed that the relationship between the lead pastor and the church board chairperson is the most significant relationship in the congregation. Having reviewed this matter in some detail, I trust that you will agree, and that as board chairperson you will give your fullest attention to enabling this relationship to flourish.
Yet I must also state some caveats that have to be avoided or at least carefully managed:
1.As chairperson of the board, you are still only a board member and have no authority to do anything more than speak on behalf of the board. It is not that the lead pastor and board chairperson run the church; rather, the board chairperson enables the board to function well and in order to do this, a good working relationship with the lead pastor is an important element. If you as chairperson seek to usurp the role of the board, then you prevent the board from stewarding the trust given to it by the congregation. Beware of the power that personality can wield, both positively and negatively. The board cannot let its voice be diminished or cowed by the chairperson or the lead pastor or both together. While the board should be able to trust your respective leadership and relationship, they cannot trust too much lest they abdicate their responsibility. Boards need to be board-centric, not chairperson-centric or pastor-centric, to coin some expressions.
2.Be careful in how you present ideas promoted by the chairperson and the lead pastor together to the board. In such instances the chairperson will have to work hard to ensure that the board does not feel it has been steamrolled into a decision that it does not fully support just because board members do not want to be obstructionists.
Sample Church Board Chairperson Role Description
(You can adapt this sample position description to fit the particular bylaws and annual cycle of your local church. It does not pretend to be complete in every respect.)
Position Description for the Church Board Chairperson
General Guidelines
1.The board chairperson is appointed annually from and by the board at its July meeting, with the appointment taking effect at the end of that meeting in time for the new fiscal year that begins September first. The chairperson is nominated from and by the board members and appointment to the position requires a 75 percent majority vote of board members voting. If more than one candidate is nominated, then a paper ballot is required.
2.The term of the board chairperson is twelve months. It is prudent for the board to select a new chairperson every four to five years. This fosters the development of new leadership and prevents any sense of entitlement from emerging. However, it is also prudent to have considerable continuity so that the board learns to work well together.
3.The chairperson can resign, in writing, to the lead pastor and/or vice-chairperson of the board. The board can at any time decide by majority vote to replace the chairperson and appoint a new chairperson.
4.At the July meeting of the board, all other board positions will be filled, including vice-chairperson, secretary, and personnel committee.
Position Description for the Board Chairperson
1.The chairperson is responsible to ensure that the board of (church name) operates in accord with the board’s guiding principles, the mission and values of (church name), and the legal requirements for nonprofit charitable societies, and that it accomplishes its responsibilities as defined in the bylaws of (church name).
2.The chairperson is directly accountable to the board for the fulfillment of this position’s responsibilities. As a member of (church name) the chairperson also is responsive to the spiritual counsel of the lead pastor.
3.The chairperson will be committed to the board’s success in fulfilling its responsibilities with excellence so that (church name) will be spiritually healthy and institutionally robust. He/she will promote outstanding board development and governance practices. He/she will celebrate the hard work and sacrificial service of individual board members and the entire ministry team.
4.The chairperson will understand and be passionate about the mission, values, and vision of (church name), encouraging all board members to demonstrate the same disposition. He/she will uphold the spiritual, ethical, and legal principles that define (church name) as part of Christ’s body in (place name).
Primary Duties
1.In regards to the board:
a.ensure that board has appropriate governance guidelines, these guidelines are being followed, and they are being reviewed biennially;
b.chair all meetings of board;
c.ensure that board meeting agendas are developed and circulated at least one full week before a board meeting and that other reports necessary for decision-making at board meetings are circulated in advance so that board members can come informed to the meetings;
d.promote meaningful dialogue at board meetings and give every board member an opportunity to contribute;
e.ensure that accurate minutes are kept of all meetings and these documents are kept secure;
f.cooperate with the board in mentoring a successor.
2.In regards to board members:
a.ensure that every board member understands and carries out the roles and responsibilities of board service;
b.be the contact person for the board members on board issues;
c.oversee an annual board evaluation process;
d.assist the lead pastor in developing the board members (individually and as a team) with respect to leadership capacity and spiritual walk.
3.In regards to board committees:
a.ensure that the board appoints necessary committees and taskforces to fulfill its responsibilities in a timely way;
b.ensure ongoing communication by committees and task forces with the board;
c.serve as ex officio member of all board committees.
4.In regards to the lead pastor:
a.cultivate a mutually respectful, trustful, and humble relationship with the lead pastor;
b.communicate decisions made by the board in regards to the lead pastor’s role, contract, welfare, and evaluation process.
5.In regards to the (church name):
a.cultivate good relationships with members and other stakeholders;
b.serve as one of (church name)’s community ambassadors and advocate for its vision;
c.speak at the membership meetings and church functions on behalf of the board and prepare documents as necessary.
6.Partner with the lead pastor and other board members:
a.to oversee the spiritual life of (church name);
b.to oversee fiscal affairs and organizational assets;
c.to participate in strategic planning and program evaluation;
d.to ensure legal and ethical compliance of all board work;
e.to organize the Annual General Meeting of (church name);
f.to practice fiscal transparency and ensure that all board work is done in an open, nonsecretive manner;
g.to ensure that the board is exercising appropriate risk management on behalf of (church name);
h.to ensure that appropriate directors’ liability insurance is in place and up to date.
Appendix B
Sample Church Board Role Description
The board of (church name) is formed from individuals elected by the membership as pastors or elders (perhaps in some cases deacons). The chairperson of the board assists board members to fulfill their responsibilities, in consultation with the lead pastor. The essential role of the board within (church name) includes the following:
I.1Ensuring that the (church name) mission is being implemented passionately and persistently through a congregationally approved vision ( Thess 5:12);
II.1Taking responsibility for the spiritual health and pastoral care of the congregation, ensuring that all aspects of (church name)’s vision for ministry are being carried forward effectively ( Tim 3:5: “taking care of the church of God”; Heb 13:17) and protecting the church from doctrinal error (Acts 20:28–31);
III.Ensuring that evangelism remains central to our vision and that through prayer, training, strategic planning, teaching, and preaching, we remain faithful to the Great Commission as a church;
IV.1Ensuring that relevant biblical teaching is occurring throughout the congregation (Acts 6:4; Tim 5:17);
V.Praying for all aspects of the church’s ministry and its people (Acts 6:4);
VI.1Processing all matters of member discipline and restoration ( Thess 5:13–15);
VII.1Recommending policies to the members or creating policies within the areas assigned to the board by the congregation which are consistent with the constitution, bylaws, and values, so that (church name) functions in a biblically consistent, ethical, fiscally responsible, and legal manner ( Tim 3:5);
VIII.1Caring for and nurturing all employees ( Tim 5:17–18).
All pastors are part of the board, but only the lead pastor is a voting member on the board (this provision will have to comply with the congregation’s bylaws). The board normally meets every month (except in the summer months). It is responsible for the spiritual leadership of the congregation, the casting of vision, strategic planning, financial oversight, employee welfare, and the establishment of policies that will nurture the welfare of the congregation.
Sample Church Board Covenant
Church Board Covenant — Guiding Principles for Board Members
(A covenant expresses expectations for interaction among board members as they function together.)
As spiritual leaders in our congregation, we must demonstrate by example godly Christian relationships, attitudes, and behavior. As members of the church board, we commit ourselves to:
1.pray daily for members of the church board, the pastoral team, and the ministry of our church;
2.speak respectfully about each other in all contexts;
3.address and resolve conflicts quickly and biblically;
4.extend forgiveness when offended and carry no grudges;
5.care for other board members when they are in difficulty;
6.come to board meetings prepared, informed, and in prayerful dependence upon the Holy Spirit for wisdom;
7.support the board once the board has taken a decision. If unable to do so, then be willing to resign;
8.be honest in all board dealings and discussions, voluntarily identify potential conflicts of interest, and never pursue a personal agenda;
9.hold all board discussions in complete confidence;
10.agree that the board chairperson speaks for the board;
11.hold one another accountable for this covenant, and agree to resign if significant and/or consistent violations of its provisions occur.
Appendix E
Sample Church Board Code of Ethical Conduct
(A church board should establish a Code of Ethical Conduct that applies to board members and employees without distinction.)
Church Board Code of Ethical Conduct
It is the policy of the (church name) board that board members uphold the highest standards of ethical, professional, Christian behavior. To that end, board members shall dedicate themselves to carrying out the mission of (church name) and shall:
1.hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the congregation and public in all of its actions;
2.act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance personal honor, integrity, and the reputation of (church name), and not engage in unethical practices—business or otherwise;
3.treat with respect, fairness, and consideration all persons, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, maternity, marital or family status, disability, age, or national origin;
4.engage in carrying out (church name)’s mission as competently as possible;
5.collaborate with and support one another, staff, and volunteers in carrying out the mission of (church name);
6.recognize that the chief function of (church name) at all times is to serve the best interests of its beneficiaries;
7.accept as a personal duty the responsibility to keep up to date on emerging issues and to conduct themselves with professional competence, fairness, impartiality, efficiency, and effectiveness;
8.respect the structure and responsibilities of the board, provide it with facts and advice as a basis for making policy decisions, and uphold and implement policies adopted by the board;
9.conduct organizational and operational duties with positive leadership exemplified by open communication, creativity, fortitude, dedication, and compassion;
10.respect the board chairperson’s role to speak on behalf of the board;
11.exercise their collective discretionary authority in ways that do not violate institutional bylaws or applicable laws and ordinances;
12.serve with respect, concern, courtesy, and responsiveness in carrying out (church name)’s mission, not misrepresenting (church name) in any negotiations, dealings, or contracts;
13.demonstrate the highest standards of personal integrity, truthfulness, honesty, and fortitude in all activities in order to inspire confidence and trust in such activities;
14.avoid any interest or activity that is in conflict with the conduct of their board duties;
15.respect and protect privileged information to which they have access in the course of their board duties;
16.strive for personal excellence and demonstrate spiritual maturity in all board operations, discussions and activities;
17.in the event of serious misconduct (e.g., sexual misconduct, criminal behavior, promoting false teaching, fraudulent actions, acting divisively, harmful addictive behavior, etc.) resign as a board member.