Keys for Working with a Church Board
I have worked with scores of board members during my 30+ years of pastoral leadership. In the early years, they were deacons who represented a particular area of ministry (missions, facility, finance, etc.).
Later on, when we added staff to oversee those ministries, we moved to an elder board. These individuals had a more global responsibility.
In many cases, my partnership with these individuals (both deacons and elders) was a genuine joy. We looked forward to our meetings as a time to share the burden of leadership together.
In other cases, the working relationship was a challenge. As a result, our meetings were difficult and tense.
Having reflected on my experience on both ends of that relational spectrum, here are some keys I learned (some, the hard way) to working with a church board.
1. Choose board members carefully.
Being a member of the governing body of a local church is a great honor and carries great responsibility. Too many times, however, we put individuals on the board for all the wrong reasons (skill in business, power of personality, level of giving, etc.).
As a result, we end up with board members who might have strong financial or intellectual capital, but low relational and spiritual capital.
Too many times we put individuals on the church board for the wrong reasons. Thus we end up with board members who might have strong financial or intellectual capital, but low relational and spiritual capital.
A good rule of thumb for bringing on board members is to evaluate for character, competency, and chemistry:
Character. Most churches use Scripture (I Timothy 3, Titus 1) to establish qualifications for board members, yet these should be only the minimum character qualifications. Other character qualities should include humility, kindness, and a shepherd’s heart.
Competency as a church board member requires being part of a team and being willing to not always win or get to decide. This is not a position for most type-A leaders who expect everyone else to follow. As well, competency demands an ability to engage in deep discussions and grapple with hard decisions in a way that honors others and prioritizes the mission.
Chemistry is often not addressed, but it is exceedingly important. How will the new board member relate to existing board members? Will he add to the team or detract from the team?
2. Establish relational non-negotiables.
The old adage that “teamwork makes the dream work” is never more important than as it relates to church boards. A failure to prioritize relational values on your board will lead to organizational weakness.
A failure to prioritize relational values on your board will lead to organizational weakness.
We came to see (often the hard way) that how we treated one another in our decision-making was more important than the decisions we made.
How we treat one another in our decision-making is more important than the decisions we make.
That value was so high for us that at the top of every agenda were these phrases: “Brothers First, Believe the Best, Outrageous Love.” We sought to honor those as absolutes in our meetings.
An additional way we deepened our relationships was to share a meal together before the meeting began. At times a congregant would provide the food and we would invite him/her to eat with us. Or, if a staff member had a report to give, we asked them to join us.
Beginning our time together with this relational focus created a positive context for the discussions that followed.
3. Clarify responsibilities.
If you have a deacon board, help them to see that, while they will need to represent their ministry area to the group, they also need to be global in their thinking. That is to say, their primary loyalty needs to be the good of the church at large, not the promotion of their area.
This can be a challenge, especially when it comes to setting the budget. I can still remember the LONG discussions and debates that resulted from individuals looking to protect their turf. So, well before a person is approached to be a deacon, make it clear that he/she will need to wear the “team hat.”
As it relates to an elder board, there’s a different challenge to be faced. Thinking their job is to “lead the church,” many times they default to micromanagement. Though well-intentioned, such behavior actually conveys a lack of trust in the church staff to do the jobs for which they were hired.
Thinking their job is to “lead the church,” many times elders default to micromanagement. Though well-intentioned, such behavior actually conveys a lack of trust in the church staff to do the jobs for which they were hired.
We tried to make it clear in the interview process what the role of an elder was …and what it wasn’t. Even so, on frequent occasions, a board member needed to be reminded that his job was general oversight of the church, not the details of ministry.
By the same token, we made it clear that the elders were to take the lead in matters of overall vision, intercessory prayer, and issues of unrepentant sin.
4. Get to know them personally.
Many board members lament that their pastor knows virtually nothing about them. Their pastor does not understand their work, their family concerns, or other complexities and issues in their lives.
Sometimes they feel appreciated only for their specific leadership or managerial skills or gifts. Or, worse, they feel as if they are viewed as an obstacle to be overcome or hold out to be persuaded.
Sometimes board members feel appreciated only for their specific leadership or managerial skills. Or, worse, they feel as if they are viewed as an obstacle to be overcome or hold out to be persuaded.
The only way to build good relationships is through the investment of time. Get to know your board members by visiting them at their job, having dinner with their families, or taking them out for coffee and simply asking how they are doing and how you can pray for them.
5. Train them ongoingly.
Most elders know that there are significant differences between leading a business and leading a church, and they want to be trained to lead their church well. When I mentioned to board members the potential of training, they almost always lit up.
Most elders know that there are significant differences between leading a business and leading a church, and they want to be trained to lead their church well.
Agree together to prioritize training as part of your regular meetings. The ministry decisions you need to make will feel pressing, and your board will be eager to get to them. But there’s great value in prioritizing the development of your leaders as individuals and as a team.
Some training ideas might be:
Invite your elders to attend a training event or seminar with you. I did this in the issues of stewardship, discipleship, and pastoral succession.
Choose a good book on topics that are pertinent to their role or timely for your community (e.g. prayer, diversity, immigration) and discuss it together.
Bring in an outside expert to provide a training session for the whole board. We did this with the DISC so we could understand one another better, and as it relates to the challenge of the LGBTQ in the church.
6. Lead with respect.
I encourage board members to adopt a default position of following their pastor’s lead. Recognize the role he plays and respect his expertise.
I encourage pastors to do the same with their boards. If there’s strong pushback or a divided opinion on an issue, let that serve as a warning to back off or slow down.
Lead your church board with respect. If there’s strong pushback or a divided opinion on an issue, let that serve as a warning to back off or slow down.
One more thing. Don’t surprise them. Never spring on the board a decision to be made that you have thought about for a time but not mentioned to them. Conscientious board members need sufficient time to make decisions; in fact, making good decisions is their responsibility.
In summary, working with a board doesn’t have to be a painful chore to endure. It can be an enjoyable partnership to engage in.
To be sure, challenges will arise, and breakdowns can occur. But I came to see that by putting these keys into place, those challenges could be met and those breakdowns were recoverable.
I would be curious to know that you’ve learned. You can join the conversation in the comments section below.
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