Monthly Archive for March, 2011

71. How long do you have and how far can you go? Setting Realistic Goals as Church Board Chair

Published by Dr. Larry Perkins on March 28, 2011 in Board, Board Chair, Board Governance, Board Member and Senior Pastor. Closed Tags: , .

The title sounds rather apocalyptic in tone, but is not meant to be. Rather, it is a sober recognition that the time any person has to contribute as chair to the development of a board necessarily is limited. I am not sure how long a person on average serves as a church board chair. I would estimate on the basis of informal surveys that it would be 3 – 6 years. As well, the specific term for a church board chair is probably one or two years at most, with possibility of several reappointments. However, some churches will stipulate in their bylaws that a person can only serve a limited number of terms before rotating off of the board. Whatever way you look at it, the time a church board chair has to advance the work of that board is limited. A key question then that savvy board chairs ask themselves is this — what are the key things I should seek to achieve during my term as chair in order to improve the governance capacity of this board, and what is the best way to work with the board to attain them in the time available?

Church board chairs often do not approach their role with this mindset because they consider the chair’s function to be a kind of referee or facilitator for a committee. I would suggest that the significant role of a church board in the life of a congregation requires the chair to regard this role with much greater seriousness.

1. Consider the categories.

As board chair you know that the board deals with diverse issues. Some have to do with the board’s own operations, some with congregational operations, some relate to fiduciary responsibilities, etc. It might be helpful to take each category and ask yourself this question:  what do I believe the board needs to accomplish in this area in the current year, the next three years and the next five years. Now obviously you are not in control of these possible outcomes, but you do exercise considerable influence. For example, if one of the categories is board operations, then perhaps  your goals might include developing an annual agenda, planning and holding an annual board retreat, ensuring that board minutes are properly filed and protected, and implementing the use of discussion and decision briefs. Or perhaps there is no official statement that defines the role of a church board member and the responsibilities that such a person fulfills, and you think it would be a valuable thing for the board  to debate, formulate and then follow.

2. Consider the priorities.

As you look forward two or three years, what do you regard as the most pressing issues that the congregation faces? Are these on the church board’s radar? In your conversations with the lead pastor what do you discern his ministry priorities might be and how can you work with him and the church board to address these? For example, if you know that the congregation has plans to build new facilities or add to the current ones, is it a priority for these plans to be implemented and fulfilled in the next three years for the health and growth of the congregation? Will you make it a priority as chair to help the church board recognize and respond to this need?

3. Consider the preparation of the church board.

This really is a question of the role of a church board and the degree to which it currently has the capacity to fulfill that role well. And secondly, what proposals might you bring forward for the board members to consider that would improve their effectiveness as a ministry team? For example, do the board members have clarity as to their responsibilities? Is there a code of conduct for board members? Does the board ever evaluate its effectiveness given its responsibilities? Is there a conscious awareness within the board as to the process for making decisions and about what matters it should be making decisions? Does the board need to develop and implement an expense policy for staff? What improvements should the board consider in the annual general meeting? What are the two or three critical issues about which the board must educate itself in order to accomplish its work well within the next twelve months? Having served the church board for two terms, what improvements in the board’s capacity to govern will have occurred under your leadership? Presumably you want to leave the board in a better position than when you began.

4. Consider the mindset of the lead pastor.

Undoubtedly the lead pastor will have ideas and opinions about ways to help the church board do its work well. But here again, with considerable sensitivity, you may need to help the lead pastor develop over time a deeper appreciation for the role of the board in the life of the church. If the board desires to implement a process of annual pastoral evaluation, then you probably will need to spend considerable time with the lead pastor assuring him of the positive benefits this will produce from him, as well as making sure there are safeguards in the process to protect the pastor from inappropriate actions on the part of the board. Developing a spirit of true collaboration between the pastoral staff ministry team and the church board ministry team should be a high priority for you and for the lead pastor.

5. Consider your personal investment in these goals.

Using your time, talents, and treasure to advance the work of a church board signals an important personal investment for you as its chair. Given what you have to invest in the role to accomplish it well, you will desire before God to be a good steward of your resources, as well as the resources of the other board members and the congregation. What legacy do you want to leave once you have completed your ministry as church board chair? What will you have to learn in order to fulfill this role well? How will the mission of the church advance because you have attended to this role with diligence, creativity, and discipline?

It is my experience that when a church board chair takes this role seriously and seeks to help the board deepen its capacity for governance, that the other board members will bless you. Their experience as board members may not have been very positive or personally satisfying. Perhaps they struggle to see their work together as ministry and truly advancing the mission of the congregation. When you help the board the step up their game, you enable each board member to serve the Lord Jesus with greater passion and excellence. Generally a side benefit of a church board that is working hard to improve its capacity will be less division within the church. The congregation will sense that the church board is taking its ministry role seriously, is exercising good leadership, and shepherding the congregation with care.

 

70. Planning for Succession as Church Board Chair

Published by Dr. Larry Perkins on March 21, 2011 in Board, Board Chair, Board Governance, Board Member and Senior Pastor. Closed Tags: , .

Responsible leaders keep their gaze forward, even as they reflect carefully on the past, so that they provide productive leadership in the present. Careful ‘piloting’ (kubernesis, the Greek word Paul used in 1 Corinthians to describe the gift of ‘governing leadership’) will bring a church board chair inevitably to consider the best way to help that board discern and develop a person to succeed him or her. Helping the board discern and appoint its next chair can be one of the last, critically important gifts you give to the board. This action is all about good stewardship.

Too often I observe that a board chair gets appointed with little thought given to his or her preparation for this task. A common scenario would find the board at its first meeting following the annual general meeting. On the agenda is the item “appointment of board chair.” Now some experienced board people will have given forethought to that item prior to meeting, realizing that its outcome will shape significantly the ability of the board to accomplish its mandate in the next twelve months. They may come to the meeting with a proposal based upon discerning prayer. Often, I suspect, that it becomes a matter of elimination as the board interacts and eventually discerns who is willing to take on this role. Lack of planning may result in an ill-equipped and unprepared person to take this role. The results can include a dysfunctional board, divisive processes, and ineffective governance within the congregation. Succession planning is critical to the health of a church board.

The structure of a church board and approved means for the appointment of its leadership will affect any succession planning. If church bylaws require the lead pastor to serve as board chair, then succession planning for a board is a matter of hiring a new lead pastor. However, I wonder how many boards consider that question when interviewing candidates for the lead pastor position, i.e. what will this person be like as board chair? If the role of board chair is a congregationally elected role, then succession planning will need to proceed in a very indirect and sensitive way so that charges of manipulation will not come forward. In many cases the board members have the authority to appoint the chair. In this situation you as the current board chair have an opportunity to engage the board directly in matters of succession planning. In this article I will presume this last scenario is the more common practice.

Planning for a good succession is important for the governance leadership that a church board needs to exercise. Presumably the board will desire to continue the development they have experienced through your leadership. By enabling you to mentor a successor for several months prior to the completion of your term, the board is making a significant choice to prepare for the transition and provide important help for the new chair.

What factors should you as board chair consider in thinking about succession planning?

1. Determine what limits current board or congregational policy establishes.

As noted above, you will need to discern whether you can approach this question informally or formally. In other words does the church board currently have a policy regarding succession planning for the chair? Do the church bylaws give any guidance? Once you have understood these parameters, then you can think through a possible process. Remember that process is probably as important as discerning a potential candidate. If the process becomes toxic, then any succession planning will be voided.

2. Discuss this question with your lead pastor.

Any new board chair will have to work closely with the lead pastor. His views on the matter of succession will be crucial. For example, he may have no inkling that you are planning not to seek an additional term as board chair and may need some time to adjust to this leadership change. Further, he will probably have wisdom to share about a possible process. It will be important to have his support when a process may be proposed to the board members. Undoubtedly he will have some opinion as to current board members or other leaders in the church who might be potential candidates.

3. Discuss this question with the church board.

In most cases it is the church board which appoints its own chair. This means that any preparation for succession planning must be done with the full cooperation and involvement of the board. The more advanced notice the board has of your decision not to  serve another term as chair, the more time there will be to prepare for good succession. If the board has no process for determining a successor and enabling you to work with that person, then this becomes a learning opportunity for the board and a chance for them to build their leadership capacity. As the board discusses this issue, they educate themselves about the role of the chair and how critical that role is for their ministry and collaborative governance of the congregation.

4. Give yourself time to act upon your plans.

Sometimes events conspire such that your decision not to serve another term has to be made rather abruptly. However, a responsible chair will be assessing this question about six months prior to the end of his or her term. Helping the next chair prepare for this role will take some time, particularly if that person has not served previously as chair of a non-profit agency or church board. If the board determines that no current board member will serve in this capacity, then discerning another person in the congregation who might have the qualifications to fill this role and preparing them to step into that position may take even longer to process. Such matters become a bit complicated when congregational nominating committees are involved and there is no assurance that the person being nominated to serve as a board person will in fact receive the necessary votes.

5. Decide carefully in advance what qualities and qualifications are most important in a new chair.

Optimally a person should be willing to serve in the chair’s role for four to six years. It takes time to build confidence with the board and enable the board to govern well with respect to the future. The candidate should have a disciplined approach to leadership and committed to good process. However, a good board secretary can be a wonderful help in such matters. The person should have the respect of the board members and demonstrated spiritual maturity, because the church board is a major ministry team within the congregational context. Make sure the person takes the role seriously and understands it potential contribution to the health and vigour of the local church. Above all, the lead pastor must be able to work well with this person.  In my opinion, optimally a chair should have served at least one term as a member of that church board. This enables him or her to become familiar with the board’s ethos, internal dynamics, and operational processes.

7. After much prayer and with all necessary permissions in place, approach an individual.

This stage of the process may be the most challenging of all. The ethos of the church board’s operations under your leadership over the past several years can be a great asset in this. If your church board has demonstrated spiritually mature and mission-focused leadership, achieved with a spirit of collaboration and mutual support generally throughout the church leadership, then some individuals will be more inclined to consider the role of board chair as an avenue of ministry. However, if the opposite has been the case, encouraging another person to consider the role probably will require greater persuasion. Your ability to communicate the personal satisfaction that comes from facilitating the vision of the church through this role will be a crucial element. As well, sharing the skills and processes that you have used to assist the board and to enable it to work effectively will help the candidate discern that he or she can do this too. Above all, try to instill a deep sense of the spiritual context and worshipful work that a church board engages in all of its activities as one of the key ministry teams within the congregation. After all the bottomline for serving as a church board chair is an obedient response to God’s calling.

Succession planning for the role of board chair is both an individual and collective function. The church board needs to take some responsibility for this, as well as the chair person. A wise lead pastor will be giving attention to this also. We can proceed with the confidence that God gifts his church with the people required to help it grow and flourish. Our challenge is to perceive what God already is preparing and get in step with Him.

 

69. When a New Lead Pastor Is Appointed — the Implications for a Church Board Chair.

Published by Dr. Larry Perkins on March 14, 2011 in Board, Board Chair, Board Governance, Board Member and Senior Pastor. Closed Tags: , .

Your heart is filled with gratitude to God as you finish the phone conversation with the pastoral candidate. He said yes! Months of difficult and intensive discussions, the emotional roller-coaster of maybe’s, but eventually no’s, and the draining work of trying to keep everyone moving in the same direction are over. So what do you need to consider in the next few months now in your role as church board chair (hopefully not resigning!) as you prepare for the arrival and inauguration of the new lead pastor’s ministry? What responsibility do you have as board chair to enable the lead pastor to be successful in this new role and to help the church board work through the inevitable adjustments?

1. Developing the Relationship

Make some time to get to know one another. The new pastor will be incredibly busy developing relationships with many different people in the congregation and the community. However, do not let him overlook the importance of you both preparing a good foundation for your ministry together. Nor should you avoid this. If you need to take some initiative here, do so. He may not understand very well how your role as chair functions in the board and the church, nor what personal capacities you bring to this position. You will already have had some conversations during the candidating process and so have probably shared perspectives about the pastoral role, its authority, its relationship to the board, etc. However, it would be good to repeat some of that conversation again to make sure you have heard one another well and are working from the same page.

2. Formalizing the appointment

As board chair you carry the responsibility on behalf of the board to make sure that all of the details formalizing the appointment are being completed appropriately. Some of this may be delegated to the board’s personnel committee or perhaps the search committee is looking after these details. However, you should keep in touch with the chairs of those committees to make sure key details are in fact finished well. For example, was a formal letter of appointment prepared and given to the lead pastor? Was a copy of the position description included with that letter? Have you in hand a formal letter of acceptance from the lead pastor? Are all matters of salary and benefits completed and in writing? If there were commitments made verbally regarding housing, these commitments need to be written and formalized so that all understand what they are. As board chair you demonstrate your care for the lead pastor by attending to these matters on his behalf. It will be awkward for him to seek resolution to outstanding issues.

You will note the emphasis upon written and signed confirmations by both parties. So often arrangements are made between individuals, on good trust, but nothing is ever written down. A few months or years later when the lead pastor or the church board desires to act upon these understandings, leadership or circumstances have changed and no one remembers the exact details. Having written document prevents or last reduces the potential harm that can result from such informal arrangements. Human memory often operates in selective ways.

One aspect that you will want to make sure is understood concerns performance evaluation. Although this matter should have been discussed openly during the interviewing processes, now is the time to finalize this. It will be much harder to do six or ten months into the relationship. As well, the board should be considering its policy regarding sabbaticals for the lead pastor, i.e. how long, how often, for what purposes, etc. Some discussion about working practices and expectations would also be wise. For example, if your church has several ministry employees, then the lead pastor will be expected to supervise and evaluate them. How many Sundays in a year does the board expect the lead pastor to be preaching? What about external opportunities for the lead pastor? Will there be any limitations?

3. Forging clear guidelines for working together.

It may be that your new lead pastor will have a well-developed sense of how a church board and church ministry staff work effectively together. If so, as board chair you need to understand his perspective. If you think the board traditions in your congregation are significantly different from his perspective,  you will need to help him and the church board adjust their respective understandings and find good ways to move forward harmoniously. Perhaps as well you will want to discuss how the church board will desire him to report to them.

Some lead pastors will expect to chair the board or to be its de facto chair. If that is the case, then you will need to work carefully to  facilitate board discussion about this and whether the board desires to change its mode of operation. If it desires you to continue in the role as chair, then you will have the mandate to serve as board chair and the lead pastor will understand that he serves as a board member, but not as chair. Try your best not to let this question, should it arise, become a power struggle because this may harm your relationship at its very inception.

It will also be helpful to orient him to the board just like you would orient any new board member, because in fact this is what he is. Although much of this may already have been covered, take some time to make sure he has in his possession the information a new board member would have and provide for him whatever commentary will help him understand what the board has been working on. This will include copies of minutes from the last six board meetings, financial data, and key issues with which the board needs to deal. Share with him any policies that the board has developed to guide how they do their ministry together. If the board has developed an annual agenda, review it with him so he knows how to shape his work over the next few months and not be caught by surprise. If the board has adopted a model of governance that is akin to Carver’s ideas, it will be important for him to understand what this means, even though he may have discussed this with you during the candidating period. In particular make sure whatever limitations that the church board has placed upon the lead pastor role are clearly understood.

Talk through how you both will develop the board agendas collaboratively and the importance of getting necessary information to the board members in a timely fashion.

4. Help the board to provide some clear direction.

Sometimes a church board will be hesitant to offer any suggestions to the lead pastor regarding desired strategic direction. However, research suggests that some direction will be helpful so that the lead pastor has some sense of the board’s expectations for his leadership. The lead pastor will want some opportunity to influence the shape of ministry, but it will take him some time to discern exactly what that should look like. By providing some basic goals the church board desires to achieve in the initial year, it enables him to direct his energies wisely. So as board chair you might need to encourage the board to share their direction and articulate two or three key ministry outcomes they consider important for the church to achieve in the next twelve months.

 

Personnel transitions create new challenges and new opportunities. As board chair you have a moment in time to implement some new ways of working and establish good relations with the new lead pastor. Taking some time to think carefully about this transition will repay considerable dividends.

68. When a Lead Pastor Resigns — the Implications for a Church Board Chair.

Published by Dr. Larry Perkins on March 7, 2011 in Board, Board Chair, Board Governance, Board Member and Senior Pastor. Closed Tags: , , .

Few events in the life of a church board chair are quite as breath-taking as the words of your lead pastor,”I want you to be the first to know that I am giving serious consideration to a pastoral position in another congregation.” And then when the chair receives the actual letter of resignation, life truly changes, both for the short and long term. Although each church group has different processes they follow when such major leadership transitions occur in a local church, for the board chair some of the challenges seem to be common in the experience of many. I will consider some of these challenges as they affect a chair personally and as they affect the role of church board chair during such transitions.

1. Personal challenges.

No matter how hard you try, if you have a reasonably good relationship with the lead pastor, then you are going to experience some negative feelings. While you want the best for your ministry colleague and know that for him to follow God’s will is the most important thing, you are going to feel let down, perhaps even angry and betrayed. So working through these feelings and working with your lead pastor to help him finish well will need certain attention and some grace.

Such transitions rarely happen at “convenient times” and so your schedule over the next few months, perhaps even as long as a year, will suddenly be filled with more matters requiring your attention than normally is the case. You will need to be careful that you do not become frustrated or overwhelmed by the increased demands. It might be helpful to see what aspects of your current responsibilities in the church, over and above your chairing, you might hand over to others for the time being. In other words try to create space to cope well.

Let your spouse know that you will be carrying some additional responsibilities and seek her help and understanding during this period. It may be that you will face some criticisms about your leadership as things move forward and when this happens, it is hard for your spouse to hear these things and not be upset. Of course, you too will need special spiritual resources so that you are able to respond well to all of the various changes and difficulties that will occur.

2. Challenges as Church Board Chair.

a. Ending the employment relationship well.

The church board has responsibility to ensure that the employment relationship with the lead pastor ends well. Because emotions may be somewhat roiled in this period, the board members need to make decisions based upon principles, both biblical and legal. Be fair in all financial matters, and do not be  afraid to error on the side of generosity. If the church has entered into specific agreements with the lead pastor (often these will relate to housing), then make sure that all details related to their resolution are handled appropriately. This may require legal advice or other technical expertise. If the church has supplied the pastor with a computer to support his work, then review the agreement related to that and follow the stipulations that will permit him to purchase it, should he so desire. As well, some congregational gathering should be arranged for people to express appreciation for the pastor and his wife for their leadership.

b. Getting Advice.

Take the time necessary to review your congregation’s policies regarding pastoral transitions and appointments. Understand the processes. If you need clarity, then seek advice either from a denominational resource person or a prior board chair or someone else you have confidence in. Most denominational offices will have good resources to assist you in such situations.

c. Preparing the church board.

It is wise to alert the board members to the lead pastor’s decision as soon as possible. Probably as well you should call for a special meeting of the board within the week. At this meeting you should share the letter of resignation. Your primary goals for this meeting will include:  reviewing church policies regarding how to proceed in the period of transition, what process is set out for seeking a replacement, and how to oversee the ministry of the congregation during this interim period. If the lead pastor was your primary employee, then more responsibility for day-to-day management will fall to the church board and its chair. If your church has an associate pastor, then you might consider asking that person to serve as interim lead pastor. However, if that person sees himself as a potential candidate for the role of lead pastor, it not be advisable to appoint that person as interim lead pastor.

The board will want to ensure that the pulpit ministry is sustained well, pastoral care within the congregation continues at a reasonable level, and that decisions regarding the administration of the congregation (i.e. supervision of other employees or volunteer ministry leaders, financial oversight, etc.) are being cared for.

If no one currently employed by the congregation is able to serve as interim lead pastor, then the church board will need to seek external help or make some other arrangement.

At this meeting the board should also determine what needs to be communicated to the congregation and how this will be done.

It would be advisable at the next meeting to review such things as the lead pastor’s position description, policies regarding moving expenses, salary expectations, housing issues, and also assess where the congregation stands in terms of its vision and what kind of pastoral leadership is going to be required in the coming decade to enable the congregation to flourish. If the bylaws require the appointment of a search committee, then the board should also discuss its mandate, its process, and its composition, so that it can be established as soon as possible. Consider as well what costs might be entailed in this process, i.e. advertising for candidates, costs for interviewing, costs to bring someone to candidate for the role, moving expenses, costs related to interim assistance, etc. While the congregation may save some money on salary during an interim period, it is wise to keep the salary budget in place to cover costs associated with the transition.

d. Communicating with the Congregation.

If there is one thing a board chair needs to oversee well, it is communication with the congregation during this period. Although the church board will not have all of the answers to every question, some formal communication from the board to the congregants will be necessary to assure them that the ministries of the church will continue, good leadership is in place, and that such transitions, while difficult, are normal in the life of a church. It would probably be wise for the church board to schedule a congregational meeting shortly after the lead pastor has completed all of his responsibilities in order to review with them the process the church will follow to discern their next lead pastor, indicate how the board is arranging interim leadership and answer questions that they may have. While you and other board members may have been through this kind of experience before, for some believers in your church this will be their first pastoral transition.

e. Dealing with unintended consequences.

Undoubtedly in this transition issues and questions will arise that are new. Some people may decide this is a time for them to leave as well and volunteer leadership resources may dwindle. Hopes will rise and be dashed as a promising candidate decides not to go through the process. Finances may experience some reduction. Other staff may decide that it is an appropriate time to make an employment change or become less responsive to supervision. Be wary of making other large scale changes during a transition period, unless they are deemed absolutely necessary. As chair you may discover one or two board members become more strident or more fractious in discussions as they seek to cope with the uncertainty and pressure. The more you can demonstrate faith in God’s timing and provision, clear understanding of process, and consistency in following policy, the more you will help the board to make good decisions and retain the confidence of the congregation in their leadership.

Finally, be careful of assuming that your authority has changed. You are still only the chair of the church board, unless and until that board decides otherwise and empowers you to expand the scope of your leadership.