I am going to make a case for the Single Board model of governance for a church. This model won’t work for every church, but I think it serves us better than the traditional model. What is the traditional model? The traditional model is where you might have anywhere from 5 to 25 committees. The chairs of each of these committees then serve on the church council (aka church board or leadership team).
What is the Single Board model? The single board model is where you have 9-12 members on a church council. These members then are assigned to sub-committees for Trustees, Finance, and SPRC (personnel). Here’s my reasons for why this is a better model for governing most churches:
Committees can see the Bigger Picture
In the Traditional model, folks are recruited to serve on a committee. The committee then selects a chairperson to sit on the church council where they are expected to represent the interests of their committee. The focus in this model is the committee.
In the Single Board model, folks are recruited to serve on the church council. Members of the church council are then expected to lead the various committees and represent the interests of the church council on these committees. The focus in this model is the church council which is in the best position to keep in mind the mission of the church.
All the Decision Makers are at the Table
In a Traditional model church, I remember being invited to meet with the chairs of Trustees, Finance, and SPRC because the church was considering selling their parsonage. Each committee had approved the sale as well as the District Superintendent. They were curious who else needs to approve this decision before they could bring it before the membership of the church for a vote. To have all these meetings took months and still people were wondering if a decision has been made. In the Traditional model, it seems like ALL committees have the power to say “No” to a decision, but NO committee has the authority to say “Yes.”
In the Single Board model, all the Finance Committee, Trustees, and SPRC meet during the church council meeting. If a decision is made at a church council meeting, a decision has actually been made. There is no waiting for other committees to weigh in on the decision.
Roles of Committees and Church Council/Board becomes Clear
In the Traditional model, each committee has a list of duties and responsibilities. Their job is to complete that list. For example, the Finance Committee has done a good job if they set a budget, provide for an audit, and address any financial policy issues. All the other committees have their own list. What is the role of the church council? The role of the church council tends to be to 1)hear committee reports on how well they are doing on their lists; 2)arbitrate conflict between committees their interests clash…usually when setting the annual budget; and 3)talk about (but rarely make a decision) larger issues that the church is facing. In the Traditional model, the church council is more of a guidance counselor than a boss.
In the Single Board model, the church council sets the priorities. The committees then work on those priorities. It is clear that the church council is the boss.
Disclaimer
In scripture, the guidelines for structuring a church are vague. It is clear that some people are to be trusted with leadership responsibilities. Sometimes those responsibilities are over the whole church. Sometimes those responsibilities are over a specific ministry of the church (e.g., feeding the widows).
No matter what structure is used, it is more important that the leaders are sincere believers full of the Holy Spirit. While I believe the Single Board model is the most effective way to govern most church, the Holy Spirit knows each individual church and can guide them towards the leadership structure that will best fulfill the Kingdom work assigned to that church.
Useful Links
- YouTube Playlist for Single Board Governance: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy3_Fkz8_LMqu7VBIX9fcKwUq7rIrtYPl
- Single Board Blog Post 1: https://jctaccounting.com/2020/02/11/single-board-governance-1-whats-the-problem/
- Single Board Blog Post 2: https://jctaccounting.com/2020/02/18/single-board-governance-2-whats-the-solution/
- Single Board Blog Post 3: https://jctaccounting.com/2020/02/25/single-board-governance-3-how-do-you-implement/
- John Wesley’s sermon on The Good Steward: http://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-sermons-of-john-wesley-1872-edition/sermon-51-the-good-steward/
- Transitional Book of Doctrines & Discipline: https://globalmethodist.org/what-we-believe/