Effective Church Ministries: Why Church Governance Matters?€¦ · into how, why and by whom...

transcript

Effective Church Ministries: Why Church Governance Matters?

- Church Governance “Study Team” Updates

Presented by FBC Church Governance “Study” Team March 2, 2014

Outline

• Introduction

• Current FBC Formal and Informal Church Governance and Its Effectiveness

• Different Church Governance Models and Their “Pros-and-Cons”

• Next Steps

• Question-and-Answer Time

• Closing Prayer

Reintroduce the Church Governance Team

• Our team is divided into two sub-teams for different tasks:

Sub-team #1 – Understanding our current church governance and evaluating its effectiveness

• Chris Gaby (931-260-8751; tngaby@gmail.com)

• Jack Mattson (931-526-5923; jwmattson@frontiernet.net)

• Joe Church (931 261-8570 or jwchurch@citlink.net)

Sub-team #2 – Understanding the biblical pattern for church governance as well as the pros and cons of different congregational church governance forms • Steve Sharpe (931-260-7517; stevesharpe123@hotmail.com)

• John Zhu (931-525-6129; jzhu@tntech.edu)

• Team Email- cgteam@fbccookeville.org

• Website – http://www.fbccookeville.org/news/, look for updates under Church Governance

Why Church Governance Study Now?

Team Bible Verse: “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of

hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father” - 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Team Mission Statement: "Our Team’s mission is to undertake a review of our current way of making

decisions and measuring their effectiveness. We will strive to give greater insight into how, why and by whom decisions are being made. With input and assistance from the Church, we will lead a review of our Church Governance and its relationship to our current Constitution & By-laws. The Team will lead a step by step study, looking for ways to simplify and clarify authority, responsibility and accountability in both the Ministry and the Business of our Church family. The Team will formulate recommendations for improving the effectiveness of our Church’s efforts in Ministry and the Business of the Church. These recommendations will be presented to, discussed with and submitted to the Church body for consideration and adoption."

• It appears that our current governance structure is not consistent and not working effectively.

• Our team was commissioned by the Deacon Body to lead this study.

Outline

• Introduction

• Next Steps

• Closing Prayer

Understanding of FBC Church Governance

• Studied our church Constitution & By-Laws

• Collected information about various church committee documents and church staff job description

• Met and discussed with several important church committees (personnel, nomination, etc.)

• Compared the formal and informal FBC church governance

• Evaluating the effectiveness of our church governance

Formal Governance Structure - First Baptist Church

GUIDING DOCUMENTS

Constitution

Bylaws

o Policies, Manuals, and Procedures

Constitution - Article VI – Policy and Relationships

“The government of this church is vested in the body of believers who compose it. Persons duly received by the members shall constitute the membership. All internal groups created and empowered by the church shall report to and be accountable only to the church, unless otherwise specified by church action”

This “action” is formalized in the Bylaws adopted by the church.

By-Laws - Article II – Church Leaders

“The leaders of the church shall consist of senior pastor, other ministerial staff, deacons, moderator, church clerk, parliamentarian, financial leaders, trustees and other lay leaders”

These “leaders” and their roles and responsibilities are generally

spelled out in the remainder of Article II.

Who are the “other lay leaders” as named or mentioned in the

Bylaws and how do they relate to the governance of the church? 9

Bylaws - Article IV– Church Council

“The church Council shall lead the church in planning, correlating, coordinating, conducting, and evaluating the ministries and programs of the church and its organizations. All matters agreed upon by the Church Council which call for action not already approved will be referred to the church for approval”

Bylaws - Article V– Church Committees

“The church shall establish such standing and ad hoc committees, as it deems necessary to fulfil its stated mission. Much of the work of the church is carried out through committees, who work closely with the ministerial staff and make regular reports and bring recommendations to the church at business meetings”

By-Laws - Article V – Church Committees cont.

The two committees listed in Article V are the Committee on Committees and the Nominating Committee

• Nominating Committee nominates the members and the chairperson for the Committee on Committees and presents them to the church for approval

• The Committee on committees nominates the members to the nominating committee and all other committees

By-Laws - Article VIII– Church Operations Manual

Formal and Informal Governance Structure - First Baptist Church

“A Church Operation Manual shall be kept in and maintained by the church office. It will include such things as Church Policies and Procedures Manual, Church Committee Manual, Personal Policy Manual, Deacon Manual, Constitution, Bylaws, and other information relevant to the smooth operation of church functions.

…… The Church Operations Manual will be reviewed annually by the Constitution and Bylaws Committee.”

Personnel Organization Structure

Authority, Accountability and Responsibility

Establishing the organization chart of who reports to whom?

How is or was it established?

How and when is this structure changed and under what authority?

Where does the “accountability” within and without the structure lie?

Is there a better approach to balance authority,

accountability, and responsibility?

Current FBC Organization Chart

Student Intern

Senior Pastor

Patricia Fuller Pastor’s Secretary

Steve Farris Asst. Pastor for

Adult Ed. & Missions

Mike Head Assoc. Pastor for

Administration

Bill Stone Assoc. Pastor of Family Life

Todd Arnold Minister of Music

Alex Melton Minister of Youth

& Collegiate

Barbara Clouse

Administrative Asst. Finance

Linda Venturino Receptionist & Education Asst.

Colleen Cox

Publications & Recr. Coord.

Cleaning Personnel

Kitchen Staff

Mother’s Day Out

Nursery Workers

Media Crew

Bobbie Gist

Adm. Asst. Music

James Hammons Music Intern

Instrumentalists

Student Intern

Outline

• Introduction

• Next Steps

• Closing Prayer

Congregationalism Defined

• Throughout the church history, there have been swings from a form of governance to another, mainly in an effort to mitigate the drawbacks of the earlier one.

• Baptists believe that each local congregation should govern itself under the lordship of Jesus Christ in the form of congregationalism.

• Two major themes of congregationalism:

• Democracy: the right of the individual church member to take part in the decision-making process through voting. Each church member has the same authority as any other member.

• Autonomy: each individual church has the authority and the right to stand alone. No other body has the right to make decisions for the local church.

Church Officers Mentioned in NT

• According to the NT, there are two officers in a local church, elders and deacons, which is also reflected in Baptist Faith & Message.

XII. The Gospel Church

A church of Christ is a

congregation of baptized

believers, …., and

privileges invested in them

by his word, and seeking to

extend the gospel to the

ends of the earth. Its

Scriptural officers are

bishops, or elders, and

deacons.

VI. The Church

……

This church is an

autonomous body,

operating through

democratic processes

under the Lordship of

Jesus Christ. In such a

congregation, members

are equally responsible.

Its Scriptural officers are

pastors and deacons.

VI. The Church

In such a congregation

each member is

responsible and

accountable to Christ as

Lord. Its scriptural officers

are pastors and deacons.

While both men and women

are gifted for service in the

church, the office of pastor

is limited to men as

qualified by Scripture.

1963 Version 2000 Version 1925 Version

Comparison of 1925, 1963 and 2000 Baptist Faith and Message Regarding Church Officers

Different Names Used for Elders in NT

• The titles of elders, bishop (overseer), and pastor (shepherd) are different names for the same office, designating different functions/aspects of the ministry. (“Christian Theology,” M. Erickson)

• When addressing the elders of Ephesus (Acts 20) Paul advised, “keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers (bishops). Be shepherds (pastors) of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood.”

• 1 Peter 5 incorporates the title of elder(s) with the function of shepherding (pastoring) the flock and exercising oversight (bishop/overseer) and by doing so by setting the right example.

• Different functions of elders as reflected by the titles:

• Elder – emphasizing the spiritual maturity of the office;

• Overseer or bishop – leadership and direction for the church;

• Pastor – feeding, nurturing, and protecting the flock 19

Two Typical Models of Congregational Church Governance that Baptist Churches Adopt

“Systematic Theology”, Wayne Grudem, 1994

Pastor

D D D D D D D

Deacon Board

Congregation

Single Elder (Pastor)-Led Congregational Plural Elder-Led Congregational

E E E E* E E E

Congregation

* Pastor

D D D D D D D

Deacon Board

“Pros-and Cons” of Single Elder-led Church

Pastor

D D D D D D D

Deacon Board

Congregation

Single Elder-Led Congregational Church

• Pros • Generally more expeditious

• Clear command structure

• Potential fast growth of the church in number if pastor is gifted

• Cons

• Prone to criticism

• Heavy burden upon pastor

• Any weaknesses/deficiencies that the pastor has will be amplified because of his position

• Lack of accountability

• Continuity if pastor leaves

• Lack of member involvement in decision-making 21

Single Elder-led Church – FBC Cookeville Version

Senior

Pastor

D D D D D D D

Deacon Board

Congregation

Current FBC Model

Associates

Committees

• Limited congregation participation at business meetings and other events

• Many times, the pastor/church staff is the de facto leader of a committee, due to some committee weaknesses: Too many committees

Lack of transparency in identifying & selecting new members

Difficulty in filling the committee positions

Lack of committee training

Lack of committee continuity

• Deacons, though an office in FBC, do not make decisions.

Plural Elder-Led Congregational Church

• Pros • Complements the Pastor's gifts, making

up for any personal weaknesses

• Shared burden, accountability with fellow elders

• Less exposure to criticism

• Provides stability to the church

• Giving leadership opportunities to qualified church members

• Allows the church’s deacons to fulfill their original calling

• Cons • More time spent in decision-making

• Who and how are they chosen?

• Willingness/calling of those qualified

• Responsibilities of elders to be defined

“Pros-and Cons” of Plural Elder-led Church

E E E E* E E E

Congregation

* Pastor

D D D D D D D

Deacon Board

Accountability: Importance of “Counsel”

• Prov 1:5 “A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.”

• Prov 11:14 “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”

• Prov 15:22 “Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established.”

• Prov 27:9 “Ointment and perfume delight the heart, and the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel.”

• Prov 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”

Accountability: Strength in Plurality

• Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 - “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, Two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Elders and Plurality

• Plurality of elders in each congregation is a pattern of the New Testament churches. We know of no New Testament church that had a single elder. On the other hand, we know many churches with a plurality of elders.

• In almost every reference in the New Testament, the term for “elders” is found in plural. Some examples: • Acts 14: 23 Paul “appointed elders for them in every church”;

• James 5:14 “Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil ….”;

• 1 Peter 5:1 “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings”

• There are a few exception, though. The use of singular form either talks about some issues with one elder, or indicating a specific elder. • 1 Timothy 5:19 “Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the

evidence of two or three witnesses”;

• 2 John 1: “The elder (John), To the lady chosen by God and to her children” 26

The Unique Role of Pastor in a Plural Elder-Led Church: The Principle of “First-Among-Equals”

• The elder structure of government is a collective leadership in which each elder shares equally the position, authority, and responsibility of the office.

• However, all elders are not equal in their giftedness, biblical knowledge, leadership ability, or experience. Therefore, those among the elders who are particularly gifted leaders and/or teachers will naturally stand out among the other elders as leaders and teachers within the leadership body. (1 Tim 5:17) This is what the Romans called primus inter pares, which means "first among equals”. Usually, the pastor is naturally the first among equals.

• The advantages of the principle of "first among equals“:

• Allows for functional, gift-based diversity within the eldership team without creating an official, superior office over fellow elders.

• Shared leadership can achieve high efficiency through this principle. 27

What are the next steps?

• It appears that the plural elder-led model is the most biblical and has great benefits, according to the results of our team study.

• Based on that, the following are our next steps:

• Furthering our team study on the church governance models

• Getting as many church members as possible involved in the process (Deacon Retreat, Sunday School Study, etc.)

• According to our project timeline, our next milestone will be: define what a plural-elder governance model would look like in practice and formulate our recommendations to the church.

• Next town hall meeting – May, 2014

• Your participation/inputs are essential for the success of our efforts

• Call us, email us, attend regular team meetings, or stop us for a discussion/comment

• Read one or all of the following books related to church governance and provide us your feedbacks: “Who Runs the Church? - 4 Views on Church Government”, by Steven Cowan,

Stanley Gundry, Peter Toon, and L. Roy Taylor, Zondervan, 2004.

“Perspectives on Church Governance: Five Views”, edited by R. Stanton Norman and Chad Brand, B&H Academic, 2004.

“Elders and Leaders: God’s Plan for Leading the Church”, by G. Getz, Moody, 2004.

“Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Leadership”, Alexander Strauch, Lewis and Roth, 1995 (Recommended by Bro. Stow)

“Elders in Congregational Life: Rediscovering the Biblical Model for Church Leadership”, Phil Newton, Kregel Ministry, 2005. (The author is a pastor of South Woods Baptist Church, Memphis, TN and an adjunct professor of several schools.)

“Why Elders?”, Benjamin Merkle, Kregel Publishers, 2009. (The author is a professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.)

Your Inputs Needed!!

Questions?

Closing Prayer

• Attend the coming town hall meeting and our regular church governance team meetings

Next town hall meeting: May, 2014

Check First Chronicles for team meeting updates

• Call us, email us, or stop us for a discussion/comment

• Steve Sharpe (931-260-7517; stevesharpe123@hotmail.com)

• Chris Gaby (931-260-8751; tngaby@gmail.com)

• John Zhu (931-525-6129; jzhu@tntech.edu)

• Jack Mattson (931-526-5923; jwmattson@frontiernet.net)

• Joe Church (931 261-8570 or jwchurch@citlink.net)

• Team Email- cgteam@fbccookeville.org

• Website – http://www.fbccookeville.org/news/, look for updates under Church Governance

• Read one or all of the following books related to church governance and provide us your feedbacks:

“Who Runs the Church? - 4 Views on Church Government” , by Steven Cowan, Stanley Gundry, Peter Toon, and L. Roy Taylor, Zondervan, 2004.

“Perspectives on Church Governance: Five Views”, edited by R. S. Norman & C. Brand, B&H Academic, 2004.

“Elders and Leaders: God’s Plan for Leading the Church”, by G. Getz, Moody, 2004. (Recommended by Bro. Stow)

“Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Leadership”, Alexander Strauch, Lewis and Roth, 1995. (Recommended by Bro. Stow)

“Elders in Congregational Life: Rediscovering the Biblical Model for Church Leadership”, Phil Newton, Kregel Ministry, 2005. (The author is a pastor of South Woods Baptist Church, Memphis, TN and an adjunct professor at several schools.)

“Why Elders?”, Benjamin Merkle, Kregel Publishers, 2009. (The author is a professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.)

“Nine Marks of a Healthy Church”, Mark Dever, Crossway, 2004.

Information Sheet for Church Governance “Study” Team

Effective Church Ministries: Why Church Governance Matters?€¦ · into how, why and by whom...

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