The Lost Purposes of Church Board and Business Meetings
Church Board Meeting? or
Church Business Meeting?
Save yourself lots of headaches!
Know the difference in their purpose
and make sure your members know, too!
Obscurity about the distinction in purposes between the Church Board and the Church Business Meeting may result in disunity... or even mayhem! This distinction has been lost by many church leaders and congregations. If you have an antagonist or two in your congregation, ambiguity per the real purpose of both board and business meetings is like giving them live ammunition!
The remedy requires a thorough, unhurried, oft repeated education per the unique purpose of each. Once the distinction is clear to members, the need for rules of engagement basically boil down to no more than a few basics in Robert's Rules of Order, ...and the opportunities for antagonists to exploit such meetings diminish significantly.
Note the differences in purpose and intended outcome:
I. Church Business Meeting (SDA Church Manual, 2005 Ed., p. 89)
A. The primary purpose of Church Business Meetings (monthly or quarterly) is to INFORM and UPDATE the church per matters of membership, evangelism/outreach, finance, nurture/care, youth, church school, and community relations.
B. The primary intended outcome of Church Business Meetings is the creation of unity and trust by demonstrating the:
(1) integrity and commitment of elected/appointed leadership to the mission and vision of the church.
(2) actual progress of the church toward the health and growth of the Body
(3) actual progress of the church toward the advancement of the kingdom of God.
A. The primary purpose of Church Business Meetings (monthly or quarterly) is to INFORM and UPDATE the church per matters of membership, evangelism/outreach, finance, nurture/care, youth, church school, and community relations.
B. The primary intended outcome of Church Business Meetings is the creation of unity and trust by demonstrating the:
(1) integrity and commitment of elected/appointed leadership to the mission and vision of the church.
(2) actual progress of the church toward the health and growth of the Body
(3) actual progress of the church toward the advancement of the kingdom of God.
Note: All official members of your local church may attend and vote at business meetings. Trust and unity between members of the Body are built upon healthy relationships between themselves AND church officers/leaders. The quality of these relationship evolves through quality AND quantity of time spent together. Regular church Business Meetings help build those relationships of trust and unity when the purpose of such meetings is understood and implemented.
II. Church Board Meeting (SDA Church Manual, 2005 Ed., pp. 91, 92)
A The primary purpose of the church board meeting (at least once per month) is "the spiritual nurture of the church and the work of planning and fostering evangelism in all it phases."
The board accomplishes this by providing:
1. healthy, loving accountability to officers, departmental, and ministry leaders,
2. decision-making, resources, empowerment, plans/strategies, schedules, coordination, encouragement for/by/to leaders to accomplish the spiritual nurture of the church and evangelism of the community
3. management to the details of church business.
Note (per Church Manual, p.92):
"The church board should permit no other business to interfere with planning for evangelism. Should other business be too time-consuming, the board may appoint committees to care for specific areas of church business, such as finance or church building projects. Such committees will then make recommendations to the church board. In this way the resources, of the board are conserved for its primary task—evangelism."
If there's going to be a debate over some church matter, it really should occur in the church board meeting (as opposed to Business Meeting), or even better, one of the Church Board sub-committees.
Church members should know that it is their prerogative to have an idea, concern, or suggestion placed on the church board agenda and that they may be physically present to share, clarify, and/or create enthusiasm for their item. When it's time for the church board to vote or or hold confidential discussion, it may go into executive session, which is restricted to official board members only.
B. The primary intended outcome of the church board is to get the mission of the church done!
A The primary purpose of the church board meeting (at least once per month) is "the spiritual nurture of the church and the work of planning and fostering evangelism in all it phases."
The board accomplishes this by providing:
1. healthy, loving accountability to officers, departmental, and ministry leaders,
2. decision-making, resources, empowerment, plans/strategies, schedules, coordination, encouragement for/by/to leaders to accomplish the spiritual nurture of the church and evangelism of the community
3. management to the details of church business.
Note (per Church Manual, p.92):
"The church board should permit no other business to interfere with planning for evangelism. Should other business be too time-consuming, the board may appoint committees to care for specific areas of church business, such as finance or church building projects. Such committees will then make recommendations to the church board. In this way the resources, of the board are conserved for its primary task—evangelism."
If there's going to be a debate over some church matter, it really should occur in the church board meeting (as opposed to Business Meeting), or even better, one of the Church Board sub-committees.
Church members should know that it is their prerogative to have an idea, concern, or suggestion placed on the church board agenda and that they may be physically present to share, clarify, and/or create enthusiasm for their item. When it's time for the church board to vote or or hold confidential discussion, it may go into executive session, which is restricted to official board members only.
B. The primary intended outcome of the church board is to get the mission of the church done!
CONCLUSION:
There is a significant and intentional difference between the purpose of the church board meeting and the church business meeting. Your church can potentially reap rich dividends - both qualitatively and quantitatively - by intentionally implementing their intended, distinctive purpose. The corporate benefits may include increased unity, balance, focus, health, growth, accountability, communication, and active commitment to the mission and vision of the church.
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