Governance, Finances and Staff

Good Governance = Good Ministry

Good Governance = Good Ministry

Many of our larger congregations (550+)  have adopted a form of Policy-based governance, as first articulated by John and Miriam Carver.  When first introduced, questions were raised about how this style of governance was compatible with congregational polity and our commitment to the democratic process.  Congregants were worried that adopting such a process would remove their right to make the most important decisions about their own congregation. I’ve served four congregations who have adopted this form of governance.  I prefer to call this “Shared Governance,” because there are overlapping circles of engagement between a congregation, their elected leaders and their senior leadership team. In the reflection below, I explore the three roles involved in Shared Governance, with the first being:

The Congregation’s Role: When governance is done well, the congregation is involved in the most important decisions that determine their future.  They are the ones that give feedback to the Board about the Ends of the Church.  Laura Park, Executive Director of Unity Church and Unity Consulting says it this way:

“Congregations and institutions that make a real difference in the world first articulate the core values that guide all their work, the mission that flows from those values and the specific differences in lives that will advance the mission.  These values, mission and ends statements fit together like nested bowls, each building upon the other to ground the work of the congregation in shared purpose and meaning.”   The Nested Bowls: The Promise and Practice of Good Governance, Laura Park.

An example of one set of Ends Statements can be found here.  These statements were drawn from a series of small group conversations with the congregation, crafted by the Board of Trustees and affirmed by the congregation.  They are reviewed and revised on a regular basis, always circling back to the congregation for deep conversation about the next set of ends/goal statements.

The congregation asserts their authority over several key areas of church life, such as: to provide input that leads to the congregation’s ends statements; to call or to dismiss a called minister; vote to hold a capital campaign; to elect officers;and  to make decisions that will affect the church’s future health and vitality.  In a shared governance model, the congregation does not become involved in the day to day operations of the church.  That responsibility is generally delegated to Senior Leadership, who supervise and provide annual evaluations for staff.

The Board’s Role: The Board’s role is to create policies that give direction to the Senior Minister, Leadership/Executive Team.  The Board then monitors progress on those goals through monthly reports and in on-going conversation about how the senior leadership is interpreting and acting on those goals.  The Board’s job is both financial responsibility and monitoring the work of leaders delegated by the Board. When governance is working well, it frees the Board to do the work that the Board is uniquely qualified to do: make decisions about the mission, vision and financial health of the institution.

The Senior Minister | Leadership Team’s Role:

In each of the congregation’s I’ve served who have adopted Shared Governance, I’ve been part of a Leadership Team, who reports to the Board as one body.  The role of the Leadership Team is to determine how the ends/goals of the church should be implemented.  Is it through programs offered to the church?  Through worship and religious education?  Through education and training?  The Leadership Team reports monthly to the Board, with both Board and the Leadership Team reviewing how progress on these shared goals is being made. The Leadership Team asks for feedback and advice from the Board, but assuming the Leadership Team acts within an agreed upon boundary, the Leadership team is given the freedom to implement those ends/goals as they see best for the congregation.

At its best, Shared Governance enables the congregation, the Board and the Leadership Team to act effectively and efficiently all within the congregation’s stated vision, mission and goals.

The Interim Minister and Finances

A well-intentioned, but unhelpful belief is that the minister should be protected from knowing the financial affairs of the congregation, and focus primarily on preaching, teaching and pastoral care. While it’s true that many ministers are not trained to be accountants or bookkeepers, it is our responsibility, especially when functioning as head of staff, or as chief executive officer, to be held accountable for the overall financial health of the institution. I would expect to work closely with the financial manager, treasurer, bookkeeper and/or Business Administrator to be informed about the budget and provide input and opinions about the budget needs for the upcoming year.

I would expect to be knowledgeable about the congregation’s endowment and be involved in fundraising, stewardship and building; as well as cultivating gifts and donations to the congregation on a regular and on-going basis. I would expect to review policies around spending and make recommendations to the Board for any new policies required to ensure the health and vitality of the institution. I do this not only because I see it as part of a minister’s job, but because finances are inextricably linked to what we value. I believe people value their congregations and the benefits they receive from them highly. It’s my job to help them to make the connection between their values and how well and how often they support the institution they care about.

Working w/ Colleagues

In the last four  Interims (Fox Valley, Annapolis, All Souls, Unity Church-Unitarian)  I have been hired as the Senior Interim Minister.  In all three congregations I have worked closely with colleagues.

At Unity Church Unitarian, I supervised the Minister of Congregational Care and was a member of a three-person Executive Team, consisting of the Executive Director, the Director of Faith Formation and the Interim Senior MInister.

At All Souls in DC, I was a member of the Executive Team, consisting of the Executive Director and the Interim Senior Minister.  We both reported directly to the Board, speaking with one voice as the Executive Team.  I also supervised two colleages; the Minister of Social Justice and the Minister of Congregational Care.  “Supervised” is technically true; but our relationship was one of collaboration and colleagiality.

At the UU Church of Annapolis, I began as the Interim Senior who supervised the Associate Minister, Rev. John Crestwell.  Within a year into that ministry, it became clear to both Rev. Crestwell and to me that we should work as co-equal colleagues.  This model became the inspiration afor UUCA to call a colleague of equal standing to work with Rev. Crestwell as part of a ministerial team.

At Fox Valley UU Fellowship in Appleton, WI, I was hired to serve the more traditional role of Senior Minister, working with Rev. Leah Ongiri (nee Hart-Landsberg), and the Finance Director.

Working with Staff

There’s an adage about how the church is managed: that the people “run” the church; and the ministers “do” the ministry. It’s another one of those well-intentioned beliefs–that if the lay members run the day to day operations of the church, this would naturally free up the minister to do the “ministry.” 

However, over the years, I’ve seen the wisdom of another adage:  that the staff (including the minister(s) run the church, to enable members to find and embody the ministry which they, the laity, are inspired to enact in their daily lives.   In other words, the minister focuses their efforts on helping members become grounded through spiritual practice; articulate in theological language and empowered to practice those values in their personal lives and in the public sphere.  

Ministers and staff working collaboratively together  make the ministry of the laity possible.The minister, working in collaboration with a team of dedicated and professional staff, (which can include both employees and volunteers) can help to make the church run efficiently and well.  A well-run church provides both stability and trust among its members.  

Your Staff is part of the Transition too!

This may be stating the obvious, but sometimes congregations are so focused on congregational life that they may not fully known how this transition affects staff.  The care and feeding of church staff is an important task for the interim time.   One of the first things I do when I enter a new church system is to meet individually with each staff member,  review their job descriptions, discuss their goals for the year, and discuss what they need to feel good about their work.

I am comfortable serving as head of staff, however, I have also experienced the supervison of staff being handled capably by an Executive or Administrative Director.

Relationship w/ Previous Minister

All four of my interim placements followed the ministry of  long-term and beloved ministers; Revs. Rob and Janne Eller-Isaacs (Unity Church-Unitarian); Rev. Rob Hardies (All Souls, Washington DC) Rev. Rev. Fred Muir (UUCA, Annapolis, MD.) and Rev. Roger Bertchausen (FVUUF, Appleton, WI) Their departures were marked with both sadness at the loss of their minister; and joy as they moved into another chapter of their lives. Former ministers of a congregation and the interims generally meet to discuss their departure and any unfinished business that the interim should know about.  In each congregation, I brought a different personality, style and perspective than the previous ministers, while at the same time, honoring their legacy and the important traditions of the congregation.

Generally, the former minister agrees to refrain from regular contact with members of the congregation or staff and will notify the interim minister of requests for rites of passage.  This allows for both the minister and the congregation to let go of one another, to allow a new ministry to emerge.  As a former minister of a settled congregation, I know how hard it is to leave a congregation you’ve known, loved and served for many years.  As an interim minister, I also know how important that break is for both the minister and congregation.  When ministers build a relationship around a covenant and mutual trust, everyone benefits.   One of my first actions as your interim would be to establish a covenant with your former minister so that we (interim, former minister and congregation) are clear about the expectations of each going forward.