Introduction

Any member on the Advent Hope Church Board accepts an important responsibility. This board has been charged by the members of Advent Hope with the operation of the church. With such an important responsibility, persons selected must individually portray in their personal and corporate life qualities of spirituality, fairness and good judgment.

Assumptions

As they enter their service, the board member should know that the church assumes:

1. That they accept this responsibility willingly. Only willing members can effectively perform the services that will be necessary.

2. That they are a loyal and faithful member of Advent Hope.

3. That they are faithful in their stewardship responsibilities in terms of time, talent, and financial means.

4. That they will seek the Lord for divine guidance and courage to make necessary decisions.

5. That they will be both ethical and professional in handling the information and decisions they will confront. The board member should be loyal to God, loyal to the pastor and elected leaders, and loyal to the members.

6. That they will put the interests of the church above any personal interest, rendering selfless service to the church and to Jesus.

7. That they will always remember the church’s mission in making decisions.

Suggestions for Effectiveness

1. Commitment. A deep, genuine commitment to the Lord Jesus is the most important part of the work on this board. Our minds are to be the link through which God communicates His will to this church, and members should spend time in earnest prayer before coming to each board meeting.

2. Participation. In his book, Guidelines for Committee and Board Members, Dr. Robert Firth states: “No doubt there are places where silence is golden, but not on a committee” (page 48). Still, “There are those who talk a great deal at committee meetings and say virtually nothing. They might call such talking participation, but few others would. Participation assumes the making of a worthwhile contribution to the discussion.” No member should be afraid to speak their conviction or disagree with others. This includes disagreeing with anyone, including the pastor. Everyone on the church board is equal. Some have a wider range of knowledge, but that should not stop anyone from expressing their own convictions. No one should be afraid to reveal they don't understand something: this is nothing to be ashamed of. Nor should they hold back an idea or motion because they are afraid it will be voted down. Some motions will be won and some lost. That’s democracy.

3. Information. Decisions are only as good as the information on which they are based. Members should insist on adequate information before voting. It is much better to postpone a decision than to rush into something with only partial, incomplete facts. The pastoral staff will do everything possible to give board members ALL the information available — even if it hurts. Each person has a right to any information they wish. Nothing is off limits. As a group, or personally, the pastoral staff and board chairman will make available anything they are asked for except confidential, personal information.

4. Respect and Trust. It is necessary to have an attitude of mutual respect and trust. Each member of this board was chosen because they have become known in the church for certain traits of leadership and areas of expertise. Unless we respect and trust one another, there will not be the free and open exchange that is necessary to good decision-making. If anyone has doubts and questions about the integrity or sincerity of any member of the board, including pastors, they should express it. They should ask questions, clear the air. This will make our work a joy as friendships develop. We are not adversaries, but teammates trying to win for God.

5. Honesty. Board members shouldn't play power games or seek to manipulate. They should avoid hidden agendas, as they can destroy trust. They should be honest, straightforward, and direct.

6. Decision Making. Board members should vote with their head, not their heart, making decisions based on facts, needs, and careful thinking, rather than on emotional reactions or past experience. They should avoid preconceived ideas or assumptions based on a bad experience or accumulated problems through the years. Above all, they should keep in mind the mission of the church in all their decisions.

7. Cultural Sensitivity. The board should filter all discussion and decisions through the viewpoint of diverse ethnic groups, respecting the historical background and special needs of others.

8. Wounded Feelings. Sometimes those who have never served on a church board are surprised at the candor, openness, and willingness to disagree with a fellow board member. But that is one thing that makes boards effective. Effective members do not “wear their feelings on their sleeves.” They come up with ideas knowing that they may be shot down and each member tries not to become personally involved with his/her own ideas and opinions. They realize that the open discussion in the board will expose weakness in arguments and ideas. This results in better decisions than those any member might develop alone. Another sensitivity comes from those who feel, “They never use my ideas.” But one person's ideas will undoubtedly stimulate the ideas of others, and thrown into the mix of all the ideas, theirs will be a part of the overall development even though their idea may not be the exact version of the finished product.

9. Handling of Board Decisions. When a decision is reached that involves members of the church, board members should not assume they are free to communicate that information. The pastor or another person will be assigned that responsibility by the board. EXAMPLE: Suppose the board votes to make a change in leadership of a ministry of the church. Someone tells a friend of theirs, who tells a friend, who tells the person in question, with whom the pastor has not yet made contact. It's easy to imagine how the person will feel, getting the information through an unofficial channel instead of the proper channel.

10. Confidentiality of Discussions. No member of the Church Board should be placed in the unenviable position of having a confidential statement they made in board come back to them on the telephone, street, or office. The various viewpoints may be reported, but it is unethical to mention names. After all, that person may have been persuaded by discussion, and ended up voting differently than what he or she expressed to the group earlier in the discussion.

11. Ministry Representation. Some people are members of the board because they represent a specific ministry of the church, such as music ministry or children’s ministry. Such board members are expected to be fully informed about the ministry they represent and to make sure the board is fully informed of the way that ministry will be affected by any action or decision the board is considering. However, the members of the Church Board are expected to represent the best interests of the entire church, without making every decision based on the priority of what would be best for the specific ministry or group with which they might be identified. They should look at the big picture and make decisions on what is best for the church as a whole.

12. Support of the Majority Vote. Quoting again from Dr. Firth: “Once a committee has given its group judgment to a problem and decided on a solution by a democratic majority vote, the dissenting individuals no longer have the right of dissent.” Consider the problem should a board member tell others: “I’m sorry the board decided the way they did. I certainly don’t agree and didn’t vote that way.” Immediately they have set themselves up against the board. Loyalty involves support even though it may not have been our first choice for the board to vote the way it did. Votes should remain confidential.

Duties of a Church Board Member:

What follows are some of the responsibilities of a Church Board Member:

Attendance

Attendance is very important at all board meetings. At times there will be valid reasons why someone cannot attend. If that is the case, they should notify the secretary or board chairman. We hope everyone will realize the importance of attendance and try their very best to be present at each meeting. If anyone is absent without notification for three consecutive meetings the board may vote to replace them.

Notice of Meetings

Each board member will receive a notice of the next meeting one to four weeks in advance. At its first board meeting, the board itself should establish a particular day of the month, such as the first Tuesday or second Thursday, when the board will meet, unless a different date is voted at one board meeting for the next board meeting.

Minutes

Minutes of each Church Board meeting will be mailed to members. Each board member should obtain a notebook for the purpose of keeping minutes. At times the minutes will contain privileged information (such as a personnel problem). We do ask that each member keep this book of minutes “for their eyes only.”

Budgets

A part of the work of the Church Board involves money. At each meeting we usually go through the financial statement, presented by the church treasurer. At first the statement may seem strange and unfriendly to someone without an accounting background. In time, the statement will begin to make sense and each member will be able to plot the financial course of the church.

Conflict of Interest

Even though most board members are not employees of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, every board member must avoid any conflict of interest that would result in personal favor or gain. An example of a conflict of interest would be if someone were to encourage and vote for the church to purchase a product or service from which they would profit, or voting for the church to discard or sell something below market value, that they might acquire and use to their advantage. Though our local church board members may not sign a conflict of interest statement, they are encouraged to read the North American Division Policy Statement on conflict of interest.

Program Evaluation

A major function of the Church Board is to evaluate the programs of the church. Programs that are proving ineffective will be reviewed by the board, and solutions will be sought. Those that continue to be ineffective will be discarded, while those proving effective will be encouraged and expanded. It is also the responsibility of the Church Board to see areas of need and suggest and implement programs that will meet those needs.

Policies

Advent Hope operates in harmony with the policies of the latest edition of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual. Every church board member should have access to the manual and be familiar with its policies. Many of the recommendations of the Church Manual leave considerable room for local church application and interpretation, and occasionally the church board may vote to depart from a recommendation of the manual on minor matters. But when there is no clear consensus among board members that a variance is within the spirit of the manual, the Church Manual’s recommendations will be followed.

Advent Hope is a part of the local conference of Seventh-day Adventists, and as such, operates in harmony with the policies of the conference. Our real property, the church building and all church equipment and furnishings, are held in the name of the local Association of Seventh-day Adventists. The conference and the Association are, in turn, governed by the local conference constituency, of which the members of Advent Hope are members.

Final Responsibility

In the final analysis, it is the responsibility of each board member to review all operations of the Advent Hope Church Board and to act on behalf of all the members. Given such an important assignment, their dedication to the church and this position is extremely important. As each member votes on issues that affect Advent Hope, its personnel, and all of its outreach, they should do so knowing that the Holy Spirit is ready to guide them.