Church boards. They are one of the common realities of local bodies of believers around the world. Regardless of size, theology, or governance structures, formal church leadership plays a key role in the relative health or even un-health of local churches. Even your church.

Some churches are heavy on the paid pastor influence and light on the volunteer elder or deacon influence. Others are church-board dominant in leadership style and pastors become an extension of the will of that board. Still others have no paid pastor and all leadership is voluntary.

Some churches have clear written expectations of their pastor and their boards. Some may know those expectations. Others will learn over time what the role actually entails. While the criteria and qualifications of Elders and Deacons are clear in Scripture, the actual roles and expectations of those who inhabit such titles are often not so clear.

Further, there is often very little time spent cultivating and equipping board members and other formal leadership within the church. Even as the qualifications may be clear, what skill sets are needed or need to be cultivated?

The understandable tyranny of the urgent in the life of most churches tends to shape our roles, our board meetings, and our engrained habits of what it means to be a leader in our local churches. And then there is the politics—no church is exempt—that can often throw off even the most intentional church leadership even if only commanding an inordinate amount of time and energy managing expectations.

The privilege, struggle, and opportunity are all very real. Jump into this timely conversation as we talk through these subjects—and many more—together.