Category Archives: Board Governance

85. Book Review # 6: “Transforming Church Boards into Communities of Spiritual Leaders” by Charles Olsen (Alban Institute, 2001).

Charles Olsen writes as a seasoned “church renewalist” who has a special passion to enable church boards  understand themselves as spiritual communities who are “inspirational to the congregations they lead” (xvi). He speaks from a wealth of research directed particularly … (read the rest)

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84. The Challenge of “Friendship” for a Church Board Chair

In a recent column on “Governance and Sustainability” in the National Post (July 5,2011) Shaun Francis and John Kelleher reflect on lessons learned ten years after the collapse of Enron Corp. According to Shaun and Kelleher, one of the findings … (read the rest)

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83. “Respect” — The Golden Rule in Church Board Relationships

In numerous publications dedicated to helping non-profit boards do their work effectively the writers often mention the importance of mutual respect among the board members as a critical element. As well, respect, along with trust, oils the relationship between the … (read the rest)

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82. “Best Practices” Are No Guarantee of Good Board Stewardship.

In the last decade church boards have given significant attention to discerning and implementing various “best practices.” The testimonies of many who have taken these practices seriously and applied them wisely reveals their potential significant benefit. I know, because I … (read the rest)

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81. A Church Board Code of Ethics — An Important Tool in the Chair’s Toolkit

A church board chair employs many different ‘tools’  in order to help a church board maximize its capacity for good governance. These include careful agendas, communication skills, attention to process, board evaluations, and board policies. One tool which seems to … (read the rest)

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