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Simplified Accountable Leadership BoardFrequently Asked Questions and Answers – September 1, 2019What will this look like?A unified Leadership Board of twelve people where the whole group would handle the responsibilities of our current administrative committees (Church Council, Trustees, Staff Parish Relations, and Finance). Leadership Board members would serve staggered three-year terms for greater continuity. We would still have Work Teams (Facilities, Worship, Bereavement, Care, Hospitality, etc.) and task forces.Why change? What advantages does a Simplified Accountable Board model have over our current structure?Mission-alignment: Synchronizes and aligns all the church’s ministries with the mission, vision, and goals. Holistic, missionally-aligned decision-making becomes possible as leaders now have a better understanding of all aspects of the church (Currently committees are often forced to make decisions without knowing the goals or plans of the other committees or the impacts decisions will have on other areas).Efficiency: Removes bureaucratic redundancies allowing good decisions to be made quicker to take advantage of ministry opportunities or to deal with challenging situations as they arise (Currently, ideas can spend months or years making multiple stops in the permission cycle).Process Clarity: Creates a clearer, consistent decision-making process (Currently due to our complexity, leaders often feel like they are making up processes on the run which often means a lack of consistency in how decisions are made).Greater transparency: All board meetings are open to the congregation and meeting minutes are posted on the church website. Greater lay involvement in the creation, adherence, and achievement of the mission, vision and goals: Keeps us from falling in the trap of being pastor-centered.Greater lay involvement in ministry rather than meetings: A disciple has never been made in an administrative meeting.Greater accountability: When everyone is in charge, no one is actually held responsible.Where did this idea come from?Many United Methodist churches are going to a streamlined form of congregational governance which they have found to be more effective. Annual Conferences across the denomination are encouraging this development as they see the advantages of?lean, more strategic church leadership needed in the 21st century. Simplifying church structures helps create an environment where ministry can thrive. In one sense, the United Methodist Church is beginning to catch up with common good governance practices already used in the non-profit sector.Is this allowed by United Methodist Church rules?The 2016 Book of Discipline (paragraph 247.2) wisely provides for each local church to devise its own structure as long as certain basic provisions are followed. North Georgia UMC churches are encouraged to develop a church management structure that best serves the mission and ministry of the congregation in accordance with the?Book of Discipline?and in conversation with the people of the church and our District Superintendent. What is the process for approving a different system of governance?After multiple Town Hall style meetings (September 8 at 12:10pm in the Sanctuary, September 15 at 9:30am in the Sanctuary, September 22 at 12:00pm in Huffine Hall) to properly educate the congregation, our District Superintendent will lead a Church Conference of all members Sunday, September 29 at 12:00pm in the Sanctuary. A super majority (two-thirds) is suggested for approval.If approved, when would the new Leadership Board begin work?January 1, 2020Who would decide who is on the new Leadership Board?We would still have a Committee on Nominations that would recommend Leadership Board Members to the annual Charge Conference for approval. Church members can self-nominate themselves or others to the Committee on Nominations for consideration.Won’t this place too much power in the hands of just a few people?While this will place a lot of responsibility upon a few people, the unified board assures greater accountability and transparency in decision making and commitment to our mission. Church members would now know exactly how decisions are made and who makes them. Church members would know who to speak to if they have ideas or concerns. The current United Methodist Church administrative structure can sometimes lead to an unhealthy control of power by either pastors, staff, cliques within the church, or ministry teams operating within a “silo.”How will 12 people ever find the time and energy to accomplish the work that previously required four committees?This change is not simply a structure change but also an adaptive change. The name “Simplified Accountable” is instructive. The board will be trained in good governance practices common today in successful churches and non-profits. The Leadership Board is responsible for strategic governance and accountability, not micro-managing and carrying out ministry. Work Teams, pastors, and staff will be responsible for the majority of the day-to-day operations of the church.How will the church membership know what work the board is doing?All board meetings will be open for everyone to attend. Agendas and minutes of each meeting will be posted on the church website.What if an incoming pastor doesn’t like this model?Itinerant pastors in the North Georgia Conference are very used to adapting to “the way things work” in each new church. Even with the current structure, each church has a unique way that things get done. Also, many churches are moving to this new model, so it is possible a new pastor will come from a church with this structure. As the Leadership Board grows to own a particular vision for our church’s future, it will be easier to share with the District Superintendent in the consultation process what type of pastor the Conference should assign to the church. The Leadership Board should actually help the church continue a more consistent vision from pastor to pastor. ................
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