I am currently the chairman for the LCMS Rocky Mountain District Constitution Committee as well as president of our congregation. Several years ago our congregation switched polity from boards to policy based governance. Point about board based governance, it has not always been the norm for the LCMS, in fact it became popular only after World War II where it was used frequently. Policy based governance has gained more popularity recently mainly due to younger generations not wanting to commit to long term situations such as boards but would rather do events as they take up only a specific time.
With policy based governance however comes the need to organize and schedule events and actions by someone. In large congregations this is usually done by church staff, in smaller churches it can still be accomplished by volunteers but usually directed by the pastor.
In either case, the LCMS congregations typically have designated "Voters" as the overall control over its operations with a church council, board of directors or other sub organization that handles more of the day to day things and planning. Usually the congregation's constitution outlines who it is (including membership) while the bylaws outlines how they intend to operate. A note of caution here, put only essential descriptions in the constitution and bylaws while placing other detail in a policy or operations manual. It should be more difficult to modify a constitution or bylaw while a policy or operations could be readily changed to meet current circumstances.
I can provide more information and discussion if anyone is interested.
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James Greer
Peace Lutheran; Arvada, CO
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-24-2023 11:30 AM
From: Kurt Senske
Subject: Your congregation's board governance practices/structure
Recently I have received several phone calls from pastors and lay leaders asking questions about what is the appropriate board governance structure for a congregation? My answer includes that every congregation is unique with its own history, culture, size, and ministries and so there is no one uniform model that fits all sizes. I would love to hear from you about what works and what maybe doesn't work with respect to your congregation. A great resource for those who are interested is St. Louis Seminary David Peter's new book, Organizing for Ministry and Mission (CPH).
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Dr. Kurt Senske
Author - The CEO and the Board: The Art of Nonprofit Governance as a Competitive Advantage
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