Onboarding Your Next Board/Council Members
You are a couple of months away from your next Annual General Meeting. Soon, you will go through the nomination/selection process for new board/council members. Interviewing candidates is a priority task. Even if you have only one candidate, one is enough to take the time.
An interview is a step you can take to help yourself, new members, and the function of your board excel.
INTERVIEW
Have you ever heard yourself saying the following in a meeting with a nominee for your board/council:
The time commitment is not onerous. The board/council doesn’t meet that often, and if need be, you can “zoom in.”
This is a great board/council!
The other members are terrific.
There’s not a lot of work.
So, what’s wrong here? Almost everything.
The nominee learns nothing about the board's function or culture.
You sound desperate.
You are not honest or clear about the obligations.
I know, I know. It’s hard to find willing people for a church board/council. Whether you have congregational nominations or a procedure to select candidates, willing people can be like unicorns. Won’t probing questions scare a nominee away? Especially because they are the only nominee, and our Constitution requires a specified minimum number of board/council members. Shouldn’t we be happy that someone wants to serve?
Having more than one qualified, capable board/council nominee is a process that starts at least a year, and sometimes two, before the member is needed, but that’s a topic for another blog post.
An interview process like the following enhances the value of your leadership and the health of your church. A pastor who sees serving on the board as a means of discipleship cares about the vibrancy of the nominee and the church.
You don’t have to do the interview alone. Ask one of your board members to help. Including and inviting them to ask some questions raises their leadership level.
Think of it this way: the interview is not an interrogation; it’s an opportunity for transformation.
QUESTIONS
What questions should you ask in an interview? Remember, there are no wrong answers to good questions. Both you and the nominee will learn more than you knew before asking the questions.
Here are five insightful questions:
What do you know about your church? Why are you interested in committing your time and energy to this role? (Even a long-time member may surprise you with what is shared about their church.)
What do you think are the characteristics of a great board member?
Stewardship and financial support are significant obligations of board service. Do you have experience with organizational finances? You need to dig and probe. Ask about their experience. Ask about their comfort level with talking about money.
Board members bring experience, wisdom, and strategic, prayerful thinking. Can you tell us about yours? This question probes the nominee’s willingness to be vulnerable and share their experiences and values.
How much autonomy do you have over your calendar? There will be meetings between board meetings and occasional meetings over meals.
Before the interview, share a brief, printed list of agreed-upon board expectations and behaviours with the nominee. When it comes down to it, the culture of your board/council is more important than the content of your board's agendas.
COMMITMENT TO BOARD BEHAVIOURS
Consider having a nominee sign a commitment form they will adhere to if/when they become a Board member.
To ensure the integrity and healthy functioning of the board, each nominee is expected to live by the following qualifications and expectations:
Be a born-again Christian.
Be filled with or seeking to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Agree with the Statement of Essential Truths (SOET) of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.
Desire with God's help to live up to the spiritual qualifications of the office of “deacon” as set forth in the Book of Acts, Chapter 6 and I Timothy, Chapter 3.
Regularly attend Sunday services and volunteer in one area of ministry.
Be a consistent tither to the church.
Agree to faithfully support and pray for the Senior Pastor in their role of leadership.
Agree to hold all board matters identified as confidential.
Agree to publicly support all Board decisions even though you may not have originally supported the decision during discussion or voting.
Resign from the board if unable or unwilling to observe the above commitments, or if so requested by discipline of the board
BOARD ORIENTATION
New board/council members need to be:
well-informed about their role
well-informed about how the church operates
ready to contribute on day one
impressed that they are joining a well-organized group
valued, respected, and appreciated.
Prepare an orientation binder. If you don’t have one, work with your present members on what is helpful to include. Elim Church in Saskatoon provides resources under these subjects for new board members. Contact Pastor Marvin Wojda for the details at marvin@elimchurch.ca.
THE ELIM CHURCH BOARD MANUAL
CHAPTER 1: VISION, MISSION, AND STRATEGIC ENDS OF THE CHURCH
A. STRATEGIC CONTEXT
B. STRATEGIC DIRECTION
CHAPTER 2: GOVERNANCE PROCESS AND DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 3: BOARD-LEAD PASTOR RELATIONSHIP
CHAPTER 4: EMPOWERING BOUNDARIES AND LIMITATIONS ON MEANS
CHAPTER 5: BOARD DOCUMENTS
APPENDIX 1: BOARD CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY
APPENDIX 2: LEAD PASTOR SUCCESSION PLANNING FOR ELIM CHURCH
WHAT GOES IN THE BINDER
Populate your binder by including the following items compiled from churches across the PAOC:
History One Pager: Outline the history of the church. It would be nice if this language was inspirational and reminded the new board members why they want to be a representative of the church.
Staff Organizational Chart: This will be easy to assemble if you’re a one-person staff. Show who and how those with responsibility inter-connect.
Program Highlights for the Year To Date: A brief document that gets new board members excited about accomplishments and new initiatives underway.
Board Roles and Responsibilities: If you haven’t identified these, draft these. Have a board discussion to customize it. Share it during the interview.
List of All Current Board Members: In a larger church, the document should tell a new board member what each fellow board member does for a living. Include a brief bio, family members and a photo.
List of Upcoming Board Meetings: Anything you can do to promote attendance with lots of notice, the less complaining you will do.
Mark Your Calendars: This is a list of upcoming church or community events over the next six months.
Any Strategic Planning Documents: Start with a mission, vision, and values document.
Approved Budget for the Calendar Year.
Most Recent Monthly Financials: To help a new board member understand the actual revenue and expense vs. budget.
Board Meeting Minutes: At least three meetings back. Minutes of board/council meetings should be publicly accessible.
Agenda for the First Board Meeting: Schedule the orientation before the first board meeting.
A Copy of the Church’s Constitution and By-Laws.
Remember that board/council service is a privilege. That working on behalf of the church is a gift. That Christian service is core to the betterment of your community.
Thank you to the pastors who contributed to this post and Joan Garry for insights on board/council candidate interviews and orientation.
Reach out with questions to bob@abnwt.com.