The Most Critical Partnership: Pastor and Board

The relationship between pastor and church board is critical. In this partnership, both parties are valuable, with the pastor often focusing upon the convictions of faith while the church board represents the realities of stewardship. Both are essential for quality ministry, but it can become toxic quickly. Here are three suggestions to make the partnership thrive:

1. Pastors, Honor the Church Board; and Church Boards, Love Your Pastor.

Everyone has positive and negative experiences with leadership. If a cycle of respect and affection can exist, then honest reflection about our history is allowed, bringing unity. This will release and heal past hurts.

Want to grow in respect for one another? Destroy "us and them" mindsets.

It is easy for pastors to complain about their board to colleagues or for boards to recount how they were around before a pastor was hired and after a pastor left. This only creates greater separation. Unity comes through resolving conflict with the person directly, learning to understand and forgive one another.

Take Action: It may be healthy to take 30 minutes at your next church board meeting to discuss past disappointments with church leadership. Explore ways you, as a team, could be different. Take a few minutes to try identifying any "us and them" mindsets between the pastoral staff and the church board.

2. Build Something Together.

Relationships are built through shared experiences, which means working side-by-side is important. What you accomplish together becomes a monument to your partnership.

My third year as senior pastor started with a remodel of the auditorium. We didn't have much money and part of the remodel was to purchase two new 14-foot projection screens that had to be hung 20 feet in the air above the stage.

We hung the screens ourselves. It felt so rewarding. We look back on this project with pride every time we are in the auditorium, partially because it is a symbol of our strong partnership in ministry.

"The focus must be on the mission and not on any individual," writes Dan Hotchkiss. "There must be a shared conviction that the mission, not its leaders or its members, 'own' the congregation..." (Governance & Ministry. p. 195)

Take Action:Make a list of projects needing to be accomplished at the church. Take that list and pick a few projects to work on during the next three months. You will find your commitment to and affirmation of one another increasing as you accomplish something together.

3. Bearing One Another's Burden.

God intended the partnership between church board and pastor both to produce good work and to support one another. It cannot be all business; make time to be vulnerable together, praying for each other and the ministry.

For several years, I held two monthly board meetings: one for business items in the evening and another on Saturday mornings for spiritual conversation and personal support. I discovered the greatest bond is a spiritual one.

It is important for a leader to grow in their ability to be aware of their own feelings, opinions, and reactions while staying connected to others and their feelings. Relationship means stretching your empathy muscles. Growing in empathy requires us to listen to the burdens carried by others, often sparking a fresh way of viewing our own concerns.

Take Action: Plan an overnight retreat for your church board and pastoral staff. Share meaningful time together ministering to one another. If you cannot get away overnight, then take at least 12 hours together for the purpose of sharing what is on your hearts and watch as your team's bonds are strengthened.

The devil desires to plant division among God's people. He is working overtime to separate and divide church leadership. This article is not meant to solve every conflict possible in this critical partnership, but practicing these three suggestions will aim our teams in the right direction.