Good Governance and Mission
Sometimes in the church and Christian circles, governance as seen as a nuisance to mission and ministry, instead of being supportive to the mission and ministry God has given us. This arises because of a misunderstanding of what good governance is about.
One of the biggest mistakes we
can make is to limit governance to simply making good financial decisions and
making sure that we are meeting all our legal obligations. Good governance for ministry and mission is
more than that. In fact, just focussing
on the financial and legal matters when it comes to governance may actually
lead to bad governance. Why? Because a key to good governance is
ensuring we are focussed on living out why we actually exist. In a practical sense this means focussing on
our objectives, mission and strategic directions as a church or ministry of the
church. Our response to our financial
and legal obligations should always be based on why we exist, assisting us to live
out our objectives and mission in the environment God has called us to.
As a result of Covid we have seen
good and not so good governance in churches and other organisations. Covid brought about a number of rules and
restrictions for us as church. Legally
we can’t avoid these rules. Many of the
rules and restrictions were brought in to help and care for the community.
Some churches and organisations
applied these rules without considering their mission and objectives. People relating to such organisations had a
sense that all the organisation cared about was keeping out of trouble. The attitude appeared to be here are the
rules, you must do this or that, its not our fault but the governments. In many cases there was a sense of coldness
with little love or care for others.
Other churches and organisations gave some more thought to how they applied
the rules and restrictions in the light of their mission and objectives. Many of them encouraged their community to
see how these rules were in place to care for and love others. They went out of their way to greet people in
a welcoming and encouraging way. They
made it easy for people to comply with the rules. They considered the diverse opinions of their
community. They explored other ways they
could serve and care for people and keep engaged with people, considering the
restrictions and rules in place. This
later group was not just focussed on their legal obligations, but more
importantly on the community God has placed around them to serve. They
were not just concerned about not getting in trouble, but their main focus was
on living out who had God called them to be.
So how might we develop a more
missional approach to governance?
- Focus continually on who God has called us to be and what has God called us to do.
- . Know our mission, objectives and strategic directions, and view everything through these.
- . Spend a significant time at each meeting in listening to God, reflecting on and sharing what God says and prayer.
- . Reflect on who has God placed in your organisation’s life to serve and share the Gospel with.
2. Understand
the financial and legal responsibilities you have, then shape your response to
these based on your objectives and mission.
Think about how your response can reflect your mission, objectives and
strategic direction. This may take time, prayer and much
discussion.
Pastor Richard Schwedes
Assistant Bishop LCA NSW and ACT
This article appeared originally in The Contact magazine - LCA NSW and ACT District
