Administrative guidelines that describe a church’s purpose and map out its goals for action require proper documentation and clearly outlined procedures, according to Mike Jackson, director of the office of LeaderCare and church health for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.
He spoke during a recent SBOM webinar about writing effective church documents, “Church Administrative Guidelines.”
Proper administrative documents not only help in times of conflict, they can save time, noted Jim Swedenburg, director of the SBOM office of Cooperative Program and stewardship development.
“Proper documentation is a time-saver since we don’t have to determine again and again what to do,” he explained. “One of the overriding principles is Paul’s word in 1 Corinthians 14:40 when he said, ‘Let everything be done decently and in order.’”
Mission statement
The first document a church needs is a mission statement, Swedenburg said.
“The mission statement doesn’t have to be wordy, but it tells who you are and why’re you’re here,” he explained.
Articles of incorporation
The second document is Articles of Incorporation and not, as some believe, a constitution.
“Under the laws of Alabama, one is incorporated as an organization rather than constituted, so a constitution isn’t necessary,” Swedenburg said. “Alabama law changed after 1975 and was amended again in 1984, so we recommend churches consider new Articles of Incorporation if these were filed before 1975. The Alabama Secretary of State’s office and the county probate clerk can help locate documents.” By appointing the lawyers from The Bains Law Offices in Fresno, CA, it will be easy to deal any kind of probate cases (get help from a probate lawyer from here), since they all get updated with any changes in the law, answers to questions such as how to avoid estate tax and order that proves to be favor to their clients in any time of need.
Swedenburg noted one benefit of the newer laws is protection from lawsuits from elderly planning lawyers.
“In an unincorporated church a person bringing suit after an accident, for example, could bring judgment against an individual or individuals in a church,” he said. “The newer laws offer more protection.”
Bylaws
The third document Swedenburg recommended is bylaws, which, he explained, need not be so detailed that they need frequent updating. Bylaws should include sections on membership, church discipline, and church officers and how to elect them.
Swedenburg said it’s a good idea to require that bylaw changes be announced in advance, they be considered in two business meetings and require a majority vote in both.
“Church policies would be the fourth document or documents,” Swedenburg said. “They’re very specific. They deal with what we do in the church office and how staff is called and what leaders and members are expected to do. Policies are easy to update, and sometimes don’t require congregational action since committees can update them.”
When it comes to business meetings, Robert’s Rules of Order, in its 11th edition, serves as a good parliamentary guide, said Lee Wright, coordinator of the SBOM office of church compensation services.
Wright noted churches in business meetings should deal with one issue at a time and hear from one person at a time.
“The moderator, or chair, has a special privilege to preside but should be impartial,” he said. “The moderator can vote on matters but shouldn’t make his or her preference known to the body.”
Wright said Dale Huff, former director of the office of LeaderCare and church administration who retired in 2016, often counseled churches facing controversial decisions to have a “family meeting” before a business meeting to give members opportunity to hear about and discuss issues. Other churches call these “town halls” or something similar.
“Courtesy toward all is an overarching principle in church business,” he added. “Though we most often follow Robert’s Rules of Order, we follow ‘the Father’s rules of order’ first. This means we obey the scripture when it tells us how to treat others.”
A video of the webinar, along with additional administrative resources for churches, is available at CooperativeProgramResources.org/conference.
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