Governance and Ministry Rethinking Board Leadership
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Description
Amid the tectonic shifts in institutional religious life in the United States, Governance and Ministry has proven to be an indispensable guide for leaders and clergy on how to work together to lead congregations. In this third edition, veteran congregational consultant and minister Dan Hotchkiss revises and updates a classic in the field to reflect today's church and synagogue landscape, filled with practical insights based on his extensive, in-the-trenches work with religious groups from across the spectrum.
Governance and Ministry highlights the importance of reaching the right governance model for a congregation to fulfill its mission-to achieve both the outward results and the inward quality of life to which it is called. Hotchkiss draws on governance research from business, non-profits, and churches, as well as deep experience in a variety of denominations and congregations to help readers determine the governance model that best fits their needs. The third edition has been streamlined and reorganized to better help readers think through leadership models and the process of change. The book features Dan's insights on the implications of congregational life after Covid, the impact of increased political polarization in the United States, shrinking congregation size within both Jewish and Christian groups, the process of governance change, policy choices, the impact of digital ministry, online worship services, and social media, and the always challenging lay-clergy relationship. It also features appendices with resources often requested by Hotchkiss's consulting clients: a style guide for policy-makers and a unified example of a board policy book. This third edition also offers online resources to enhance the book.
Table of Contents
Preface To the Third Edition
How I Came to Write This Book
Planning and the Governance Question
What Has Changed-And What Hasn't
Size Still Matters
Who This Book Is For
Gratitude
1. Organized Religion
Containing the Tension
Two Kinds of Leadership
Governance and Ministry in Brief
Some of My Assumptions
Benefits of Governance and Ministry
2. Ways Congregations Have Organized
Board-Centered Congregation
Committee-Centered Congregation
Clergy-Centered Congregation
Some Even Worse Ideas
I. Overview of Governance and Ministry
3. A Map of Governance and Ministry
Board and Staff
The Congregation
Committees and Teams
Three Zones of Leadership
Clear Delegation
4. Board-Led Governance
The Board as Fiduciary
Duties of Board Members
Modes of Board Governance
5. Staff-Led Ministry
Epiphany in Louisiana
One Structure for Ministry Decisions
Key Elements of Staff-Led Ministry
Ministry Teams
Stresses of Transition
6. Leading in Partnership
Lay-Clergy Tensions
Nothing New Here
What Can Clergy Do?
Practices in Partnership
Boundaries
Healthy Partnerships
II. Life After Governance Change
7. Better Board Meetings
Poor Robert and His Rules
Board Meetings that Are Less Excruciating
Board Meetings that Are Fun and Productive
Committees that Help the Board
A Board Covenant
Why Improving Meetings Is Not Easy
8. Effective Staff Structure
The Head of Staff
The Staff Leadership Team
An Org-Chart Workshop
Teams for Effective Ministry
9. Skilled Staff Leadership
Shifting from Contributor to Leader
Supervising-The Core Skill of Staff Leadership
Three More Staff Leadership Skills
Emotional Skills for Staff Leadership
Testing Leadership and Emotional Skills
Whistling While You Work
10. Faith and Money in One Conversation
Board Governance of Finance
Staff Management of Finance
Organizing for Finance
Transparency About Money
Budgeting as Leadership
How Boards Raise Money
11. Board-Staff Collaboration
Ministry Vision
Open Questions
Holy Conversation
Staff Management and Implementation
Monitoring
Evaluation
Strategic planning
III. A Governance Change Process
12. Starting the Process
Governance Workshop
Governance Assessment
Questions to Ask Up Front
Workshops with the Board
Governance Change Vision
The Governance Task Force
Planning the Work
13. Bylaws and the Like
Hierarchy of Documents
What Bylaws Should Say
What Bylaws Should Not Say
14. Writing Leakproof Policies
Writing Like a Sculptor
Policy Writing as a Process
Style Guide for Policy Writers
Quick Tour of the Bourne Street Policies
Bourne Street Board Policies
Glossary of Terms Used in Governance and Ministry
Workshop Plans
A. An Org-Chart Workshop
B. The Board's Time, Part 1: Analysis
C. The Board's Time, Part 2: Planning
Bibliography
Board Governance
Congregation Size
History, Sociology, and Law
Management, Staff, and Teams
Meeting Facilitation
Planning and Evaluation
Notes
Product details
| Published | Feb 19 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Hardback |
| Edition | 3rd |
| Extent | 288 |
| ISBN | 9798881804145 |
| Imprint | T&T Clark |
| Illustrations | 16 b/w photos |
| Dimensions | 229 x 152 mm |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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