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Do you struggle to get members to church business meetings, either because of hectic schedules, a growing but less interested membership base, or both? Several solutions exist, ranging from an open-meeting format conducted over several days, to forming a select voting class of members, to hosting an electronic meeting.

None of these options is cut-and-dried. Without careful planning, one misstep can tarnish the results of any vote.

"Most churches aren't thinking about it until after a problem develops," says Frank Sommerville, a Texas-based attorney who works with churches and nonprofits. "That's the sad part—you then have to go back and redo everything."

Sommerville, a contributing editor of Your Church magazine and Church Law & Tax Report, recommends three steps before planning any type of business meeting:

1. Review the state's nonprofit corporation statute;
   
2. Review the church's articles of incorporation;
   
3. Review the church's bylaws.

This will let you know what types of meetings are allowed, and what steps must be followed in order to conduct them. They also will refresh collective memories on a variety of other key items, including the notice required for meetings, a member's minimum age to vote (some churches allow 16-year-olds to become members, but in most states, non-profit corporation statutes don't allow them to vote until they're 18), and what constitutes a quorum.

In instances where the church's articles or bylaws conflict with the state nonprofit corporation statutes, Sommerville says, the church is required to follow the state nonprofit corporation statute unless the articles or bylaws set a higher standard.

Looking for an alternative to the traditional business meeting format?

Sommerville says the most straightforward approach is the open-meeting format hosted during a period of days. Electronic meetings typically require too much (for instance, some states require 100 percent of members to agree to an electronic meeting); a voting class of members is less difficult, but typically requires amending church bylaws first.

Presuming the church's articles and bylaws don't prohibit them, open meetings offer the opportunity for more members to participate because polls are held open longer, Sommerville says.

"Most states allow you to have a meeting over an extended period of time," he says. "There's just a right way and a wrong way to do it."

But there are two notable drawbacks to this approach: floor amendments and additional nominees can't be added during the meeting. "All you can do is just go in and cast your ballot," Sommerville says.

Copyright © 2009 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal.
Click here for reprint information on Leadership Journal.

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