The Buck Stops Where?

Much tension between church leaders stems from a fuzzy knowledge about each other's responsibility. Who sets the goals? Who leads the church to accomplish its goals? Who actually carries out the work to reach those goals?

This exercise can help. Under "Responsibility," check which of the eight statements best expresses the church's viewpoint, the board's perspective, and so on.

Then repeat this process with the four statements in the "Accountability section.

It is possible for one statement to reflect the viewpoint of more than one party.

Responsibility


1. The senior pastor is responsible to establish the vision for the church and to lead the church in its accomplishment.

2. The senior pastor is responsible to establish the vision for the church and, with the concurrence of the board, lead the church in its accomplishment.

3. The senior pastor is responsible to establish the vision for the church and, with the concurrence of the board and congregation, lead the church in ...

Subscriber access only You have reached the end of this Article Preview

To continue reading, subscribe to Christianity Today magazine. Subscribers have full digital access to CT Pastors articles.

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

Related
Twelve Steps to Godly Success
Twelve Steps to Godly Success
Those who experience godly success understand God's fundamental design of human beings.
From the Magazine
I Was a World Series Hero on the Brink of Suicide
I Was a World Series Hero on the Brink of Suicide
Drugs had derailed my baseball career and driven me to despair. A chance encounter with a retired pastor changed everything.
Editor's Pick
How Codependency Hampered My Pastoral Ministry
How Codependency Hampered My Pastoral Ministry
Part of the emotional drain I felt during the pandemic came from trying to manage my members’ feelings.
close