Church Family Governance: Seven Values to Build Lasting Health

By Jeff Leake

Church Family Governance is designed to help church leaders discover the seven values of healthy function. When a church begins, transitions, or experiences difficulty, having a framework of values is essential to sustainability over the long-haul. In fact, you can have all the right strategy, vision, and goals - but if you don't have the right values, both your culture and your leadership structure can undo any progress you may gain.

This book is more than a 'how to' book. it is actually a book about 'why' we do what we do, and then 'how' to build these values into some type of constitution and system. Because the book is based on values and not actual structure, it serves as a great guide for pastors, staff, boards, and leaders to decide on who they want to be before they commit to how they want to function.

The seven values are all based on contrasts.
1) Family vs Institution
2) Agreement vs Voting
3) Affirmation vs Election
4) Fathering vs Impeachment
5) Leadership vs Representation
6) Team vs Club
7) Purpose vs Tradition

Each of these contrasts are studied based on new testament passages and practices. Since the new testament does not list an actual flow chart or structure, we have to pull the values and principles based on how we see them function. This approach also leaves some room for how to specifically write a constitution and form a structure.

Again, its not a detailed description on an actual structure - but a principled discussion on the values upon which health is established.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098343804

Jeff Leake

For the past twenty-four years, Jeff Leake has served as the lead pastor of a multi-campus church in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is the author of three books: God in Motion, The Question That Changed My Life, and Learning to Follow Jesus. He and his wife, Melodie, reside in Allison Park, Pennsylvania. Jeff is also the leader of a church planting movement that has planted fifty churches over the past twenty years. He leads a multiplying church and lives a multiplying life.

Book preview

Church Family Governance

©2020, Jeff Leake

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

ISBN eBook: 978-1-09834-380-4

Contents

INTRODUCTION

VALUE 1: FAMILY VS. INSTITUTION

VALUE 2: AGREEMENT VS. VOTING

VALUE 3: AFFIRMATION VS. ELECTION

VALUE 4: FATHERING VS. IMPEACHMENT

VALUE 5: LEADERSHIP VS. REPRESENTATION

VALUE 6: TEAM VS. CLUB

VALUE 7: PURPOSE VS. TRADITION

CONCLUSION

FAMILY GOVERNANCE OBJECTIONS

INTRODUCTION:

About 15years ago, I first wrote this booklet to describe a better and more biblical way to function when it comes to how a local church is governed. This is a second edition from that, after additional years of experience in leading my own local church, and in helping to establish new churches through church planting.

First a little about me. As of this writing, I have been the lead pastor of Allison Park Church (APC) for just over 29 years. APC is one church in seven locations across western Pennsylvania. Since 1996, we have also been parenting new churches. This means we back, support, coach, and cover a church planter when they begin their new work. As a part of that process, we have helped to set up a governance structure for these new churches.

Again, as of this writing, we have helped 31 new churches begin and have assisted many other multiplying churches indirectly, as they have done the same. Because we help a lot of churches to begin, I am also involved as an overseer for many of these local churches and pastors. What this means is that I am active when a pastor transitions, or when there is a failure or fall, and some type of discipline is needed.

All of this life experience, as well as an ongoing study of the New Testament, is the basis for the values that I am going to attempt to describe to you. What I am not saying is that my recommendations are the only way. It’s more the best way that I have discovered to date to be able to function healthily.

Church governance! I know, I know, this does not sound like the most exciting topic about which you could ever choose to read.

But if you have ever walked through a season, in the life of a local church, that became toxic, dysfunctional, abusive, divisive, or just plain dull, then you will find this information extremely beneficial. Local pastors, denominational leaders, board members, and apostolic overseers will also find this book interesting, thought-provoking, and hopefully helpful as well.

What I will say is this:There is no description of church structure in the New Testament! We have no flow charts, denominational processes, no step-by-step instructions. What we do have are some stories that give us a picture of what healthy governance looks like. The apostle Paul also gives us some instructions about how to interact with each other properly as we select elders and deacons.

Since there is no objective, clear, standardized version to follow from the New Testament, we have to do our