1. Membership:
The official board (see ¶320.2) shall include the officers of the society, and one or more of the delegates. If so provided in the organization plan, the society may also include additional members-at-large or representatives of various ministry areas of the local church. All members of the official board shall be members of the local church, and be of the age of majority and meet the leadership qualifications of ¶630.3.3. At the discretion of the senior pastor, other pastoral staff may attend official board meetings.
To ensure that the local church does not become classified by Canada Revenue Agency as a private foundation, more than 50% of the members of the official board must be “at arm’s length.”
2. Officers of the Official Board:
- 2.1 Chair and Vice-Chair: The official board shall elect its chair and vice-chair from among its lay members. The chair is a facilitator of the group process of the board when it meets and should consult in advance of meetings with the senior pastor to facilitate the creation of effective, prioritized agendas. The senior pastor shall receive notification of all board meetings and minutes, and shall be entitled to be present and to participate fully without vote in all board discussions except for those held in an executive session of the board.
- 2.2 Secretary: The secretary serves as the recording officer, and is responsible for keeping the minutes and other records of the society and official board.
- 2.3 Treasurer: The treasurer is the “chief financial officer” of the society. The treasurer is entrusted with administration of the financial resources of the church according to the directions of the official board. The treasurer also provides periodic reporting of the financial status to the official board and society.
- 3 RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITY:The official board is responsible for the general supervision of the ongoing operation of the local church and all of its ministries. The official board is at all times amenable to the directions of the society. This includes the responsibility to:
- 3.1 Plan for the organization and development of the church and its ministries. The official board shall meet at least once each year for the purpose of developing/refining the church’s ministry plan. This plan should include measurable goals for each of the ministry areas of the local church.
- 3.2 The official board also has responsibility to:
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- approve admission to lay membership in the local church;
- approve a recommendation from the membership care committee that a lay member be allowed to withdraw, or that membership be terminated (see ¶915);
- approve licenses for lay ministers and recommend lay ministers deemed suitable for ministerial candidacy to the conference ministerial education guidance and placement committee;
- elect members of local church ministry committees if so provided in local by-laws;
- after receiving nominations from the nominating committee, elect replacement official board or committee members if a position becomes vacant in the interim between annual society meetings;
- approve recommendations for any expenditures not covered in the approved budget. (Recommendations for major changes in expenditures should be approved by the society);
- develop and approve changes to the ministry plan and organization plan of the church that are within the general direction of the previously approved plans.And authority to recommend to the society:
- proposals for major changes to the ministry plan and organization plan of the church;
- proposed annual budgets or major changes to the budget;
- proposals to purchase, mortgage or otherwise encumber, or sell real property, erect a building or undertake major renovations, lease property and to relocate (subject to conference approval);
- the parenting of a new congregation.
4. Meetings
- 4.1 The official board shall meet regularly. The interval between meetings should not exceed two months.
- 4.2 Members who are unable to attend should notify the chair in advance. Members who attend less than 50% of the meetings within any 12 month period may be replaced.
- 4.3 Robert’s Rules of Order in the latest edition shall be the standard of parliamentary procedure. The official board may adopt standing rules provided that they are not in conflict with Robert’s Rules of Order.
