(A reflection by Paul Schrock of Northview about his work on Mission and Ministry Board)
In 2018, I was called to serve on the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board. As I approach the end of my five-year term, I would like to reflect on how this has been a rewarding (and somewhat disorienting) experience for me.
In most organizations, both secular and faith-based, the board of directors is “in charge” and makes the strategic decisions that guide the work of the organization; what the board says is what goes, and if things aren’t happening the way the board wants them to happen, heads will roll.
This is what I had grown accustomed to in my work with boards in the for-profit sector and as a member of the board for several non-profit organizations. Having a seat on the board meant that I was a participant in the key decision-making processes that would (when implemented) lead to success or failure for the organization. Then, I joined the Mission and Ministry Board of the Church of the Brethren, and my perspective was turned upside down!
In the Church of the Brethren, the Mission and Ministry Board (along with its employed staff) is tasked with implementing the decisions of the membership as documented in Annual Conference minutes. So instead of the board telling the organization when to jump, and how high, the organization tells the board (and staff) what needs to get done. It took me a while to come to grips with this understanding of how our beloved denomination actually works, and my guess is that many of our congregants don’t yet have a clear perception of this reality.
Fortunately, I resonate with the concept of “servant leadership”, which is what the Mission and Ministry Board personifies as it takes the lead in serving the needs of the wider church body as expressed in the decision of Annual Conference. I am particularly proud of the work of the Mission and Ministry Board’s Strategic Planning Committee (which I have chaired for four years) as we embraced the Annual Conference’s Compelling Vision and built a strategic plan for how the denominational board and staff will aid in fulfillment of that compelling vision.
So, if you want to be part of the decision-making process for the Church of the Brethren, come to Annual Conference and make your voices heard. We’re listening.
Paul Schrock, Area 2 Representative Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board, 2018-2023
