Leadership Expectations

by Mark Tidsworth, Founder and Team Leader

What does your church expect from those who are in leadership? Specifically, I’m describing the lay leadership team in churches (deacons, board, council, session, vestry).

I’m not referring to the qualities or characteristics we look for in candidates before electing or appointing them to the lay leadership team. These are often drawn from I Timothy, describing the character of Christian leaders. Instead, I’m interested in expectations for how these leaders will function, once elected and serving.

My interest is not theoretical, but rises out of field work with churches and their leaders. Plenty of lay leaders serve with integrity, faithfulness, and effectiveness. These disciples of Jesus are witnesses to their faith through their servant leadership. Others though, some I’ve encountered this year, are serving in problematic and very unhelpful ways. One example is the leader who refuses to participate in worship due to dislike of the pastor or other worship leaders, yet continues to hold their leadership position, all the while adding toxicity to the church system through constant criticism. Without expectations for how lay leaders function, this kind of behavior can exist, with few options for problem-solving.

So, were you to make a list of expectations for lay leaders once they are elected and serving, what’s on your list? Here’s my beginning list:

• Actively pursuing the Way of Jesus

• Speaks well of this church, inside and outside the congregation

• Actively promotes peace, unity, and goodwill in this body of Christ

• Consistently financially supportive

• Advocates for missional movement over apathy or inaction

• Wholeheartedly participates in worship

• Engages with a Christian formation group

• History of serving through this church and in this community

• Is actively supporting pastoral leadership and church staff persons

These, instead of

• Is breathing

• Has a pulse

• Said “yes” to nomination

• Likes meetings

Now, how do you feel and what do you think about this topic? What if your lay leadership team made this a discussion? Our answers to that reveals whether we believe leadership is real… or more specifically whether we believe church leadership matters. When we have no or very low expectations for leaders, we are indicating that we don’t believe leadership matters much or that the organization at hand doesn’t matter much itself. When we carry high expectations for leaders, we are indicating that we believe the mission of the church matters and our specific church’s mission is significant.

So, you might consider passing this article around your lay leadership team, raising the conversation, seeing where it goes. Clearly identifying leadership expectations typically draws forward motivated leaders, while discouraging those with alternate agendas. May we steward church organizations well, leaning into the significant mission given us by the author and perfecter of our faith.