Eldership in a Small Congregation

In one of the small congregations I know, there is a legend that haunts the Board of Trustees.  Some years ago, it seems, there had been a meeting where an important decision was made after discussion and careful deliberation.  Soon after, as it is remembered, someone not on the Board persuaded one of the Board members that this had been a mistake.  The Board member emailed the rest of the members to change his/her vote, persuaded someone else to change theirs, and claimed that this invalidated the original vote.  At the next meeting, the whole discussion had to be redone, and the decision was reversed.  Now, the Board (several election cycles later) has trouble making any decisions at all.

Does this happen in other small congregations?  Of course.

My diagnosis of the congregation in question was that the official, elected, Board of Trustees was actually a kind of "student government," able to make some decisions, but not to go against the "administration" of the institution.  The "administration" was a group of long time members who had the power do decide in a way the official Board could not.  Their long dedication to the congregation and their substantial financial contributions as well as their unwillingness to "let go" brought this situation into being.

It's embarrassing and demoralizing for the Board when the kind of reversal recalled in this legend actually happens.  It reminds the Board that they need to talk things over with the unelected elders before they vote, basically not a bad idea. But it makes me want to say to those elders, "If you don't mean to let go of control, then you have to continue to serve on the Board!"  and  "Can't you let someone with new ideas do things in new ways?"

That small group of long time leaders has a really crucial role to play in the survival and health of a small congregation.  The congregation can move forward, maybe even grow, if the elders find a way to hand over authority to what I might call emerging long term leaders. Others need to come to have "standing" of the same kind as that of the small group that has held the congregation together for 20 years.  The  elders need to ask themselves how someone qualifies to be one of them.  Service in leadership, financial commitment, devotion to the faith, what else?

For real democracy to emerge, elders must come to hold their eldership lightly, to allow others to gain positions of respect.  Generation needs to follow generation not only in elected leadership, but also in eldership, or the congregation will wither.  In a small congregation, the role of that small group that plays the role of the "administration," is key.  How well do they connect with the newer families and leaders? How well do they connect with the larger religious movement? How open are they to new possibilities?

Small congregations need leadership development, for sure, a perennial focus of attention. But they also need eldership development.

Congregation elders have a lot to contribute, maybe not always in a good way...