Governance and the Mission of the Church
“Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?” is the question from the Celebrant in the Baptismal Covenant. The answer is, of course, “I will with God’s help.”
Word and example are the two parts to our proclamation of the Good News of Jesus. Only when our words are in line with our actions (and visa versa) does our proclamation of the Gospel ring true. The question is whether we actually practice what we preach.
From July 2-14, I will be in Austin, Texas, chairing our diocese’s deputation to the 79th General Convention of the Episcopal Church. This is how our denomination sets its budget and policies for the coming three years. In between conventions, the Executive Council is the Board of Directors that acts as the Convention in recess. I also serve on Council.
Sometimes I wonder why I bother with so many church meetings as the real work of the church happens in local congregations. But I know that at the church-wide level, as in your congregation, getting governance right is critical to the mission of the church. After all, setting the budget is setting our priorities for mission. Making policies in line with the Good News we proclaim is also deeply connected to the mission of the church. It is not, of course, that the mission of the church is governance. Instead, it is vitally important that the governance focus the church on knowing Christ and making Christ known.
Policies and procedures matter at every level of the church. When the church has failed to protect children from predators, people turned their backs on organized religion, if not God. And while meeting in Austin we will consider policies aimed at looking at why the #metoo movement was quickly followed by #churchtoo on social media as our own house is not in order with regards to sexual harassment and assault. The church has covered up abuse and turned a blind eye toward ongoing harassment. It is past time to get our example in line with our words.
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Likewise, when your priest and vestry align the programs, policies, and budget of the church with the coming Kingdom of God in mind, you get the proclamation right in word and example. So that in setting and carrying out a sexual abuse prevention policy for your church is vitally connected to the Gospel. And in budgeting for Vacation Bible School and youth programs, we also reflect our values.
Getting governance right at every level of the church impacts the mission. There is a lost and hurting world that needs Jesus and so needs some of the focus to be on how the church is run and where we allocate our resources. But I do look forward to getting back home and focusing more on ministry in central and south Georgia.
Peace,
Frank
The Rev. Canon Frank Logue, Canon to the Ordinary
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