Healthy Vestry Leadership and Healthy Congregations

Leadership! Leadership is a familiar word that throughout history typically is magnified by the behaviors and actions of people leading. These actions and behaviors set out for us marks by which we can identify, know, and try to emulate as we seek to lead. The task of leadership is a crucial one for us as we attempt to lead God’s Church into faithful action in the world. In our polity, vestry members are elected to be leaders in the church, though roles of leadership clearly are not limited to those serving on vestry.

 The Bishops in the Diocese of Virginia have called all 187 congregations to a vision of Unity, Love, and Witness and asked us to live into program priorities of ministry with Youth, Church Planting, local and global mission, and living as healthy and vital congregations. To live into this vision and mission we look for strong leadership, and just as individuals offer us characteristics of leadership to reflect and learn from so too we look for characteristics of leadership for healthy vestry leadership in healthy and vital congregations. The following are some suggested characteristics of vestry leadership and congregational life. You might see where you are challenged and affirmed in your congregation by these characteristics.

Vestry Leadership	Vital Congregations (*)
Strives for open communication with one another and congregation	Have clearly stated vision statements based on biblical values and has articulated goals for making this vision a reality
Lives first as a community of faith,  studying scripture, praying, and nurturing one another in a ministry of leadership, rather than operating as “board of operations.”	Lives generously and reaches out in meaningful and relevant ways to those not yet part of the body
High energy striving to support a model of 80/20.  80% resources on mission 20% resources on maintenance	Orders its work according to its vision eliminates activities not congruent
Articulates with Rector a clear vision for the ministry of the congregation. Creates and evaluates short and long term goals in light of that vision	Future oriented and embraces change
Is “permission giving”.  Creates a sense of openness that encourages people’s ideas and “gets out of the way” of people’s ministry	Compelling worship and preaching
Creates and lives into an intentional process of problem solving	Organizes for pastoral care
Responds to and strategizes its organization around an awareness of the giftedness and sense of call for individuals serving rather than the recruitment for a “task”	Emphasizes transformation in relationship with Jesus Christ and accepts growth as a priority
	Experiences increasing average pledge, and regular financial pressure due to growing ministry
	Fosters a community of Christ centered relationships within the local the local congregation, the diocese, and the Church Universal

*The Characteristics of a vital congregation were established in 1996 by the Commission on Congregational Development and Revitalization of the Diocese of Virginia

For more information, contact:

The Rev. Tony Pompa