Introduction

The governance document of Bellevue Community Church is a living document that informs the Elders and the staff leaders (specifically through the Lead Pastor) as to healthy and appropriate formation of the community. Further, it lays out responsibilities for both the Elders and the Lead Pastor as together—with the larger staff and the entire community—they seek to be faithful to BCC’s ever-emerging mission. The document consists of four main areas:

The Communal Ends of BCC

1. The BCC community will reveal the presence of Jesus—in creative, relevant and grace-filled ways—to individuals of all ages.
2. The BCC community will develop and challenge individuals of all ages to become passionate and proactive followers of Jesus, who accept His grace and are agents of change in the world.
3. The BCC community will serve specific needs of the church, Nashville, and areas around the world.

Executive Limitations

1. The Lead Pastor shall not cause or allow any practice, activity, decision, or organizational circumstance that is illegal, immoral, or unethical.

Level 2:

1. The Lead Pastor shall not cause the expenditure of funds that compromises the ends of the BCC community.

Level 3:

1. The Lead Pastor shall not cause nor allow more than 55% of the annual operational budget to be spent on personnel costs without board approval.
2. The Lead Pastor shall not cause nor allow new debt without board approval.
3. The Lead Pastor shall not allow less than $19,000.00 of the operational budget to be spent on debt reduction (principal) without board approval.
4. The Lead Pastor shall not spend nor cause to be spent over $25,000 on any single (budgeted) item without board approval.
5. The Lead Pastor shall not spend nor cause to be spent over $10,000 on any single (non-budgeted) item without board approval; and the Lead Pastor shall not spend nor cause to be spent an excess of $50,000 for all unbudgeted expenditures in a calendar year without the approval of the board.
6. The Lead Pastor shall not set the annual revenue estimation (for budgeting purposes) without board dialogue and alignment.
7. The Lead Pastor shall not exceed his annual expense account without board approval.

Level 2:

1. The Lead Pastor shall not treat any staff members in a manner incongruent with the Ends statements of BCC.

Level 3:

1. The Lead Pastor shall not hire nor terminate personnel without following the established HR policies for either action.
2. The Lead Pastor shall not hire nor terminate pastors/directors without his direct involvement in the process and without informing the elders during the process and before final action is taken.
3. The Lead Pastor shall not change an employee’s pay rate by more than 5% (annual) without the approval of the board.
4. The Lead Pastor shall not lead and manage the staff without written HR policies and processes that protect and develop the staff.
5. The Lead Pastor shall not hire nor cause to be hired family of staff members without board approval.

Level 2:

1. The Lead Pastor shall not treat community members in a manner that would violate the Ends of BCC.

Level 3:

1. The Lead Pastor shall not leverage nor allow staff to leverage the BCC community for sole personal and/or financial gain.
2. The Lead Pastor shall not enter into revenue generating agreements with any parties without notifying the board.

Level 1:

1. The Elders sole official connection to the staff, its achievement, and conduct is the Lead Pastor.

Level 2:

1. All authority and accountability of staff, as far as the Elders are concerned, is considered the authority and accountability of the Lead Pastor.
2. The Elders will instruct the Lead Pastor through written policies that prescribe the Organizational Ends and describe organizational situations to be avoided, allowing the Lead Pastor to use any reasonable interpretation of these policies.
3. Systematic and rigorous monitoring of the Lead Pastor’s job performance will be solely against the only expected Lead Pastor outputs: organizational accomplishment of the Ends and organizational operations within the boundaries established by the Executive Limitations.

Level 3:

1. Only decisions of the Elders acting as a group are binding on the Lead Pastor.
2. The Elders will never give instructions to or directly evaluate (as supervisor), formally or informally, any staff other than the Lead Pastor.

1. Lead Pastor performance equals Community performance of Ends/Executive Limitations.
2. The Board may use 3 methods for monitoring:
1. Internal Report: Lead Pastor disclosure.
2. External Report: Outside Evaluation.
3. Direct Inspection: Elders or authorized elders members.
3. In the pursuit of the means, the Lead Pastor can use any reasonable interpretation of both the Ends and the Executive Limitations that does not violate either.
4. Frequency of Monitoring: Chosen by Elders (e.g., monthly, quarterly, annually).

Policy	Method	Frequency
ENDS	Formal and written internal Report Direct Inspection (Ends meetings with a sample of the community).	Semi-annually Every 9 months
PERSONNEL	Internal and Written Report Outside Evaluation Direct Inspection (Meetings with Departments) Direct Inspection of Lead Pastor	Quarterly Every other year Annually Annually
FINANCES	Internal Written Report Internal Report (Attendance and Revenue) Outside Evaluation (Audit)	Monthly Weekly Email 2006
Lead Pastor/ COMMUNITY RELATIONS	Internal Written Report	Monthly

1. Governing Style
   1. Outward vision rather than internal preoccupation (i.e., means).
   2. Encouragement of diversity of viewpoints within the team (which leads to a common voice).
   3. Strategic leadership over vs. administrative detail
   4. Clear distinction of Elders and Lead Pastor roles.
   5. Collective rather than individual decisions.
   6. Big picture thinking.
   7. Pro-activity rather than reactivity.
   8. Cultivating an environment of mutual trust (especially between Elders and Lead Pastor).
2. Elder Job Description
   1. To add value in a way that ties organizational prerogatives to organizational performance:
      1. Connect/link between both community and staff.
      2. Produce and update written policies:
         1. Ends.
         2. Executive Limitations.
         3. Elders—Lead Pastor link.
         4. Governance of self.
         5. Shepherds of the community
      3. Produce assurance of Lead Pastor performance:
         1. Ends.
         2. Executive Limitations.
3. Chairperson’s Role (or designee)
   1. Assures integrity and fulfillment of Elder processes and occasionally represents the elders to outside parties.
   2. Duties/Responsibilities:
      1. Ensures meeting content is determined by Elders not exclusively by Lead Pastor; develops agenda with consultation of other board members and Lead Pastor.
      2. Chairs the Elders meetings, ensuring that dialogue and deliberation is fair, timely, and to the point.
      3. Make decisions that fall within governance policy, unless the board/team has delegated authority to others (e.g., ensures that Elders and Lead Pastor function according to their roles; offers real time feedback when boundaries are crossed).
      4. Has no authority to make policy decisions or supervise the Lead Pastor.
      5. May delegate authority, but is still responsible for it.
      6. Chair must have served at least two years on the board before being chosen for the position
      7. Chair tenure is one year with a possible one year extension
4. Code of Conduct:
   1. The Elder board conducts itself in ethical and lawful manners. This includes the appropriate use of authority and decorum.
   2. Must represent the entire community over interest groups.
   3. Avoid conflicts of interest:
      1. Unfair acquisition of business.
      2. If conflict of interest arises, the situation must be dealt with sans the party involved—the parties should recuse themselves from situation.
      3. Must not use position for employment opportunities.
      4. Elders will give no voice or consequence to individual (elders) judgments against Lead Pastor or staff (i.e., an elders agenda or personal hot button issue may not dominate elder meetings/decisions— issues must find traction for the board).
      5. Confidentiality
   4. An elder’s life is reflective of the biblical model for an elder
5. Elder Committee Principles (ad hoc or participative committees derived of elder members)
   1. Committees help the board, NEVER the staff.
   2. Only have authority as given by entire board and not to conflict with Lead Pastor
   3. Helps to create policy but entire board evaluates outcome.
   4. Committees should be used with discretion.
   5. A committee is any group formed by board, but not a group formed by Lead Pastor
6. Continual Growth as Elder board
   1. Invest in Board’s capacity:
      1. Training.
      2. Outside mentoring.
      3. Outreach mechanisms which seek the input and viewpoints of others (can be within or outside the church community).
      4. The Elder board can define a budget (contained within the operating budget) for its own ongoing growth
      5. Board members will pursue the Ends in their individual and collective relationships.