The importance of church governance

Church planting leaders Lee Stephenson and Danny Parmelee discuss the often overlooked but critically important topic of church governance, including how and when to establish an elder board.

1:25 Danny advises church planters on the things they should be thinking about in the beginning of the church governance process


3:40 Danny says being part of a network is helpful


4:30 Danny says it’s important to remember that your model of governance will change over time and the challenges that will come with that


10:35 Lee says you have to pay attention to the language that you use – bylaws vs. constitution


11:01 Lee talks about the style of governance he used at his church plant and how it changed over time


16:10 Lee says church planters don’t need an elder board right away, should use an advisory team instead


18:10 Lee says to use terminology that makes sense to your church


20:00 Lee gives advice on what to look for when picking an elder and what the selection process looked like at his church


24:24 Lee and Danny discuss how they made sure people knew that the board was serving its purpose


27:32 Danny and Lee talk about what they’ve learned from their mistakes