One of your top essential guiding documents is the church by-laws. You know, that business-like, long document that you have in some file somewhere? The reality is few people in your church have ever looked up something in it or been guided by it in their ministry. But why is it so important if you seldom use it? And why do you need to take a look at it now? Here are some answers for you to consider.
The by-laws statement is a guiding document that exists to help you and your church do ministry and conduct church business. It provides you with the basic ministry structures of your church and how they operate. The statement of church by-laws is also a legal document that the church, your church denomination or network, and even civil courts can use it to help settle disagreements over practical and legal issues.
In some churches, the by-laws are embedded in a church constitution or founding document. In others, it is separate from the constitution or articles of incorporation. The difference is a constitution or the articles of incorporation are broad statements of official structure and organization, while separate by-laws describe in more detail how the structures of the church work. The constitution is more of a founding or incorporating document, while the by-laws are more of a guiding document that needs to be reviewed often and revised as needed. A constitution states the general why and how the church exists, while the by-laws state how the leaders and ministries are structured and function. Keeping them separate enables the leadership and church body to more easily amend or modify how a church works.
Does your church have a fresh document containing your by-laws? If so, when was the last major revision? If your church has not conducted a major review and revision, I recommend that your leaders form a revision team to study your old documents to see what needs to be updated and amended. I also recommend that this be done at least every three to five years.
Look carefully at your church by-laws, then look carefully at your church and its context for ministry. What has changed around you and in your church? Is your church ministry being guided by your by-laws? Do your church ministries and structures fit the needs of your community and home mission field? What doesn't work any longer? Should some things be deleted, or maybe replaced by something that's relevant and functional? What can be improved? Are your ministry structures helping to accomplish your church's mission statement and vision? Do your by-laws reflect a church in the 1950s or in the 2020s? Is there a need to start fresh with a whole new set of by-laws?
The revision team for my home church on which I serve is being guided by three principles in developing new by-laws: simplicity, flexibility, and functionality. Would these principles be characteristic of your by-laws?
Why not find and dust off your existing guiding documents. Review them to see what is really needed? Now get to work!
[Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash]