If we’re serious about ministry risk management, we’ll heed Steve’s wise counsel. While caring for the leader’s soul and integrity is ultimately the leader’s personal responsibility, we should not overlook the unique opportunity for ministry boards to come alongside and proactively support the leader within the context of Christ-centered governance.

It’s worth noting at the outset, too, that this is not simply about good risk management. There are far greater eternal consequences in caring for the leader as a Christ-follower. This includes the multiplied impact that extends to the leader’s family, community, and beyond.

Ignoring Leader Care is Risky Business

A recent ECFA member survey shed light on the common challenges Christian leaders face today – sadly, many times in isolation. This survey revealed how these burdens and stresses of leadership, if not properly addressed, affect not only the leader’s well-being but can also harm a ministry’s finances, trust, mission, and the reputation of Christ.

An overwhelming 94% among the nearly 800 survey responses from board chairs and senior leaders (CEOs, Senior Pastor, equivalents) agreed that integrity failures by ministry leaders are having a negative impact on trust.

The survey also showed that many organizations still lack basic measures to proactively care for and support leadership integrity. That is despite near universal agreement that leadership failures cause a negative impact on trust.

For example, only 57% of nonprofit CEOs said the ministry had established anything in writing regarding biblical character expectations for the senior leader (e.g., a ministry code of conduct or points of accountability).

Even more concerning, a mere 15% of nonprofit CEOs said their board has a written plan to support soul care for the leader.

Only 55% of nonprofit CEOs indicate that informal conversations are taking place between the leader and board about the care and character support for the leader. That contrasts with 76% of board chairs who say they are occurring. This more than 20% difference shows a major disconnect between the perceptions of leaders and board chairs on leader care.

While those figures are sobering, the more hopeful news from the survey is a growing and genuine interest in leader care. Thankfully, more ministry leaders and boards are recognizing this critical need. They desire to take appropriate steps. Many just don’t know where to start.

The Board’s Key Role in Leader Care

Responsible board governance has long been a pillar of ECFA’s accreditation standards for Christ-centered ministries (see ECFA.org/Standards).

The commentary to ECFA’s governance standard describes the critical nature of this relationship between the senior leader and the board: “A competent leader should be selected to carry out the ministry’s mission under the direction of the board. The board should be diligent in maintaining a strong relationship with that leader. This relationship is pivotal. The board that is accountable in its relationship with the organization’s top leader will operate with greater confidence and trust.”

Topping the list of board duties in the commentary is a commitment to prayer, corporately and individually. That certainly includes prayer for the leader.

Intentional leader care should grow out of a strong relationship between the board and the leader.

Intentional leader care should grow out of a strong relationship between the board and the leader. That doesn’t negate the fact that leaders bear the primary responsibility for guarding their own heart and integrity. Rather, from this strong relationship that should exist in the context of Christ-centered governance, the board should actively seek to create the kind of supportive ministry environment where the leader is best positioned to thrive.

Other Scriptural principles that clearly apply to the board-leader relationship include the following: do good to one another (1 Thess. 5:15), bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2), encourage one another and build each other up (1 Thess. 5:11), care for one another (1 Cor. 12:25), love one another (John 5:12), and even confess sins to one another (James 5:16).

Leaders Offer Perspective

Pastor Craig Groeschel, Senior Pastor of Life.Church and a widely respected voice on ministry leadership, refers to this important service by the board as “intentionally building a Christ-centered culture where leaders are held both in love and accountability by the people they serve.”

Jimmy Mellado, President of Compassion International, further underscores the need for leader care and more proactive engagement from boards with this perspective: “Having served in vocational ministry leadership for three decades, I understand the unique pressures and demands that come with leadership in a faith-based environment. In my experience, the most critical aspects that impact leader health and productivity are the quality of their relationship with God and their Board. As leaders surrender themselves to God in every way and Boards provide the right kind of holistic support needed to help that leader flourish, the ministries they lead become resilient and flourish as well.”

Taking the First Steps to Elevate Leader Care

If your organization hasn’t already, I invite you to take your first steps today toward creating a culture of care surrounding the leader. Boards and leaders can start with these two simple steps:

1. Ask about proactive ways to care.

Start a conversation that invites the leader to share about their current season and any ideas for how your organization can come alongside to support their integrity as a whole person – spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically, relationally, etc.

We’ve found in our research that many leaders would happily participate in these conversations with their board, but they’re rarely asked... and many don’t bring up things like a healthy pace, periodic sabbaticals, counseling, coaching, or other support because it may feel selfish to initiate the request.

Once the leader responds to this invitation, the board is much better equipped to proactively care for the leader by providing relevant support tailored to the leader’s needs.

2. Discuss character commitments.

Another form of care involves following up with the leader’s commitment to upholding biblical integrity principles, which should be agreed upon and recorded between the organization and the leader through a ministry code of conduct or similar document.

The board does not need to function as a leader’s pastor or personal accountability group. The focus should be to provide an appropriate level of oversight to confirm that the leader remains committed to upholding agreed-upon biblical integrity principles.

Finally, here are a few practical tips for applying the above principles on leader care (based on other findings from ECFA research):

• Schedule these conversations with the leader at least annually to be sure they occur: (similar to other annual evaluation rhythms with the leader and the board).
• You may want to engage a committee that is authorized by the board to focus on leader care. Smaller groups are often more conducive for these conversations, and have more flexibility in meeting as needed.
• Some of the best models we’ve seen for leader care periodically involve the leader’s spouse, and staff members who work closely with the leader. These key relationships usually have more helpful insights and suggestions for leader care.

On a Personal Note

I’m convinced that elevating leader care can be a game changer in our community, far beyond an issue of risk management.

That’s not just based on ECFA research and for the many other reasons described above. I can also say that’s true because I’m personally reaping the benefits of such an initiative.

I am a healthier leader today because of leader care...

My relationship with the ECFA board has always been strong. However, over the last year, our board and I have become more intentional to apply what we’ve learned in this area. A newly formed Committee on the President has taken initiative to care for me more intentionally as a leader – not just for what I do in service to ECFA, but also for who I am in Christ. And the outcomes have already been very impactful, even as we’re just getting started.

I am a healthier leader today because of leader care. As you and your ministry take similar proactive steps, I pray you will be as well.

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Michael Martin, President and CEO of ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability), is passionate about helping churches and Christ-centered ministries maintain high standards of integrity. As an attorney and a CPA, Michael communicates his expertise and passion through his speaking and writing. He and his family live in Winchester, Virginia.

Listen to Michael Martin on Best Christian Workplaces’ The Flourishing Culture Leadership Podcast as he discusses “Key Steps for Building Integrity and Accountability.”

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