Building Healthy Boards Series

Healthy leadership does not happen by chance. 

The Building Healthy Boards series is a collection of 10 different sessions that focus on the most pressing challenges that church boards face. Each session was recorded and will be available for video view soon. 

Life by Meeting: Making Your Board and Other Meetings More Life-Giving and Productive 
In this first section of this workshop, we consider factors that influence and enhance productive and vital board meeting experiences and operations. We consider how a respective board’s “meeting traditions” often create dysfunctional interactions and competing expectations. In the second section, suggestions are made that will promote a more spiritually-effective board culture and set of working relationships and expectations. Finally, we consider how the leadership of a board is critical to healthy “meeting life” experienced by a board and its members. 

Larry Perkins, PhD, has taught biblical studies at the undergraduate and graduate levels since 1978. His primary focus is New Testament, particularly exegetical and hermeneutical issues related to the Gospel of Mark, 1 Peter, and Galatians. Dr. Perkins has served as the President of Northwest Baptist Seminary (2000-2010), the Dean of ACTS (1995-2004), and is also one of the founding members of the Institute for Septuagint Studies at Trinity Western University. He remains active in church ministry, serving as an elder of SouthRidge Fellowship Baptist Church (Langley, BC).

Spiritual Leadership in Community
How would you describe the environment of the board or team that you’re a part of? Who are you becoming as you serve on that team? What kind of environment are you and your team building and how is it shaping the people around you? In this workshop, we focus on the importance of character and relationships within a leadership community. We consider what contributes to creating safe environments where leaders can flourish. We also look at practical ways a board or team can build strong relationships with their larger congregation or organization.

Daniel Beutler (DMin) was born and raised in Switzerland and currently serves as part of the Leaders to Learners (L2L) team of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. As Daniel studied the role of suffering in our personal and corporate spiritual formation, he came to value coaching as a powerful way of coming alongside others. Daniel is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coach Federation (ICF) and is passionate about coaching and equipping leaders and churches to discern their next steps towards God’s desires and purposes. Daniel and his wife Maureen have two young adult children.

Moving from Maintenance to Visionary Thinking and Strategic Implementation
Most major change initiatives fail or simply fade over time. How can we discern God’s plans for our ministry? What can we do to make sure that we execute those plans well so they persist over time? In this session, we will look at eight proven steps for leading change. The desired outcome is for participants to develop a higher capacity to help their boards and other ministry teams discern God’s leading and to implement plans that persist over time.

Randy Wollf (PhD) is the director of MinistryLift and the Assistant Professor of Practical Theology and Leadership Studies at MB Seminary (Langley campus). Randy served for 20 years as a pastor, church planter, and missionary and has also served on several ministry boards in multiple roles. He and his wife have four children and they attend South Langley Church.   

Models of Church Governance and How to Adjust Your Approach as Your Church Changes
Ever wonder if your church’s governance system is more hindrance than help in accomplishing Jesus’ mission? In this workshop we explore what it takes to create a church governance model that facilitates Jesus’ mission for the church. 

Ron Toews (DMin) is the director of Leaders to Learners (L2L) for the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. His focus is serving pastors and churches by making tools available to leaders that are based upon their needs and ministry contexts. Toews pastored two churches (in Kitchener, ON, and in Calgary, AB) from 1987-2002. He then spent five years as Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies at the MB Seminary in Langley, BC and nearly two years as ACTS interim principal. Toews spent three years in leadership development with the BC Mennonite Brethren Conference and began working in his current role in 2012. Ron and his wife Dianne have nine grandchildren and they live in Abbotsford where they attend The Life Centre.  

Managing Finances Well: Best Practices for Ministry Boards
Every board has reporting obligations—to their members and to the government—and every board is tasked with the responsibility of managing the finances of their organization. This reality requires board members to understand their personal and corporate responsibilities and how this intersects their role as an overseer. This seminar will touch on principles, regulations, and necessary step to help boards develop best financial practices.  

John Webber (MA) is the Director of Administration and Finance at MB Seminary. His background includes leadership and administrative positions with a trust company and a chartered bank. He has also served in various church and parachurch boards as treasurer and chair. John and his wife Carol attend Northview Community Church and enjoy spending time with their daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren. 

 Making Good Decisions: Discerning God's Will Together Even in the Midst of Conflict

Randy Wollf (PhD) is the director of MinistryLift and the Assistant Professor of Practical Theology and Leadership Studies at MB Seminary (Langley campus). Randy served for 20 years as a pastor, church planter, and missionary and has also served on several ministry boards in multiple roles. He and his wife have four children and they attend South Langley Church.   

Increasing Your Board’s Capacity by Orienting and Training Board Members
Developing leaders in the local church is one of―if not the greatest need in churches today. It is also the most rewarding ministry experience any leader can have. Our greatest legacy will be the leaders we have developed. Developing leaders is more than teaching a class, it is sharing life and ministry with those who look to us for mentoring. This session will highlight effective ways that pastors and boards can develop leaders for the current and future needs of the church. 

Abe Funk (DMin) has served as a pastor, church planter, and denominational leader in both Canada and the United States, and was one of the leaders who helped develop the Associated Canadian Theologicals Schools (ACTS) in Langley, BC. After 48 years of active ministry, God led him to write and teach on the topic of leadership in local churches (fueled by his passion to develop new leaders). Abe served 14 years as a district minister and 18 years as the national leader of the Baptist General Conference of Canada. He has published four books, two on the topic of leadership: Hope for the Small Church, lessons for half hour studies at each meeting and Transferable Leadership, a resource to help pastors train leaders. Abe and his wife have been married for 58 years and they have two children and four grandchildren. 

Nov 14 - Shepherding the Flock
Scripture uses the metaphors of family and shepherding to describe the work of elders. This session will explore how elders can keep their biblical mandate central while also functioning with governance wisdom and effectiveness.

Rob Thiessen has served as the BC Conference Minister of Mennonite Brethren Churches since 2012. He previously served as Pastor of North Langley Community Church for 17 years and Orchard Park Bible Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake for 7 years. 

Building a Strong Board Team 
Building a team means the conscious development of community; a sense of togetherness with other members of the team. However, community is not our final goal… communitas is. Communitas is community that is developed in the context of a challenge. It is togetherness with clear vision and goals. Join us as we develop the themes of community and communitas in building strong board teams.

Dan Nicholson (DMin) has provided visionary, pastoral leadership to churches ranging in size from 100 to 1000. His primary work is in the areas of re-visioning, equipping, mentoring and empowering leaders, facilitating community partnerships and teaching. Dan serves as the Leadership Catalyst of the Evangelical Free Church of Canada and gives oversight to LeadBeyond, the leadership development initiative of the EFCC. Dan and his wife June have three married children and 7 grandchildren who are the delight of their lives. 

Bill Taylor (MA) has been the Executive Director of the Evangelical Free Church since 2008. He previously served as pastor of Saskatoon Evangelical Free Church, followed by nine years as District Superintendent of Alberta Parkland District. He is the author of From Infancy to Adolescence, which chronicles the history of the Evangelical Free Church of Canada from 1984 to 2005. Bill and his wife Deb live in Aldergrove and they have two daughters.   

Hiring and Firing (and Other HR) Best Practices and Leading Through Pastoral Transitions  

Randy Wollf (PhD) is the director of MinistryLift and the Assistant Professor of Practical Theology and Leadership Studies at MB Seminary (Langley campus). Randy served for 20 years as a pastor, church planter, and missionary and has also served on several ministry boards in multiple roles. He and his wife have four children and they attend South Langley Church.