Chapter 3 of Weeds in the Garden illustrates the value of planning and organizing the structure of the leadership in a church. “Even in a church, tone at the top does not happen by accident. It begins with a desire by the church leadership, (executive level employees and lay leaders) to operate in transparency. To instill a healthy tone at the top, a concerted effort must be taken that includes communicating on a regular basis the need for accountability in all areas of the church, as well as the values the church expects its representatives to model. Church leadership should also make an open statement of its commitment to transparency by participating in accountability measures such as requiring all individuals in positions of trust to sign conflict of interest statements. Most importantly, the church must insist that these trusted individuals live by the church’s accountability rules.”(pg. 33)

Almost all of us have experienced the ‘boss’ that either wasn’t willing to lead the team or didn’t play by the same rules they tried to implement. You can usually observe the environment around this ‘boss’ and note the lack of respect, trust, and loyalty. Unfortunately, this atmosphere often bleeds over onto the organization as well.  When employees and volunteers of a church lack these elements of integrity, the organization will suffer. How strong is the structure of your organization? Is your church in danger of making the front page?

–Lisa Chapman is an auditor specializing in church accounting with PSK LLP.