Member/Business Mtg Agenda

Ahh, the two favorite words of a Baptist--business meeting

 

Tom

We use a format that has been being used for years here. We still have quarterly business meetings (though I would be happy to do away with them since they are pretty repetitive). I chair them and use the minutes of hte previous meeting for the outline for the new one.

If I remember correctly we have:
1 Reading of the minutes
2 Pastor's Report
3 Deacon's Report (by the chairman).
4 Financial report and dicussion.
5 Old business (items addressed at teh previous meeting but not yet solved).
6 New business (where people can bring up issues of concern to them).
7 Close.

I generally set the agenda. Any active member can participate in the motions, seconds, and discussion, and can bring up new business. We go by Robert's Rules of Order as most do I am sure.

At the present we are small enough that the "New Business" Section is open. Should we get to the place where that is unwieldy, I would change it to have new business suggestions turned into me ahead of time. That way, I could deal with them appropriately. At times, we get some pretty pedantic stuff (like "who drank the rest of the grape juice that was in the refrigerator" ... try keeping a straight, sanctified face with that question). Usually not much is said. The quarterly meetings last 10-15 minutes; the annual meeting usually about 45 minutes.

I will be interested in hearing how others do it.

Perhaps you were looking for something other than the info I have given here though. Forgive me if you were.

 

Well spank me then ... Thank you sir may I have another ...

 

We have quarterly business meetings. (The financial report is printed and made available the first Wednesday of each month.) Our business meetings usually last about 5 minutes. I have requested, not demanded, mind you, that no controversial matter come before the church without my prior knowledge. So far, so good. I have told my people that I and the church staff make the decisions from day-to-day that many churches insist be made during business meetings.
The church has accepted this. Of course, major decisions are brought before the church. (Staff hiring, budget approval, building projects, etc.)

 

Our church has a similar process.

Not having an agenda would almost guarantee a long extended meeting. Allowing everyone to speak is inviting confusion and perhaps promotes gossip mongering. The leadership (Pastor/elders and deacons) should have an agenda and the congregation can speak upon the issues presented.

Regarding the annual presentation of the church financial status and the budget; our church presents the preliminary budget to the church body a month before the members-only business meeting, and then has an open forum discussions during the month to help the leadership iron-out problems that have been discovered through the discussions with the membership. Not too many people attend or are really interested in the nitty-gritty part of finances but it helps to keep the lines of communication open. It keeps the annual financial meeting closer to reasonable time limits so that members are not discouraged from participation.

This would work with almost any major issue.

 

In theory, we have quarterly business meetings. In reality, we have them only when we gotta, and we open and close rather quickly.

 

Tom

I have never seen a Primitive Baptist Church have a formal piece of paper for anything.

One thing we do, at least in my part of the world, is something you might think about, and that is to formally inquire into the welfare of the members when you have a business meeting. To see if anyone is sick, needs some encouragement, needs some help with something, needs some money for unexpected emergencies, etc. Our more or less set agenda for business meetings is:

A. Inquire into the peace of the church
B. Inquire into the welfare of the members.
C. Read the minutes of the last session, and make corrections if necessary.
D. Take up old unfinished business.
E. Take up new business.
F. Ask for a financial report.
G. Ask for those who would like to join to make their wishes known.

 

Us too Saggy, I was amazed to find that this Church didn't have them but I haven't urged them to start. We are basically committee led with the Deacon Board being final say. The Deacons have gotten away with this so far.
Murph

 

Perhaps I need to be edjamacated. I’ve only been a member of one church and am only now becoming educated about the beliefs and practices of other Baptists (since joining this Board).

My Church (GARBC) has an Arrggh… Deacon Board. We meet once a month (or more) to handle the dealings of the church. We look upon ourselves as servants. We help our Pastor to run the various programs of the church so he isn’t pulled away from studying the Word and teaching. He has authority over us but values our input and relies on our discussions to help him decide direction. The church constitution defines the deacons limits and what we can and can’t do without congregational notification or support.
The Pastor is the authority at all congregational meeting but at times will have individual deacons present an idea to the congregation if it is their area of expertise (e.g. financial). Perhaps we are unusual because there is no power play or sharp disagreements. Well we do disagree at times but when we leave the discussions we leave as brothers.
Is there a past thread on the Deacon Board topic that I can read over?