Accountability

Dear Pastors

This week I would like to venture into a topic where ‘angels fear to tread’. Your accountability………true, dinkum, honest accountability.

I hold a view that the Pastoral Vocation is insufficiently regulated and Pastors (by and large) are not sufficiently accountable. In fact it may be the most unregulated vocation of all. And that’s no one’s fault in particular.

Every leader should voluntarily submit themselves to an accountability process. In most fields of work of course it is mandatory. This accountability should be regular, ‘professional’ and engaged in with a positive attitude. I have experienced the very best of this but sadly I have heard horror stories about the very worst of this. Mopping up after accountability has gone well and truly south is really hard and the success rate is not high.

This is a touchy subject. I understand this because at one level accountability is a challenging exercise, but I am surprised that in the church sector in New Zealand it is practised so little. In fact, when I have raised it in different settings over the years the reaction can even be quite hostile. I hold the view that a leader who will not voluntarily engage in this process is….well….probably hiding something.

The bigger the leadership role and greater the responsibility the greater the accountability that is required.

• Accountability is literally the ability and/or duty to report (or give account of) on events, tasks, and experiences.
• Whereas responsibility is an ongoing duty to complete the task at hand, accountability is what happens after a situation occurs.
• It is how a person responds and takes ownership of the results of a task and/or responsibility.
• Being accountable often means that the person is liable to face consequences from some authority if the task isn’t completed successfully.

Sadly, too many of us see it as threat and get way to defensive at these times. Conversely Elder Boards are generally not well qualified or experienced to handle this process very well. They often lack the skills to ask the right questions and negotiate when differences occur. The Accountability process should never be seen as an exercise in swinging a big stick.

It is the role of Elders to ensure that an accountability process for the pastor is in place and operational. The Chair of the elders or Board has a special responsibility to monitor this. The key element of the accountability process is the formal appraisal of the pastor’s performance every 12 months. The goal of the annual appraisal is to support and empower the pastor in all he or she does. It should be done by two people ideally who will do this in a thoughtful and professional way. If at all possible one of the appraisal team should have a background in Human Relations. In my case, it was a senior elder and an appropriate member of the congregation. Both were experienced in this area of work. Both reported back to the whole Elder Board as I did. I found it a very positive experience.

The beauty of a formal appraisal is that it also gives an opportunity for the pastor to share issues that are personal and where he/she is struggling and this can be done without any embarrassment or sense of shame. I highly recommend it. It still is one of the best tools we have for personal growth and Professional Development.

Blessings

Alan

P.S. I have written a short paper on Marijuana – A Christian Response. As a Pastor you might find it a helpful teaching resource and a helpful guide for parents of teenagers. Please ‘hit’ reply and request a copy.

Alan Vink is currently the Executive Director for LeadershipWorx. Prior to this role he has been the Executive Director of Willow Creek Association NZ (WillowNZ), a Baptist pastor (23 years), Bible College teacher, and church consultant.