My friend was telling me about the woes of a church in the next town.

"They got a new pastor who moved in and took over. When he got wind of something going on in the church weekday school he didn't like, he called the principal and teachers in and fired them. He sent the students home and told them the church didn't have a school any more."

I said, "He closed the school?"

"Just like that. Did it on his own authority."

"Was the school in trouble or anything?"

"Not to my knowledge. We know people who sent their children there. It seemed to be a fine school."

"So what happened?"

"Everyone is upset. Some of the members left and went to other churches, and attendance is down in that church."

"Nothing more?"

"Not to my knowledge."

I find this incredible.

What kind of church, you have to wonder, turns over the whole shooting match to a new pastor without any kind of guidance or understanding about his limits—without any accountability?

I think I know. Churches that are run over and victimized by such pastors are usually loosely organized, casually set up and skeptical about oversight by anyone. Their administrative philosophy, if they have one, is something like "If God calls the pastor, He will guide him."

The church that does this is asking for all the trouble it will get.

Pastors are human. They make mistakes, have ego problems, misunderstand their roles in the church, sometimes misinterpret Scriptures and endure the same temptations as everyone else.

They need a lot more than some churches are providing, such as:

1. Pastors need a clear understanding of their role before they are employed. They need to know what the congregation expects and where their authority ends.

A pastor I know was informed by one search committee that he would be expected to mow the church lawn and keep the facility looking good. You will not be surprised to hear that the Lord did not lead him to become their pastor. But I give them high marks for telling the prospective preacher before he arrived on the scene and then hitting him with that little bit of news.

2. New pastors need to receive a copy of the church's constitution and bylaws. And if the church doesn't have a constitution, they should get one. And keep it current.

That document spells out how the church is to be operated. It is for everyone's protection. So why do churches not have constitutions and bylaws? I believe this happens for two reasons: a) The pastor does not want to be held accountable to a document so he can freewheel it, and b) People are lazy. It's just easier to "go along to get along." But churches without a constitution and bylaws are putting themselves in harm's way.

3. Pastors need to know to whom in the church they are accountable. If the answer to that is, "God only," you're asking for trouble. They are—we all are—accountable to God, true enough. But we need a little more help.

The pastor who thinks of accountability partners as a burden is looking at them wrong. A group like this can be his best friend in the church.

Every pastor needs an accountability group, no matter what it's called. If it's the deacons (I do not recommend that), personnel committee, administrative committee or something else entirely, this should be spelled out in the constitution and bylaws and explained to the pastor before he agrees to accept the call to that church. Without accountability, the pastor can run a church into the ground, and there's little anyone can do about it. Oh, the stories I could tell.

A word about the accountability group. It needs to be small, no more than four. It needs women and men, all of them mature and godly. And the group should meet with the pastor at least quarterly. These can be casual times of sweet fellowship and prayer when things are going well. But there absolutely has to be a moment when the chair asks two questions: 1. Does anyone need to call the pastor's attention to something? 2. Pastor, is there anything you need our help on?

The little group should be stable, with everyone serving three years at a time, and rotating among the membership, so that no one or two people see themselves as the authority over the pastor.

They are not the pastor's employer. They do not hire and fire. They are there as the representatives of the congregation to help the pastor keep things focused, to stay out of ditches.

The bottom line, then, is this:

A new pastor needs a clear understanding of the church's expectations of him concerning his duties and his limitations; a copy of the church's constitution and by-laws (those current and being followed); and an accountability group of some kind.

I know a church whose longtime pastor is seriously ill and yet will not give up his pastorate. He's long past age 65 and basically incapacitated. And yet, because the church has no written policies–which is all the constitution and bylaws are—no individual or group has the authority to represent the congregation and rescue this church. Meanwhile, it's dying, and he does nothing about it.

The Internet and one's denominational office will have all the help a church ever needs on how to write and keep current such a written policy. Pastors need it. The church needs it.

After five years as director of missions for the 100 Southern Baptist churches of metro New Orleans, Joe McKeever retired on June 1, 2009. These days, he has an office at the First Baptist Church of Kenner, where he's working on three books and trying to accept every speaking/preaching invitation that comes his way. 

For the original article, visit joemckeever.com.

Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Dr. Steve Greene is now sharing stories, teachings, and conversations with guests who lead with love on Love Leads, a new podcast. Listen now.

Dr. Mark Rutland's

National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)

The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!

FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.

The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.