Chapter 4. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The congregation's ministry.

About This Chapter

This chapters provides a frame for what this specific congregation is all about. What's its reason for existence? Vision, mission, values, and any other guiding principles of the congregation belong here.

Top Priority: Make bylaws describing the organizational structure, as instructed in *C4.04. Full Description Here

Thoughts and Suggested Provisions

The following is offered merely as suggestions, often based on common provisions in congregational constitutions. It is up to each congregation to determine what is and is not important to include in their own governing documents.

Note: For each suggestion, the congregation must decide whether a provision should be a constitutional provision, a bylaw, or a continuing resolution. Go to the page on types of provisions to understand the differences.

Warning: Remember, required provisions cannot be modified in any way. However, congregations can add bylaws and continuing resolutions under required provisions. Example

*C4.02. Purpose of the Congregation

Does the congregation have additional purposes? It will be rare that a congregation needs to add anything below this provision, but cases may exist. If you add anything here, be very careful and intentional with your wording.

Example: *C4.02.d. mentions caring for the aged, but maybe the congregation feels a particular call to care for the parentless (the orphan, in biblical terms) and feels the phrase "powerless" does not suffice.

*C4.03. Activities of the Congregation

Are there additional activities the congregation does to fulfill its purposes? It will be more common that a congregation adds something below this provision. Each congregation has specific ways it achieves its purpose. Be very careful and intentional with any wording.

Example: In commitment to the needs of the powerless, a congregation may not allow guns or other weapons on the premises. In open carry or license to carry states, such a statement may be important in establishing the safety of all. Make sure your provision is in accordance with state law.

If such provisions exist, it may be worthwhile to post "No Firearms" signs.

Example: In order to reach out to all people to bring them to faith in Christ, one congregation has committed itself to using non-binary language, including in worship and any publications. This would be the appropriate place to state that.

Along those same lines, a Reconciling in Christ congregation might state its membership and commitment to being an inclusive congregation here.

Example: In working for peace and reconciliation among the nations, some congregations find fostering interfaith relationships important. Such relationships should be consistent with churchwide policy.

With what other organizations is the congregation in supportive relations? This may include such things as camps and social ministries. An extensive list of relationships synods foster can be found in the Synod Provision †S6.03.03.

Note: Many synod constitutions will have bylaws describing such relationships under †S6.03. that can serve as examples. Check with your own synod.

Because this provision includes the sacraments, any understand or guidance on the administration of the sacraments might be included here. Alternatively, they could be put in Chapter 8 and Chapter 12.

*C4.04. Organizational Structure

Required: *C4.04. states that "this congregation shall develop an organizational structure to be described in the bylaws". The Model requires every congregation to have such bylaws. Full Description Here

What is a youth or young adult? These terms are defined nowhere in the Model. "Youth" is used in C12.01., and both terms may be important to some congregations (Chapter 8 and Chapter 12 are potential places such definitions may be important). Example in ELCA Provision 6.02.A09. Example in Synod Provision †S6.04.02.

Does the congregation seek balanced representation among the genders? It may not be wise for congregations to require exactly equal representation in most of its organizational groups, but it may be valuable to require more than one gender be represented in most groups. Example in ELCA Provision 5.01.f. Example in Synod Provision †S6.04.

Note: In order to make space for individuals who are non-binary, the ELCA changed the requirements from 50% male and 50% female to 45% men and 45% women. If the congregation has gender requirements, how will it make space for those who are non-binary?

Example: For representative positions where there is only one representative, a congregation might have the goal that the position alternates between women and men whenever possible.

Are there other diversity goals? In some congregations, there may be other worthwhile diversity goals beyond age and gender. Example in ELCA Provision 5.01.f. Example in Synod Provision †S6.04.01.

Example: A congregation has an active deaf community, or is a bicultural community, or simply has multiple worship services. The congregation made it the goal that 10 percent of the membership of every organization in the congregation be a person that is part of the minority community.

Note: Because most congregations are relatively small (under 1000 voting members), it is often better to use the language of "goals" rather than "must/shall". Example in Synod Provision †S6.04.01.

Note: If the diversity goals only apply to the Congregation Council, the provisions may more appropriately belong in Chapter 12.

*C4.05. Mission Statement

What is the congregation's Vision, Mission, Values, Goals, or Objectives statements? Any official guiding statements may be included here.

Note: This chapter is called "Statement of Purpose". *C4.02. defines the purposes of the congregation. It would be odd for a congregation to have a separate "purpose statement".

Required Bylaws Under *C4.04.

*C4.04. says the congregation will describe its organizational structure in the bylaws. Many congregations are organized in a traditional hierarchical business model. Others work in more collaborative models. However the congregation is organized, the description here should be simple and broad, and it should match the rest of the constitution. Example in ELCA Provision 11.30.

Recommendation: The best resource for understanding the organizational structure of congregations is with the book "Governance and Ministry: Rethinking Board Leadership" by Dan Hotchkiss. This book is not written with Lutheran polity in mind, but many of its thoughts are applicable to ELCA congregations.

Mr. Hotchkiss' website also offers a treasure trove of additional resources on congregational governance.

As the example in the ELCA Constitution shows, these bylaws serve as a brief summary of the organization. There is not need to list every single organizational unit (e.g. altar guild, worship and music committee, stewardship team, etc.). However, beyond listing the four basics (congregation, congregation council, officers, and committees), these bylaws might include:

To whom do committees or other organizational units report? Is it the congregation council or the [senior] pastor, or another rostered minister or staff person? Chapter 13 of the Model does not address this. Various groups of organizational units might be oversee by different positions (e.g. committees might be overseen by the congregation council, but the pastor might have authority over ministry teams).
Who oversees the staff? C12.08. of the Model gives this role to the congregation council, but congregations are free to organize however they see fit. In some congregations, the congregation council employs but the pastor supervises. In others, the pastor does both.
How does the leadership relate to one another? Chapter 9 of the Model does not address the relationship between multiple pastors and deacons.

Note: Anything specified here should also be specified in the relevant chapter and match what is specified there. This section basically serves as a summary.

Note: Whenever possible, refer to the provision or chapter that describes each part of the organization. References provide clarity and protect against accidental inconsistencies or loopholes. Example in ELCA Provision 11.31.

Visual Organizational Charts

These bylaws might be a good place to insert a visual graphic or chart. Artwork is acceptable in the constitution. Example in ELCA Provision 1.11.01.

Unless the relationships are articulated with absolute clarity, a chart is likely to compliment rather than replace written bylaws.

Note: The following charts are not offered as recommendations, but as examples of the variety of ways congregations might insert a visual into these bylaws.

These first two charts are based on the book “Governance and Ministry: Rethinking Board Leadership” by Dan Hotchkiss.

This next chart comes from the constitution of an ELCA congregation.

These next two charts demonstrate a simple flow model.

This final chart is from a Presbyterian congregation.

Numerous additional examples can be found in Lutheran congregations already using charts to describe their organizational structure:

A variety of charts can also be found here, or via an image search using any search engine.