Many Christians who go to congregationally governed churches (I’m thinking Baptists and independent churches, but I’m guessing there are other churches run this way) seem to loathe their congregational or members meetings. I have sat in them. I have heard about them from others. Christian leaders make jokes about them. There are even historical writings (i.e. in Baptist history) that allude to negative congregational meetings.

But while this phenomenon seems to be a wide-spread occurrence, should we be content with meetings that have a negative, unedifying and even ungodly vibes (yes I said it!). Many who are fed up with Members Meetings end up (a) not attending Members Meetings, (b) attending but expecting the worst, or (c) don’t become members at all. While I think that these are equally unhelpful responses, they tell us that there is something wrong with our congregational meetings. They tell us that we need a higher standard of meeting to aim toward.

Please note that this article is my personal opinion regarding these meetings. They do not represent any church I’m part of or any event that has happened, but rather a growing catalogue of meetings I’ve observed through experience, second-hand stories and my readings.

This is what Jonathan Leeman (9Marks) says about Members Meetings in his blog article:

Admittedly, members’ meetings have a bad rap. I understand. So many are unhealthy cauldrons of dispute and insurgency. But don’t let bad marriages cause you to give up on marriage. By God’s grace, I’ve been a part of several churches now where the members’ meetings feel like warm, encouraging, and engaging family gatherings. Part of that depends on the leadership of the pastors in those meetings and how they plan it. Part of that depends on you.

Here are four quick thoughts on where I believe how our congregational meetings could be “reformed” and improved,  and what they should be like in light of God’s Word.

Focus on Unity

Paul reminds Christians in Ephesians 2 that since we are united in Christ, we are also united to each other because Jesus has broken down the barriers that separate us. We are so quick to build up these barriers and hostilities, especially our congregational meetings. We love to draw lines: leaders vs members, pastors vs elders/deacons, service vs service, committee vs pastors. Instead of turning on each other and pointing the finger (whichever way you might be pointing it), our discussions and our intentions ought to be toward unity in the body of Christ. This means that if there are divisions and differences, they should be sorted out before these meetings. During meetings, comments need to be phrased in the spirit of building unity rather than disunity. Respect should be given to those in positions that require respect (i.e. the Chairperson, the person speaking, the Pastors and leadership). If people are not fostering unity during meetings, they need to be followed up by the leaders and fellow members. A focus on unity helps the church to look like what God’s Word describes it to be: the body of Christ. A body of Christ is a body of people who are united in striving for godliness, which leads to my next thought…

Focus on Godliness

It is quite ironic that a gathering of Christians, who are all on a journey of growing in godliness, more often than not brings out the most ungodly of personalities. I once spoke to a person who could not see a leader in the same light after hearing the leader speak in a congregational meeting. This is sad and disappointing, but reinforces what should be an all-of-life focus. Christians are to practice godliness in their Members Meetings as they ought to through their whole life. Qualities such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control should be the overarching atmosphere of these meetings. Ungodliness does occur since the meeting is basically a meeting of saved sinners who still struggle with sin, but we should not accept ungodliness as the tone of our meetings. When members focus on godliness, meetings will become a much more joyous and encouraging experience (yes, even as the finance and property reports are being tabled). Our meetings should be so godly that people should be able to say “I had a glimpse of heaven in that meeting”. I wonder if you can say that about your past meeting? Good congregational meetings have a high standard of godliness. And this naturally leads to my next thought on edifying meetings…

Focus on Edification

There’s a thought that since Members Meetings are business meetings, it means that it is different from all the other Christian meetings in terms of content. While this is true to some degree, this doesn’t mean that we stop stirring one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:25). You might ask: “How can business items be edifying?”. Well there are two ways they can.

Firstly, items and discussions of ‘business’ topic needs to be presented in a way or behaviour that is building each other up. We speak niceties in the service and in passing, but we seem to think that we don’t have to encourage each other when we are talking about the colour of the wall or the comment in the report. Instead we do things like revealing the dirty private clothing of other people in public to shame them and be vindicated and tear people down through passive-aggressive comments. We can edify the church by dealing with private issues privately (until they need to be escalated to the public meeting, by holding up our ‘enemies’ (why are our brothers or sisters our opposition anyway?) in respecting them and not throwing them under a bus, respecting confidentiality (not reading private correspondences in public), submitting to positions of leadership (our pastors are our pastors, the chairperson is the chairperson) instead of undermining them.

Secondly, business items can be edifying in themselves. This comment is for the presenter of business to keep in mind, and for the members to receive in this manner. Business items in a Church meeting ought to have some sort of practical application. Bad finances might mean the church needs to grow in stewardship. New property because of growing numbers is something to be celebrated. The ‘business’ decisions and discussions are still discussions of God’s church in the local context, and therefore all the matters presented ought to edify the body in some way or another.

Focus on the Gospel

This is the most important focus. It is really the foundation of the other focuses. Our whole lives as followers of Jesus are to be marked by the Gospel. Our gatherings as God’s people are also to be marked by a response to the God who has graciously saved us from sin and death to new life. This means that our business meetings, our congregational or members meetings are also to focus on the Gospel. We often make token allusions to it at the take-off (prayer or devotion) and landing (closing prayer), but during the flight – there seems to be a lot of turbulence as the gloves come off and the dirty work begins. I wonder how much of this would change if every motion, every comment, every item and every response was soaked by the blood of Christ and its life-changing impact on our lives.

We need to remind ourselves that any business (however administrative it may be) is for the purpose of the spread of the Gospel. If something is not to this end, we need to think about why we are speaking about this topic. If the focus of discussion moves away from Gospel concerns to selfish (corporate or individual) concerns, members should be empowered to redirect the meeting’s proceedings toward a Gospel focus. We need to remind ourselves to act in a manner worthy of the Gospel. It starts with each of us individual to reflect on our thoughts. comments and actions. Then we need to consider the tone of the meeting, and whether (as a person formally committed to the church) the meeting is reflective of the Gospel. If it isn’t, then you should help move the meeting toward a tone/vibe/atmosphere/culture that is representive of a body of Christ. Take a stand to focus on the Gospel in how you approach the congregational meeting and in how your church’s meeting is run.

Final comments: Your church meetings aren’t great? Don’t vote with your feet and don’t go. It doesn’t help. Plan to attend. Plan to be involved. Ready your heart to walk in the ways worthy of the Gospel. Champion unity, godliness and edification of the body.