EFCA Southeast

Table of Contents

• Global Ends
• Relationships among Churches
• Care of Pastors
• Statement of Faith of Churches
• Church Planting
• District Relationship to the EFCA
• Global Superintendent Limitations
• Financial Condition and Activities
• Financial Planning and Budgeting
• Asset Protection
• Treatment of Operational and Ministerial Staff
• Compensation and Benefits of Staff
• Treatment of Pastors and Churches in the District
• Communication with the District Board
• Relationship with the EFCA National Office
• Qualifications for Credentialing
• Global Board Process
• Governing Style
• Board Job Description
• Role of the Chair
• Role of the Secretary
• Board Member Code of Conduct
• Board Committee Principles
• Cost of Governance
• Global Board-Superintendent Relationship
• Unity of Control
• Accountability of the Superintendent
• Delegation to the Superintendent
• Monitoring Superintendent Performance

Policy Type: Ends
Policy Title: Global Ends
Policy Number: 1.0a
Policy Date: 4/4/98
Latest Revision: 1/12/02
The Southeastern District of the EFCA exists to establish increasing numbers of disciple-making churches of biblical integrity and spiritual vitality marked by the distinctives of the Evangelical Free Church of America.
Policy Type: Ends
Policy Title: Relationships among Churches
Policy Number: 1.1a
Policy Date: 4/24/99
Latest Revision: 1/12/02
District church pastors will have opportunities for meaningful relationships with each other through activities such as regular regional cluster meetings, a yearly pastors’ and wives’ retreat and the annual District Conference.

Policy Type: Ends
Policy Title: Care of Pastors
Policy Number: 1.2
Policy Date: 4/24/99
Latest Revision: 1/12/02
District pastors will receive appropriate care.
Accordingly,
1. District pastors will receive prompt consultation from the superintendent when requested by the pastor. (1.2.1)
2. District pastors and their wives will be afforded the opportunity of intentional mentoring. (1.2.2)

Policy Type: Ends
Policy Title: Statement of Faith of Churches
Policy Number: 1.3
Policy Date: 4/24/99
District churches will adopt the EFCA statement of faith as written.
Policy Type: Ends
Policy Title: Church Planting
Policy Number: 1.4a
Policy Date: 1/8/00
District church plants will intentionally reach the ethnic and socioeconomic people groups of their communities.

Policy Type: Ends
Policy Title: District Relationship to the EFCA
Policy Number: 1.5
Policy Date: 12/2/00
Latest Revision: 1/12/02
District churches will have meaningful participation with the EFCA.
Accordingly,
1. The district superintendent will represent the district and its values and goals at the national level. (1.5.1)
2. District churches will be informed of the resources available to local churches from the EFCA and encouraged to send delegates to the national conference. (1.5.2)

Policy Type: Superintendent Limitations
Policy Title: Global Superintendent Limitations
Policy Number: 2.0a
Policy Date: 10/14/00
The superintendent shall not cause or allow any practice, activity,
decision, or organizational circumstance that:
a. is unlawful or unethical
b. is imprudent
c. violates commonly accepted business
and/or professional ethics
d. violates biblical standards of life
e. violates the EFCA statement of faith.

Policy Type: Superintendent Limitations
Policy Title: Financial Condition and Activities
Policy Number: 2.1
Policy Date: 4/4/98
Actual financial conditions and performance shall not incur
jeopardy or compromise the boards ends policies.
Accordingly,
1. Financial record-keeping systems and controls shall not deviate
from commonly accepted standards in non-profit organizations. (2.1.1)
2. Funds held in trust shall not be compromised or used for other
than the designated purpose without written authorization of the designee or the designees representative. (2.1.2)
3. Fund raising activities shall not misrepresent the ends of the
district, nor disrespect the giving desires of the donors, nor conflict with the ends of the local church. (2.1.3)
4. Indebtedness shall not be incurred other than trade payables
incurred in the ordinary course of doing business. (2.1.4)

Policy Type: Superintendent Limitations
Policy Title: Financial Planning and Budgeting
Policy Number: 2.2
Policy Date: 4/4/98
Budgeting for operations in any fiscal year or remaining part shall not
deviate materially from board ends policy, risk fiscal jeopardy, or plan
the expenditure in any fiscal year of more funds than are reasonably
projected to be received in that period.

Policy Type: Superintendent Limitations
Policy Title: Asset Protection
Policy Number: 2.3
Policy Date: 4/4/98
Assets may not be inadequately maintained, unnecessarily risked,
or unprotected.

Policy Type: Superintendent Limitations
Policy Title: Treatment of Operational and Ministerial Staff
Policy Number: 2.4a
Policy Date: 10/14/00
No procedure, activity, or decision shall allow district staff to be treated disrespectfully or unprofessionally.
Accordingly,
1. No communication regarding placement with potential or actual staff shall be untimely. (2.4.1)
2. No staff may be hired who are not qualified for the position for which they are hired. (2.4.2)

Policy Type: Superintendent Limitations
Policy Title: Compensation and Benefits of Staff
Policy Number: 2.5
Policy Date: 4/4/98
Staff compensation and benefits shall not deviate substantially from similar market positions.

Policy Type: Superintendent Limitations
Policy Title: Treatment of Pastors and Churches in the District
Policy Number: 2.6
Policy Date: 4/4/98
Revision Date: 4/21/01
Pastors and churches shall not be treated disrespectfully, unprofessionally, or unethically.
Accordingly,
1. Pastors and churches shall not be treated in such a way that violates autonomy by taking initiatives that obstruct a church’s right to self-governance (2.6.1)
2. Pastors and churches shall not be treated in such a way that it violates confidentiality, recognizing the legal limits of confidentiality (2.6.2)

Policy Type: Superintendent Limitations
Policy Title: Communication with the District Board
Policy Number: 2.7
Policy Date: 4/4/98
Information provided to the board shall have no significant gaps in timeliness, accuracy, or completeness.

Policy Type: Superintendent Limitations
Policy Title: Relationship with the EFCA National Office
Policy Number: 2.8
Policy Date: 4/4/98
Relationships with the EFCA office shall not violate district ends or superintendent limitations policies.

Policy Type: Superintendent Limitations
Policy Title: Qualifications for Credentialing
Policy Number: 2.9
Policy Date: 1/9/99
No person credentialed through the district shall fail to meet the qualifications for credentialing established by the EFCA.

Policy Type: Board Process
Policy Title: Global Board Process
Policy Number: 3.0
Policy Date: 5/9/98
The Lord is the supreme Owner of the Southeastern District. The human owners are the congregations of the member churches of the Southeastern District.
The purpose of the board is to represent the owners in determining and demanding that the Southeastern District achieves its Ends and avoids unacceptable actions and situations.

Policy Type: Board Process
Policy Title: Governing Style
Policy Number: 3.1
Policy Date: 5/9/98
With servant leadership, the board will govern with an emphasis on:
a. outward vision rather than internal preoccupation
b. encouragement of diversity in viewpoints
c. strategic leadership more than administrative detail
d. clear distinction of board and superintendent roles
e. collective rather than individual decisions
f. the future rather than the past or present
g. proactivity rather than reactivity.
Accordingly,

1. The board will enforce upon itself whatever discipline is needed to govern with excellence. Discipline will apply to matters such as:
a. attendance
b. preparation
c. policy making principles
d. respect of roles
e. ensuring continuance of governance capability. (3.1.1)
2. Continual board development will include:
a. orientation of new board members in the Policy Governance process
b. periodic discussion of process improvement. (3.1.2)

Policy Type: Board Process
Policy Title: Board Job Description
Policy Number: 3.2
Policy Date: 5/9/98
The product of the board will consist primarily of:
a. written policies that, at the broadest level, address ends, superintendent limitations, board governance process, and board-superintendent relationship.
b. linkages with the owners to educate itself regarding the values of the owners, and to report back to the owners regarding its stewardship.
c. monitoring of the organization and its staff.

Policy Type: Board Process
Policy Title: Role of the Chair
Policy Number: 3.3
Policy Date: 5/9/98
The chair assumes responsibility for the integrity and fulfillment of the governance process of the board and, secondarily on occasion represents the board to outside parties.
Accordingly,
1. The chair is responsible to ensure that the board behaves consistently with its own rules and those legitimately imposed upon it from outside the organization. (3.3.1)
2. The chair is authorized to make decisions that fall within topics covered by Board Governance Process and Board-Superintendent Relationships policies, except where the board specifically delegates portions of this authority to others. The chair is authorized to use any reasonable interpretation of the provisions in these policies. (3.3.2)
3. The chair is not authorized to make decisions that fall within topics covered by Ends and Superintendent Limitations Policies. Therefore, the chair has no authority to supervise or direct the superintendent. (3.3.3)
4. The chair is empowered to chair board meetings with all the commonly accepted power of that position. The chair may delegate this authority, but remains accountable for its use. (3.3.4)

Policy Type: Board Process
Policy Title: Role of the Secretary
Policy Number: 3.4
Policy Date: 5/9/98
The secretary assumes responsibility for the legitimacy, integrity, and maintenance of the documents of the board. The secretary is also responsible to the board for reporting on and noting any inconsistencies of board actions.

Policy Type: Board Process
Policy Title: Board Member Code of Conduct
Policy Number: 3.5
Policy Date: 5/9/98
The board commits itself to biblical, ethical, professional, and lawful conduct, including proper use of authority, and appropriate decorum when acting as board members.
In addition:
1. Board members shall be in agreement with the EFCA Statement of Faith. (3.5.1)
2. Board members shall understand and support the Policy Governance Model of board leadership expressed in the Southeastern District Board of Directors Policy Manual. (3.5.2)

Policy Type: Board Process
Policy Title: Board Committee Principles
Policy Number: 3.6
Policy Date: 5/9/98
Board committees, when used, will:
a. function to reinforce the wholeness of the job of the board
b. never interfere with delegation from board to superintendent
c. never replace the direct linkage between board and superintendent.

Policy Type: Board Process
Policy Title: Cost of Governance
Policy Number: 3.7
Policy Date: 5/9/98
The board will invest in its governance capacity:
a. to avoid the greater cost of poor governance
b. to acquire the skills necessary to govern well
c. to insure continuity of governance.

Policy Type: Board-Superintendent Relationship
Policy Title: Global Board-Superintendent Relationship
Policy Number: 4.0
Policy Date: 5/9/98
The sole official connection of the board to the SED operating organization, its achievement, and conduct will be through the district superintendent.

Policy Type: Board-Superintendent Relationship
Policy Title: Unity of Control
Policy Number: 4.1
Policy Date: 5/9/98
Only decisions of the board acting as a body are binding on the superintendent.

Policy Type: Board-Superintendent Relationship
Policy Title: Accountability of the Superintendent
Policy Number: 4.2
Policy Date: 5/9/98
All board authority delegated to the operational organization is delegated through the superintendent, so that all authority and accountability for the operational organization belongs to the superintendent. Therefore, all staff report to the superintendent or the superintendents representative. The superintendent is the final authority in the hiring, evaluation, and firing of staff.

Policy Type: Board-Superintendent Relationship
Policy Title: Delegation to the Superintendent
Policy Number: 4.3
Policy Date: 5/9/98
The superintendent is accountable to the board for achieving Ends policy without violating Superintendent Limitations policy. The superintendent is free to make any reasonable interpretations of the Ends and Superintendent Limitations policies.

Policy Type: Board-Superintendent Relationship
Policy Title: Monitoring Superintendent Performance
Policy Number: 4.4
Policy Date: 5/9/98
The board will conduct systematic and rigorous monitoring of the job performance of the superintendent solely against the expected job products described in Ends and Superintendent Limitations policies.