A Culture of Accountability

As a member of the Classis of the Southwest Classis, I will humble myself and live in mutual accountability with the other members of this Classis.  My role in creating a culture of accountability means…

 

• I will give the members of Classis permission to speak into my life and ministry.

• I will listen; giving serious and prayerful consideration to their input.

• I will have a bias toward accepting any and all truth spoken into my life and ministry, typically demonstrated by changed behavior on my part.

• When I choose not to heed the input of others regarding my life and ministry, I will meet with them personally, declare my intentions, explain my reasoning and seek their understanding if not approval.

• I will honor and abide by the expectations of leaders as laid out in the Book of Church Order.  I will submit to standards and processes of accountability enumerated in the BCO.

 

Personal Accountability

As a member of the Classis of the Southwest, I will hold myself and others accountable for…

 

• Being a life-long learner

• Developing leaders

• Maintaining healthy relationships with God, my family, the people of the church and the unchurched, unbelieving people in my community

• Self-care in terms of my spiritual, emotional and physical health

• Growing in Christ-likeness demonstrated by exhibiting:

The Fruit of the Spirit

• Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control

And the Characteristics of the Beatitudes

• Poor in Spirit (Humble, filled with the Holy Spirit)

• Mourning (Having empathy, not engaging in blaming others)

• Meekness (Teachable, demonstrating “power under control”)

• Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness (Ethical, demonstrating a deep desire to do what is right)

• Merciful (Merciful)

• Pure in Heart (Living with integrity)

• Peacemakers (Works toward Christ-based reconciliation)

• Persecuted for Righteousness’ Sake (Courage to do what is right even when it is hard or hurts)

 

Corporate Accountability

As a member of Classis and leader of a local church, I will do all I can by the power of the Spirit to lead my church to health, effectiveness and growth.  In the spirit of mutual accountability I will hold myself and others accountable for growth in the health indicators listed below and will listen to and give serious consideration to the counsel of others.

• Worship Attendance

  • Total attendance

  • Visitor retention

  • Frequency of attendance

• Evangelistic Growth – Outward

  • Adult conversion baptism

  • Reaffirmations

• Covenant Connections

  • Infant baptisms

  • Professions/Confessions

• Small Group Participation

  • Number of small groups

  • % of people involved in small groups

• Ministry and Outreach

  • Ministry – on campus, for those who are part of the church or will come to the church

  • Outreach – off campus, for those who cannot or will not come to the church

  • Planting – participating in producing healthy church plants

• Leaders

  • Leader training

  • New workers and leaders deployed

  • Leader retention

• Giving (Financial Stewardship)

  • Number of regular givers

  • Tithing and/or proportional giving

 

Community Accountability

As a Minister of Word and Sacrament or a Commissioned Pastor I will live in community as expressed in the following behaviors…

 

• I will participate in a regular support and accountability group

• I will participate in the required meetings of classis and if unable to attend will inform the classis clerk of my absence and rationale.

• I will help with the work of classis either as a participating member of a classis team or by another significant contribution.

• I will faithfully and regularly attend a member church of classis or a Christian church within my community.

• I will faithfully abide by and live into the standards described in the Declaration for Minister of Word and Sacrament or the Declaration for Commissioned Pastor that I signed when entering the classis and “submit to the counsel and admonition of the classis.”

• I will live by appropriate standards of confidentiality and conflicts of interest.

• When it comes to conflict resolution I will follow Christ’s teaching in Matthew 18:15-17.

 

Executive Leadership Accountability

The Executive Leadership of classis will be held accountable to…

 

• Effectively inspire, resource and equip the churches of the Classis for growth in all 7 health indicators (Church Health)

• Effectively inspire, resource and equip the churches of classis in launching and organizing new church plants (Mission Southwest)

• Hold the pastors, leaders and churches accountable for living according to the Accountability Covenant and the accountability provisions of the Book of Church Order

 

The Spirit of Accountability

Though any effective system of accountability requires negative consequences for egregious violations of accountability standards, we in the Classis of the Southwest will exercise accountability not in a punitive manner, but rather in a culture and climate of encouragement, genuine care and partnership for effective Kingdom ministry.

The Accountability Covenant will be signed by all ordained Ministers of Word and Sacrament, Commissioned Pastors, Preaching Elders, Elder Delegates serving as members of Classis, and Classis Team Members.

 

The Exercise of Accountability

 

Process and Consequences

• Use Matthew 18:15-17 as the blueprint to resolve conflicts.

Step 1: Talk with the person or group directly in order to resolve the conflict

Step 2: If the conflict cannot be resolved, then bring in one or two witnesses

Step 3: If resolution cannot be reached, then take it to the classis

Step 4: If the offender (person or group) does not respond to the classis, place the offender under discipline according to the Book of Church Order

• Fully embrace and utilize the authority given the classis and its leadership by the Book of Church Order and the classis By-laws.

• According to the content and spirit of the Book of Church Order…

  • Failure to sign the Covenant of Accountability shall result in the initiation of the disciplinary procedure as outlined in Chapter 2, Part I of the Book of Church Order

  • The on-going, systemic or egregious failure to live by the Covenant of Accountability shall result in the person being placed under discipline

• Failure to sign the Covenant may result in the person or the person’s church or ministry being ineligible to receive the advantages of classis membership.