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Ministry Board Service
Many Christian ministries are becoming aware of their need to seek women's viewpoints on issues affecting their own organizations as well as those they seek to serve. One effective
way to accomplish this is to seek out qualified women to serve on their boards of directors. This is providing opportunities for an increasing number of dedicated Christian women to make a
real impact in areas that they care about.
Joyce Godwin serves on a number of these boards and brought some valuable insights for women considering this kind of involvment.
"First of all, just because a woman is asked, doesn't mean she has to accept. The agency needs to consider her gifts and abilities and have in mind how they fit with the needs of the
board. If a woman feels that she is being asked for her name, money or connections, it is possible that she can serve better in some other capacity. Some things to ask of a recruiter are: 1.
What gifts are presently on the board? 2. What is your vision? 3. What do you expect of me? (And get it in writing.)
"When you have decided to accept, do your homework. Get a copy
of their corporate information, bylaws, recent minutes, statement of faith and information on liability insurance. Ask if they are members of ECFA. You may even want to get professional help
when you review their audit, because you will have to approve it.
"When you begin, ask for a mentor who can fill you in on what to expect, on everything from the way business is
handled to what to wear. Get biographical information on the other board members and officers, to review ahead of time and then go a day early to get acquainted with the staff and corporate
culture. Learn everything as quickly as possible so that you can begin to be a productive member of the board. Look for a contribution that you can make rather than waiting to be asked or
just plugged in somewhere. And if, after all of this, you feel that it is just not going to work out for some reason, resign. Mistakes do happen and it's OK."
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