Accountable Leadership: A Resource Guide for Sustaining Legal, Financial, and Ethical Integrity in Today's Congregations Paperback - 1997

From the rear cover

A practical compAndium of resources for creating and managing a sound, effective, and fair congregation.Now more than ever, accountable leadership and sound management practices have become priority concerns in congregations of every faith. In this comprehensive resource, minister and manager Paul Chaffee offers congregation leaders, both clergy and laity, expert counsel on the most critical ethical, legal, and financial issues they are likely to face. He synthesizes in one volume the collected wisdom of hundreds of experts, identifies the central elements that add up to accountable leadership, and backs that up with hundreds of valuable resource listings -- books, periodicals, training programs, and agencies -- where leaders can find additional guidance on specific questions and concerns.

From the jacket flap

Now more than ever, accountable leadership and sound management practices have become priority concerns in congregations of every faith. In this comprehensive resource, minister and manager Paul Chaffee offers congregation leaders, both clergy and laity, expert counsel on the most critical ethical, legal, and financial issues they are likely to face. He synthesizes in one volume the collected wisdom of acknowledged experts, identifies the central elements that add up to accountable leadership, and backs that up with hundreds of valuable resource listings?books, periodicals, training programs, and agencies?where leaders can find additional guidance on specific questions and concerns.In practical, step-by-step chapters Accountable Leadership guides the reader through essential topics such as establishing a shared vision, creating an effective governing board, being a responsible employer, maintaining sound stewardship and financial planning, minimizing legal exposure, and addressing domestic violence and other difficult issues confronting congregation members. It explores basic issues that cut across faiths and traditions, touching on standards of accountability that apply as much to the president of the local synagogue as to the senior pastor of a long-established church or the trustee of an indepAndent community fellowship. Finally, it deals squarely with the ultimate leadership responsibility: healing the wounded congregation.First published in 1993, this new edition has been extensively revised and updated to include many new resources on contemporary topics such as the disturbing trAnd toward reduced giving, new church-state issues, clergy misconduct and troublesome members, and legal issues associated with the congregation's role as employer and provider of pastoral counseling. In addition to addressing congregational leaders, Accountable Leadership speaks to individuals who love the worshiping community and seek the tools that can enable every