Nomination Work is Hard Work

Spring is just around the corner and with it, for most UU congregations, is Annual Meeting with the election of officers and board/parish committee members. The work of the nominating committee may be the most important work done each year in a church. The nominating committee actually determines how the church will operate in the year (or years) to come by whom they select.

A board or parish committee makes the decisions and sets the policies, but who is on the board or parish committee will determine what decisions and policies are made, and even if they will ever be considered. An effective board is one that can work together while reflecting the diversity of the congregation in age, gender, length of membership, theological/philosophical view, sexual identity, etc. Anne Heller, in her book, Churchworks, notes the most effective nominating committees do the following:

• Make intelligent choices for positions, don't just grab any warm body or select a person because they’ve been around for awhile
• Are candid about expectations of time and energy
• Provide prospects clear and detailed job descriptions (if they do not exist the present board and officer holders need to prepare them)
• Interview prospective board members in a leisurely way, telling them they are being asked to consider a position because the committee thinks they will do a good job
• Let the prospects think about it for a few days, then call them back
• Keep a file of the best prospects and noting when someone says “Ask me again next year”

One of the hardest parts of the nominating job is to tell a person they will not be nominated. But nominating a person just because there is pressure to do it, or because the person has been around the church for years when they are not right for a board or officer position, will inevitably lead to problems. But for the good of the church these kinds of hard conversations and decisions must be faced. Nominating work is hard work, but it is very important work.

Bill Zelazny, District Executive (BCD in Brief, 3/2004)