The Bridge City Community Church is a member congregation of the Worldwide Church of God Canada. Our operations and management is overseen by national board and follows Federal Canadian regulations for charitable organizations.

Following is an article written by Board member, Keith Roberts, describing the purpose and function of the National Board.

As we read the business section of our local newspaper we may notice announcements of appointments to the Boards of Directors of various companies. We probably give the announcements little attention unless we know the individual highlighted. We glance at the photo for a few seconds and then relegate the announcements to the often mysterious world of business. We may regard Boards as relevant to corporations with global operations but far removed from the details of our daily lives. That is, until we learn that our fellowship, the Worldwide Church of God Canada, also has a Board of Directors.

Once we learn that our fellowship has a Board, some questions may come to mind: Why do we have a Board? What does it do? How does it function? Who is on the Board and how often does it meet? What difference does having a Board make to the WCG in Canada ? What is it planning? Let's look at these questions and more.

Boards exist to provide governance to an organization at its highest level. Certainly, Boards are an integral part of business but they are also a crucial part of the governance of non-profit organizations, including churches. In the local community you will find numerous organizations with Boards of Directors -- chambers of commerce, hospital foundations, museums, schools, Community colleges and universities, arts & crafts councils and churches just to name a few.

Although various models of board governance exist, the Church has adopted the Policy Governance model developed by internationally recognized board development expert John Carver. The “Carver model” differs from other models by providing specific written policies in advance to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to direct the organization. Traditional boards have sometimes just reviewed and approved the CEO's actions. By contrast the Carver model provides a road map for the CEO to follow. The CEO is free to make all decisions on a day-to-day basis providing he stays within the boundaries and goals which the Board sets for the organization. Based on this model the Board of the Worldwide Church of God Canada has developed its own Policy Governance Manual in which policies fall into four distinct categories: Governance Process Policies, Board-CEO Linkage Policies, Executive Limitation Policies, and Ends Policies.

Governance Process Policies cover such things as governing style, board job description, chairperson's role, code of conduct, committee principles and cost of governance. The tone for policies in this section is set by the first policy which states the purpose of the Board: “to provide assurance that the Worldwide Church of God Canada fulfills Jesus Christ's mandate as stated in the vision of the Church…”.

The Board's policies are addressed to only one employee who is the CEO or National Director and the official connection between the Board and the Worldwide Church of God Canada. Board-CEO Linkage policies describe how the Board works with the National Director. This includes the accountability of the National Director. For example, one policy clearly states that only decisions made by the Board acting as a body are binding on him. Individual Board members, therefore, do not have the authority to direct the National Director.

Executive Limitation Policies have to do with establishing limitations or boundaries on what the National Director can or cannot do. Policies in this category include treatment of paid employees and volunteers, financial planning and budgeting, rules around indebtedness, purchase limitations, succession planning, protecting the assets of the church in Canada , compensation and benefits, communication and support of the Board.

The final category of policies addresses “Ends” or results that the Board expects the Worldwide Church of God Canada to achieve. Although all four policy areas are followed actively and carefully, it is the Ends Policies that focus the organization and define the direction it wants to go at any given time. Some Ends Policies will, of course, change, as current ones are achieved and new areas of concentration become important. Very broadly, our current Ends Policies include becoming a vibrant community of disciples who make disciples, the edifying and maturing of members, applying the whole Word of God but doing so in the context of the New Covenant and encouraging our pastors to foster relationships with the wider Christian community, as well as the wider society.

Board members must be members of the Worldwide Church of God Canada in good standing who uphold, support and participate in its congregational life. They cannot be employees of the Canadian church. Current members of the Board from West to East are Peter Crompton, Chair, (Victoria); Colin Lauchlan (Edmonton); Cynthia Langlo, (Calgary); Tom Jameson, (Regina); Keith Roberts, (Toronto); André Marineau, (Montreal); Micheline LeClaire, (Montreal); Frank Gough, (St. John's) and Joseph Tkach, President, WCG, (Pasadena, CA) or his delegate. The annual general meeting (AGM) of the Board is also attended by Gary Moore, National Director, Vice President and CEO of the Church in Canada; Alan Redmond, Western District Superintendent; Bill Rabey, Eastern District Superintendent; and Kelly Hall, Church Accountant, who provides financial reports. These executive members participate in the board discussions and provide input but do not vote on the resolutions as do the Board members.

The Board meets at least once a year for its AGM. This is supplemented by telephone conference calls and Email communication. Normally, the face-to-face meeting is timed to coincide with the annual ministerial conference to minimize travel expenses. Other meetings may take place as needed.

Over the past few years the Board has worked hard to produce policies for the governance of the church in Canada. It has discussed, distilled and adapted the Carver Model to the specific needs of our Church. With this foundation now laid, the Board's most exciting work lies ahead. The board of a church differs from secular organizations because of the spiritual dimension. If the Board in Canada did not proceed further, it would not be all that different from the boards of countless for-profit and non-profit organizations. However, the Board recognizes the need to seek the will of Jesus Christ for the congregations in Canada. Future work will focus on seeking His will for us and refining the vision of the Worldwide Church of God Canada. Please pray that our Lord and Savior will lead us to reflect His will and bring glory to our God in Canada.