Every church has some form of governance (at least on paper), but the practices of “oversight” vary widely. Oversight has existed in various forms since the beginning of the church. But in many cases today, the oversight function is dysfunctional. It can be non-existent or heavy-handed or just confusing.

Having meaningful performance conversations is a central oversight responsibility of the “board” (elders, governance team, personnel committee, etc.) It is also a vital task for the senior pastor and/or executive pastor in a multi-staff church. Rather than treating this as a dreaded assignment, those providing oversight should view the work as an opportunity to partner with the pastor and other leaders for their support and growth.

How can oversight be done as a healthy partnership? These seven questions can create a rich dialogue that moves well beyond a typical “performance review”:

• How is your walk with God? This is the most important question for a ministry leader. If their spiritual life is not vibrant, they cannot lead effectively.
• How is your marriage, family, and personal life? Ministry leaders should not be expected to sacrifice their families and their well-being for the church.
• What is your self-assessment of your leadership over the last year – positives and areas for growth? Leaders usually have a good idea of where they have and haven’t performed well. In fact, they are often too critical. Self-assessment is a starting point, after which overseers can add other observations as needed.
• What is one way in which you want to grow as a leader in the coming year? This is a natural follow-up to the previous question. It starts with the leader and leaves room for input from overseers.
• What do you believe the church most needs in the coming year? The church’s priorities for the coming year should ultimately be a major conversation with the entire board. But in the context of oversight, this question leads to an important discussion about individual priorities.
• What is your role in addressing these needs? Not all organizational priorities require hands-on involvement from the senior leader(s). Individual priorities or goals should be clear for each leader.
• How can we best support you? If the goal is a healthy ministry partnership, then asking this question, and following through on the resulting commitments, is essential.

Pause for a minute to reflect on these seven questions. What difference would this approach make in your oversight conversations? How would the last four, forward-looking questions set the stage for fruitful ministry and meaningful oversight in the future?