Leading through Consensus

The other day, I was sitting in an elders' and deacons' meeting at our church. We were discussing whether to use some money for a certain outreach project. One of the guys was really in favor of it, and he knew that we he would have a majority of the votes if we had a vote and everyone voted the way they felt. However, one other guy was extremely hesitant and expressed that he did not want to do it.

After a few quick minutes of discussion, the guy leading the charge declared, "Let's have a vote then. Can we have a motion?"

I then suggested, "I motion that we operate on consensus and don't make a decision that one of us is uncomfortable with."

The fact that I would vote "no" even when I wanted to vote "yes" would have prevented it from passing. I believe another deacon would have went along with me despite also wanting it. This is the second time that I have forced the group to operate on consensus by being willing to vote opposite of what I wanted to vote. Although I have pushed for it, the group has yet to formally decide to always operate on consensus. We usually are in complete agreement and it does not matter, but then there are times like this.

This refusal to allow a vote that would alienate one of the guys spurred it into a much healthier and further discussion. The guy pushing it asked the guy against it, "So why do you not want to do this?"

A great conversation ensued about the use of God's resources, church marketing, loving the community, and outreach. This conversation would not have taken place and we would have had a divided leadership and ill feelings over just a little thing if we had not decided to operate, against the by-laws and Robert's Rules of Order, on consensus.

I think all church leadership should operate on consensus. It might prevent some things from getting done, but the church should never harm relationships for the sake of getting things done. Our job is not to get things done. Our number one task to get done, if it can be phrased as such, is to love one another and show Christ's love to the community around us.

Not operating on consensus prevents healthy dialogue. A vote that alienates always happens without people hammering out a common ground. Consensus makes conversation take place and forces us to share our fears, hopes, and reach a compromise.

Consensus is a result of reliance on prayer and the Holy Spirit. If we believe the Spirit is at work in each of us, is guiding us to the truth, and that God cares about directing the church to where he wants it to be, then we can be comfortable that he will turn all of those who are listening to him to his guidance and direction. This cannot happen if the leadership is all business and never spiritual.

There is no Bible verse that tells us how to conduct a meeting of leadership in a church. I cannot point at some passage and say, "See it there!" But what I can do is point at the principle of love. Is it really loving to alienate or divide a group? Some boards are divided and need some serious spiritual growth time together. With those types of boards, consensus seems almost impossible. However, growing together to be of one mind is a tough job in some situations but it is a worthwhile task. The church would definitely benefit.

In the end, the person that wanted to say "no" on the issue at my church turned around and said "yes." He shared his worries and we worked through them. We were in unison and consensus worked, yet again. It always has.