Family Board Handbook, The

March 20, 2004

The Board Structure
Responsibilities and Authority of the Boards and Councils
Relationship Between the Boards
Board Meeting Rules of Order
Procedures
The Boards and Their Portfolios

Introduction

The purpose of establishing the Family Board structure is to create a structure by which initiatives for making progress can be generated at three different levels by those who are involved at those levels. This will give the opportunity for many more Family members to be directly involved in the various aspects of our Family’s work and ministries and will, in effect, create a training ground for new leadership, spreading the leadership load to the shoulders of many.

The board structure will allow those in positions of spiritual leadership to focus on the areas in which they are most gifted or needed, without having to be responsible for the entire range of Family life, managing both ministry duties and spiritual oversight.

The board structure will allow many people to move into positions of responsibility in overseeing various ministries, without having to be spiritual shepherds, or vice versa, thus providing more services to the Family.

The board structure will also give better service to Family Homes by putting more manpower and resources into areas which the COs (Continental Officers, formerly known as CROs) and VSs aren’t presently able to give enough attention to because they are so busy with visitation and helping the Homes solve their problems. These areas include childcare, education, young people, witnessing and follow-up, etc.

The board structure is to be incorporated into the leadership and administrative structure currently outlined in the Charter. While the Family’s leadership structure will be improved, the Charter will remain the foundation of the Family’s government.

(Note: Please read GNs 949 and 950, The Board Vision, Parts 1, 2 for a detailed look at the reasons and the need for the Family Board structure, its goals, as well as the Lord’s view on it.)

Definition and explanation of terms

Terms as they are used in the Family Board Handbook and the Fundamental Family Rules:

Active Member: referred to in the Love Charter as Live_Out members. At present these are friends who are saved, regularly fellowship with the Home, attend meetings, witness and tithe or give substantially to your Home or WS.

Agenda: items of business to be discussed at a board meeting

Area Officers: leaders above the Home level but below the continental office level, presently the Visiting Servants (VSs)—collectively known as the area office

Board Member: a voting member of a Home who has reached the age of 18, has been appointed to a board and is not on Partial Excommunication

C&Ss: Comments and Suggestions filled out by the Homes on their monthly TRF

CC: Continental Council, made up of the COs in a continental area. Has the authority and responsibility of the continental office

Chairperson of the Board: the officer who presides at the meetings of the board. The chairperson’s main responsibility is to chair meetings, handle the communications of the board, and manage the day-to-day affairs of the board.

Children: as used in this document, Family members ages 0 through 11

Church: body of believers. Friends, supporters, outside witnessers and those that the Home ministers to

Clearance Committee: The Visitation and Shepherding national board, along with the chairperson of the VS regional board, make up the Clearance Committee for that national area. The Clearance Committee handles, in conjunction with the Continental Reporting Center, clearance requests to their national area.

Closed City: a city where the opening of further Homes is not permitted without CO approval

Committee: Committees are made up of individuals assigned by the board to perform specific tasks or functions for the board. For example, if a board has six members, they may ask two of those members to form a committee to explore an idea, hear from the Lord on a matter, or implement a decision of the board.

Committees may be made up of board members, non-board members, or both.

Continental Area: a specific geographical area, designated by WS leadership, and overseen by continental officers. Two or more regions make up a continental area

Continental Coordinator: someone appointed by the CC to be the coordinator between the RBs

Continental Officers (COs): WS officers appointed by WS leadership to oversee a continental area—collectively known as the continental office. Formerly known as CROs

CTP: consider the poor ministry

Disciplinary Committee: The Visitation and Shepherding national board, along with the chairperson of the VS regional board make up the Disciplinary Committee for that national area. The Disciplinary Committee handles, in conjunction with the Continental Reporting Center, Probationary Notice and Partial Excommunication.

Excommunication: a disciplinary action ranging from excluding a member from Family literature and fellowship, to the less severe partial excommunication that may allow continued membership, but the loss of certain privileges as outlined in the Charter—Procedures for Excommunicating Family Members, page 221

FAR: Family Activity Report

FED: Family Education Department

FED Resource Center: maintained by the FED in each region to make educational materials and resources that they have, available to the NBs and Homes in the region

Fellow Member: non_Charter Family member who is saved, completes a monthly TRF, tithes and fulfill the responsibilities of Fellow Members, as outlined in the Charter—Appendix I, page 430

FPC: Family Policy Council to offer counsel to Maria and Peter in the governing of the Family

Home: a Family community where members reside

Home Teamwork: Home officers elected by the Home

IB: international board

JETTs: as used in this document, Family members ages 12 and 13

LIM: WS_sponsored translation center

Live_Out Member: friends that are saved, regularly fellowship with the Home, attend meetings, witness and tithe or give substantially to your Home or WS

Minutes: an official record of what is said or decided upon during a meeting

Moderator: somebody who presides over a meeting and acts as a mediator in discussions; i.e., the chairperson in a meeting of the board

Motion: a formal means of requesting that a matter or procedure be taken up by the board during their board meeting

National Area: an area within a region (could be a part of a nation, an single nation, or multiple nations), determined by taking into consideration the distribution of Homes in that region

NB: national board

NCC: National Coordinating Council, made up of the chairpersons of each NB in a national area

NGO: Non-Governmental Organization

Outreach Tools: publications, either written, audio (cassette or CD), or video, intended for distribution to the general public

Partial Excommunication: less severe form of discipline than full excommunication. Allows for continued membership, but the loss of certain privileges as outlined in the Charter—Procedures for Excommunicating Family Members, page 221

Pillar: complete vertical structure of a board (for instance, the Children and Parenting board), from national through international levels

Point: a matter put forth to the board (usually in the agenda) to be discussed or voted on

Portfolio: the mission, authority and responsibilities of each board

Probationary Status: a disciplinary measure imposed on a Home member by their Home by a majority vote, for infractions committed in violation of the Charter of Responsibilities and Rights or Fundamental Family Rules

Production Centers: Service Homes that produce and/or provide outreach tools to the Homes. Formerly known as SCs or PPCs

Publications (Pubs): includes printed literature, audio or videotapes, CDs, disks, etc.

Quorum: the minimum number of members who must be present at the meeting before business can be officially transacted. For our purposes, this will be a number of board members that equal a simple majority of the board.

RB: regional board

RC: Regional Council, made up of the regional chairpersons and COs in a regional area

Regional area: an area within a continental area, determined by taking into consideration language, culture, geography and nationality. Two or more national areas make up a regional area.

SC/PPC: Homes that produce and/or provide outreach tools to the Homes. Now known as production centers

Secretary of the Board: One who prepares the agenda, records the minutes of the meeting, and keeps on file all official memos and reports made by the board.

Sensitive Country: country that due to its political, religious or otherwise sensitive nature may be potentially dangerous or problematic for a Home operating there, requiring closer oversight of the Homes’ activities by the continental office

Service Home: Family Home that offers a service to the Family communities in a city, area, or internationally. Under the supervision of the continental office

Simple Majority: a vote in which the will of over 50% of the voting board members determines the outcome of the vote

TEAM Foundation: stands for Teaching, Education And More, and is a government-recognized non-profit public foundation set up in the USA for the purpose of researching, finding and acquiring educational materials (provisioning or purchasing these materials as cheaply as possible) to then make them available to Family Homes, hopefully at a considerably lower cost than these same materials would be available through normal channels. TEAM also acts as a channel to handle and process Family orders of CLE and other home schooling courses.

Teens: as used in this document, Family members ages 14 through 17

Treasurer of the Board: one who manages the finances of the board and keeps detailed accounts of all income, expenditures, and transactions made by the board.

TRF: Tithers’ Report Form, a monthly report for Family Homes

Two_thirds Majority: a vote in which at least 67% (two out of three voting board members) must cast an affirmative vote for the measure to pass

The Board Structure

A.Overview

In order to provide the Family with the services and support that it needs in Home life and outreach ministries, most of the aspects of Family life and services will be grouped in portfolios or pillars. These pillars are the major aspects of the overall Family life, the areas that affect every Family Home.

1.The pillars within the board structure will be overseen by boards at the international, regional and national levels. The boards and the basic areas of Family life they cover are:

a.The Children and Parenting board (CP)

The focus of this board is the care of our children, ages 0-11, and to offer training and support for Family parents.

b.The Family Education Department board (FED)

The FED board focuses on the education of our children and teenagers.

c.The JETT/Teen board (JT)

Support for the Homes in the care and shepherding of our young people, ages 12-17, falls under this board.

d.The Church Growth and Outreach board (CGO)

The CGO board focuses on witnessing, outreach, the establishment of fellowships and study groups, and follow-up (covering all of our witnessing, disciple winning and training, follow-up, tool distribution, church growth, local CTPs, and the promotion of the Activated program).

e.The Public Relations board (PR)

The PR board only exists at the regional and international levels. The PR board deals with public relations, relations with the media, religious freedom issues, persecution response, and promoting the Family’s good name and good works. The PR board will also be available to give advice on legal matters when asked by foundations, NGOs and other organizations that are connected to or run by Family members.

f.The Visitation/Shepherding board (VS)

The job of the VS board is to see that the Charter is being adhered to by the CM Homes, and to provide shepherding and visitation to the Homes. Those on the VS boards will be Continental or Area Officers.

g.The GP Production board (GPP)

The GP Production board exists only within WS and is made up of members from each continental area (in most cases COs), along with WS representatives. The responsibility of the GP Production board is to make the decisions regarding the creation and production of new GP tools and oversee the business of creating, producing, distributing and marketing new products, both for Family distribution by the Homes and for GP marketing through System companies.

The GP Production board will be responsible to direct the WS GP department, or others outside of WS, such as the studios and field artists who help with tool creation, as to what products to create. The GP Production board will also communicate with Aurora and the production centers (SCs/PPCs) in their areas in order to help fine-tune the particular product needs for each area, taking into account all the various business factors of product production—evaluating sales, inventories, and availability of resources both at the creation, duplication and marketing levels.

The GP Production board will work closely with the Church Growth and Outreach board to materialize ideas and suggestions for new outreach products that will be generated through the Church Growth and Outreach board.

(See full list of the responsibilities of each board in the section: The Boards and Their Portfolios).

2.The members of each board will be in close communication with each other via e-mail and/or phone and will meet as needed to discuss matters pertaining to their portfolio, ways to fulfill the Family’s needs in their area of responsibility, and implementation of projects and policies.

It is the responsibility of the members on the boards to be thinking and praying about their portfolio in relation to the Homes in their areas, and coming up with ideas and initiatives on how to further improve that aspect of Family life.
Each board is accountable to a higher authority—the national to the regional, the regional to the international, and the international to WS leadership. Each is responsible to implement to the best of their ability (with the Lord’s guidance through counsel and prophecy), policies passed down from the higher board, as well as to inform the chairperson of the higher board of the plans and programs the Lord has shown them to initiate.

3.Each board must have a chairperson, a secretary, and a treasurer.

a.The board chairperson’s responsibility is to chair meetings, handle the communications of the board, and manage the day-to-day affairs of the board. In the case of the regional and international board chairpersons, they would work with and oversee the board below their board.

In some cases, boards may be co-chaired, if because of the many facets of a board’s portfolio, the board would be better served by two chairpersons rather than one. Such cases, however, would be the exception.

b.The board elects the secretary of the board from among its members.

The job of the secretary of the board is to prepare the agenda, record the minutes of the meeting, and keep on file all official memos and reports made by the board.

Some chairpersons, especially on the regional level, may have a personal secretary to help them in their job. The chairperson’s secretary is different from secretary of the board (though he or she could hold both positions if he or she has been appointed to the board and is elected secretary of the board). While the chairman’s personal secretary could help him take care of these particular tasks, ultimately one of the board members—either the chairman or another board member—would be the one responsible to ensure that it is done.

The chairperson’s secretary, if not a member of the board, would have no vote in official decisions made by the board. If a board chairperson wishes for his or her secretary to attend board meetings, a majority of the board must agree, as they must to any non-board member attending a meeting.

c.The board elects the treasurer of the board from among its members.

The job of the treasurer is to manage the finances of the board and keep detailed accounts of all income, expenditures, and transactions made by the board. The treasurer must report on the state of the finances held by the board at each meeting, as well as make a detailed yearly finance report.

The board as a whole decides how financial decisions are made, how the board’s finances are spent and what spending authorization the treasurer has.

4.An international board is responsible for their portfolio for the Family as a whole (in counsel with WS leadership).

5.A regional board is responsible for their portfolio in a region within a continental area, determined by taking into consideration language, culture, geography and nationality.

a.Two or more regions make up a continental area.

6.A national board is responsible for their portfolio in an area within a region, determined by taking into consideration the distribution of Homes in that region.

Two or more national areas make up a regional area. A national area might be one country, several countries, or just part of a country, largely depending on the number of Homes in that country.
Each Home must fall under a national area, even if separated by a great geographical distance.
The national boards are responsible to provide services to all the Homes under their jurisdiction, to the best of their ability.

7.Councils will be formed to support and work with the boards at the continental, regional and national levels.

The Continental Council has the responsibility and the authority granted in the Charter to the continental office, and is responsible for the spiritual health and overall work of the continental area.
The Regional Council is responsible for the direction of the work in its region as well as to coordinate efforts between the different regional boards.
The National Coordinating Council is set up on the national level as a forum for information sharing and coordination of events or initiatives on the national level by the boards.

B.The Boards

The boards are set up to advise and help the Homes in regards to their respective portfolio and to promote progress in their aspect of Family life.

1.National Board (NB)

The national board for each pillar is made up of Family members 18 years or above and appointed by the Continental Council. The only requirement for being on a NB is to have gifts and talents in the specific portfolio the board covers and a willingness to prayerfully fulfill the requirements stated for that board.

a.Each NB must have a minimum of three board members, one of which would be the chairperson.

If a board has less than 3 members, as a result of a board member moving off the board (moves location, is removed, gets put on partial excommunication, etc.), then the Continental Council has one month in which to find a replacement.

b.Collectively, the national board members are responsible and accountable for the effective functioning of their portfolio and decisions of their board on a national level.

c.The NB chairperson is responsible to carry out the day-to-day business based on the decisions of the board, handle the board’s communications, report for the board, and ensure that the decisions of the board are implemented.

It is the national board chairperson’s job to make sure that the board is running smoothly and carrying out its duties. The chairperson is responsible to pray about and make daily board-related decisions and conduct the business of the board, keeping the board informed of his or her actions, since it’s not always possible to confer about these beforehand with the rest of the board.

The chairperson does not have any more voting power or authority than the other board members, but by default will handle many of the more minor details of implementing the board’s decisions, without always being able to immediately consult with the board on every point.

Decisions not related to implementing board decisions should be made in full consultation and with the vote of the board.

2.Regional Board (RB)

The regional board for each pillar is made up of the chairpersons of each of the NBs under it, as well as a chairperson appointed by the Continental Council. The Continental Council may appoint additional members to the RB who are not chairpersons of NBs, if it feels it is necessary. However, it cannot appoint a majority of the RB.

Collectively, the regional board members are responsible and accountable for the effective functioning of their portfolio and decisions of their board on a regional level.
The RB chairperson is responsible to carry out the day-to-day business based on the decisions of the board, handle the board’s communications, report for the board, and ensure that the decisions of the board are implemented.

It is the regional board chairperson’s job to make sure that the board is running smoothly and carrying out its duties. The chairperson is responsible to pray about and make daily board-related decisions and conduct the business of the board, keeping the board informed of his or her actions, since it’s not always possible to confer about these beforehand with the rest of the board.

Decisions not related to implementing board decisions should be made in full consultation and with the vote of the board.

c.The regional chairperson’s job is to not only chair the RB and make decisions with that board on a regional level, but also to visit, train, inspire, motivate, and interact with the NBs which he or she is responsible for.

The regional chairpersons are responsible to help and advise the NBs, but have no authority over the NBs decisions.

d.The regional chairperson has the right to attend and participate in the NB meetings of the boards for which they are responsible, but they do not have a vote on that board.

The regional chairperson is not expected to attend every national board meeting, but would just attend when possible or when led to.

3.International Board (IB)

The international board for each pillar is made up of one of the regional chairpersons from that particular pillar in each continental area, selected by the Continental Council. WS leadership appoints the IB chairperson, and any additional members on the IB.

Although worldwide there are many regional chairpersons for each pillar, having a large number of people on the IB would make it unwieldy, as well as prohibitively expensive to hold board meetings. In order to make the IBs more manageable, the CC will select only one (total of 5 globally) of the regional chairpersons for each pillar to represent their continental area. Thus each IB would consist of 5 RB chairmen, the IB chairman, along with other appointees by WS leadership.

a.Collectively, the international board members are responsible and accountable for the effective functioning of their portfolio and decisions of their board at the international level.

The regional chairpersons appointed by the CC to the IB are responsible to represent not just their region at the international level, but the entire continental area. They must see themselves as representatives of the interests of the greater continental area, and no longer just representing one particular region.

The other RB chairperson(s) from the continental area should receive the agenda of the IB meeting and be consulted about the policies that will be discussed and voted on. However, it is the responsibility of each member on the IB to pray about and cast his or her vote depending on the Lord’s leading in the board meeting.

b.The IB chairperson is responsible to carry out the day-to-day business based on the decisions of the board, handle the board’s communications, report for the board, and ensure that the decisions of the board are implemented.

It is the international board chairperson’s job to make sure that the board is running smoothly and carrying out its duties. The chairperson is responsible to pray about and make daily board-related decisions and conduct the business of the board, keeping the board informed of his or her actions, since it’s not always possible to confer about these beforehand with the rest of the board.

Decisions not related to implementing board decisions should be made in full consultation and with the vote of the board.

c.It is the chairperson’s job to inform the IB chairpersons of the other pillars, as well as WS leadership, of the decisions of the board and happenings within their portfolio.

The IB chairperson should check with the chairpersons of the other IBs before implementing any policies decided on by the board. Decisions made by one international board may affect another board, so it is imperative they are in sync with each other. A free flow of communication between the IB chairpersons is needed.

C.The Councils

The councils have been set up to support and work with the boards. The National Coordinating Council and the Regional Council tie the boards together by creating a forum wherein the chairpersons of the boards can meet, share information, and coordinate area activities. The Continental Council ties the regions in a continental area together by creating a council of the continental officers from its regions. The Family Policy Council is an advisory body to Maria and Peter.

1.National Coordinating Council (NCC)

The NCC is a forum at the national level for information sharing (through reports), and coordination of schedules and events planned by the NBs.

The NCC is made up of the chairpersons of each of the NBs in a national area.
The NCC would elect one of its members to act as a coordinator for a term of one year, with a confirmation vote every six months. The NCC coordinator would help sort out conflicts in the scheduling of events and other activities planned by the NBs. The NCC coordinator would also chair any meetings the NCC may decide to have.

2.Regional Council (RC)

The RC is a forum for the regional chairpersons to pray about and discuss the general direction of the region, be informed of pushes and direction of other boards in the region, and coordinate pushes or activities of the boards on a regional level.

The RC is made up of the chairpersons of the RBs of a region and the COs (Continental Officers, formerly known as CROs) based in that region.
The Continental Council would appoint a chairperson to the RC who will act as a coordinator between the RBs, and who will chair the RC meetings.

3.Continental Council (CC)

The CC is a forum for the COs of a continental area to meet and assess the growth of the overall work and the spiritual progress of the continental area and to unite the regions in a continental area. The Continental Council has the responsibility and authority of Continental Officers and will fulfill the obligations of the continental office as stated in the Charter.

a.The CC is made up of the COs from each region within a continental area, and is responsible for the general overall work and spiritual oversight of the continental area.

The CC is also responsible for all the portfolios in its area not specifically covered by the boards—the Reporting Office, the NPCs, LIMs, Lit-Pics, Production Centers (SC/PPCs), and Service Homes.

4.Family Policy Council (FPC)

The FPC is an advisory council to Maria and Peter, which would offer counsel in the governing of the Family. Maria and Peter would chair this council and would determine the scope of the council’s authority.

a.The FPC is made up of COs and members of WS appointed to the FPC by Maria and Peter.

Responsibilities and Authority of the Boards and Councils

A.Board Responsibilities

1.The boards are made up of people who are gifted in the specific portfolios the boards are responsible for. It is the responsibility of these boards to be thinking and praying about that portfolio in relation to the specific Homes in their areas. Following are the basic responsibilities of each board within the bounds of their portfolio:

To pray about ways to help the Family’s Homes and to promote activities and initiatives to meet the needs.
To pray about materials/pubs that WS or the local area can produce, or programs that can be implemented, which would help the Homes.
To regularly meet as a board to discuss matters pertaining to their board, the state of the pillar in their area, and to devise and promote programs to improve the state of that aspect of Family life.
To be in close communication with each other and the Homes via e-mail or phone as needed.
To make decisions on matters pertaining to their portfolio within their area. If they don’t feel they can make a decision on a matter, they should consult with the board above them.
To report on their activities as board members, and decisions of their board (via the meeting minutes).
To inform the board above them of decisions made by their board before putting them into effect.

(For the specific responsibilities of each board, see the section: The Boards and Their Portfolios).

B.Council Responsibilities

The responsibility of the councils is to tie together the boards (or in the case of the CC, the regions) at their level so as to engender unity and coordination between the boards, area activities and programs.

1.National Coordinating Council Responsibilities

The primary responsibility of the NCC is to resolve practical and scheduling conflicts between the boards at a local level without the need for involvement from the boards above them.

The members of the NCC have the responsibility to inform each other of the activities and programs of their board, so that all the boards in the national area have an understanding of what the other boards are doing.
Before a national board organizes an event for the Homes in its area, it must first check with the NCC coordinator in case the timing for the planned event conflicts with events planned by the other national boards in the area.

The NCC coordinator works with the national boards to help them sort out conflicts in the schedules of the different events planned by the national boards. Irresolvable conflicts on the NCC should be referred to the Regional Council to resolve.

2.Regional Council Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the RC to pray and determine the direction for their regional area, as well as promote regional and national programs and work toward promoting unity and coordination between all the boards in the region.

The RC should meet regularly in order to assess the overall progress and direction of its region.
The members of the RC have the responsibility to inform each other of the activities and happenings within their boards.
The RC is responsible to pass on recommendations to the CC regarding closed cities and sensitive country status in its region. (As per the Charter, the final decision on these matters rests with the CC and WS). (See the Charter, pages 165 and 199.)
The RC is responsible to coordinate efforts between RBs, praying and counseling together on the direction for the region and making suggestions to the regional boards.
It is the RC’s responsibility to resolve conflicts on the NCC.

3.Continental Council Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the CC to be aware of the spiritual progress of the Homes and their members, and to oversee the overall work in its continental area.

The CC will fulfill the responsibilities of continental officers as stated in the Charter.
The CC appoints members to the boards in its continental area.
The CC is responsible to appoint one or more of its members to oversee the CRC (Continental Reporting Center).
The CC is responsible to appoint one or more of its members to oversee the NPC, LIM, and Service Homes.
The CC is responsible to appoint one of its members to sit on the GP Production Board and to oversee the Production Centers (SCs/PPCs), marketing ventures, and the business and production of the Activated desks in the continental area.
The CC is responsible to manage the finances of the continental area, allocating funds to the boards and their projects as needed and available.

4.Family Policy Council Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the FPC to be Maria and Peter’s advisory council in the formulation of Family policy, direction, visions, and goals.

C.Board Authority

1.The boards fit within the framework of the Charter. Under the board structure, each Home and Family member retains all the rights and responsibilities granted them under the Charter. Family leadership and the boards must also abide by their responsibilities and within the authority given to them in the Charter and the Family Board Handbook.

a.The authority/influence of each board only extends to the realm of its portfolio, and the members of those boards only have authority within that particular realm.

The boards are to do all they can to be of service to the Homes and help them to the best of their ability, as well as give advice to the Homes on matters pertaining to their portfolio.

b.Each board has the authority to make decisions, by a majority vote, on matters within their portfolio. However, they must inform the board directly above them of their decisions.

If the upper board disagrees with the decision of the lower board, and the lower board does not wish to modify or reverse its decision, the upper board may, with a majority vote of its board members, initiate a veto of the decisions of the board below it. However, that veto must have the consent of a third body (see the section: Relationship Between the Boards, Conflicts).

c.Only the members of a board have the authority to make decisions on that board and have a vote on the board.

d.A board may, with a majority vote, decide to invite a non-board member to attend the board meetings to give input and counsel on a topic they are discussing. However, the person invited would not have a vote on the board.

It is within the prerogative of the board to invite non-board members to sit in on board meetings. The chairperson of the board above it may suggest that the board invite someone to sit in on a meeting, but the board must vote and make the final decision on whether to invite them or not.

The chairperson of an RB has the authority to attend, uninvited, board meetings of the NBs under him or her if necessary.

2.The authority of the national board extends only to its pillar within the national area.

a.The NB will pray about the needs of its area relating to its pillar, establish its priorities, and come up with plans and programs to propose to the Homes in the national area.

The RB may give the NBs within its pillar programs and ideas to implement in their areas, but it is the NBs who must pray about and decide how best to implement those programs and ideas and present them to the Homes.

3.The authority of the regional board extends only to its pillar within the regional area.

a.The RB will pray about the needs of its region relating to its pillar, establish its priorities, and come up with plans and programs relating to its portfolio for the regional area.

The IB will formulate policy relating to its pillar for the RBs to implement in their regions. Regions throughout the world vary greatly, however, and taking that into consideration, it is the RBs themselves that must pray about and decide how that policy would be best implemented in their particular regions and be tailored to fit their needs.

b.The RB is responsible for the NBs in its region that are within its pillar, and has the authority to review decisions made by the NBs and recommend changes to their decisions or veto them. The RB also has the authority to pass down ideas and programs to be implemented by the NBs and recommend plans for their implementation.

Each national area is different and has different needs, and taking that into consideration, the final decisions on how the ideas and programs are to be implemented rests with the NBs themselves.

4.International board authority extends to all regions within the pillar it represents.

a.The IB has the authority to make decisions regarding policy relating to its pillar.

The IBs will be the final decision-making bodies in respect to their pillars. WS leadership will be informed of their decisions and have veto power over those decisions.

b.The IB is responsible for all the RBs within its pillar, and has the authority to review decisions made by the RBs and recommend changes to those decisions or veto them. The IB also has the authority to pass down policy to be implemented worldwide by the RBs.

Regions throughout the world vary greatly, however, and taking that into consideration, it is the RBs themselves that must pray about and decide how that policy would be best implemented in their particular regions and be tailored to fit their needs.

5.Those holding the title of Continental Officer (CO) and Area Officer (AO) have the authority granted to the Continental and Area Officers, respectively, in the Charter. (See the Charter, pages 155-166 and pages 167-171, for a list of the responsibilities and authority of Continental and Area Officers.)

D.Council Authority

1.The councils do not have authority over the boards. Any suggestions made by the councils to the boards would need to be agreed to by the individual boards before being enacted.

Some councils have the authority to veto the decisions of boards (which can then be appealed by the boards) or to be the arbitrator in the case of a conflict between an upper and a lower board. This authority is stated in the section Relationship Between the Boards, Conflicts and is the only authority over the boards granted to the councils under the Family Board structure.

2.The National Coordinating Council is not an authoritative body, but rather a forum for communication, coordination and interaction of the chairpersons of the national boards.

National Coordinating Council members are not meant to discuss board matters or make any decisions pertaining to the boards. The sole purpose of this council is to keep each of the pillars informed of the other pillars’ programs and plans, and to iron out any potential conflicts that may come up between the various national boards.

3.The Regional Council has limited authority. Besides being a forum for communication, coordination and interaction of the chairpersons of the regional boards, the RC is responsible for the direction of the region as a whole.

The RC is a body whose purpose is to work out ways for each board to fulfill its goals and serve its region without causing conflict with the other boards. When the Regional Council meets, they will look at the overall work within the regional area and will discuss and pray about any and all aspects of the work that might need direction or guidance.

a.The RC has the authority to initiate a veto of an RB decision following the procedures set down in the section Relationship Between the Boards, Veto Power.

The RBs and NBs within a regional area should be free to make their own decisions. Only if a board’s decisions are in conflict with the goals and overall direction of the region should the RC get involved in that board’s decisions.

b.The RC will be the arbitrating authority in case of conflict between two boards as stated in the section Relationship Between the Boards, Conflicts.

4.The Continental Council has the responsibility of the continental office under the Charter and has the authority to carry out those responsibilities, as well as the authority to appoint all NB and RB members.

a.The CC has the authority to initiate a veto of a RB decision following the procedures set down in the section Relationship Between the Boards, Veto Power.

The RBs and NBs within a continental area should be free to make their own decisions. Only if a board’s decisions are in conflict with the goals and overall direction of the continental area should the CC get involved in that board’s decisions.

b.The CC will be the arbitrating authority in the case of conflict between two boards as stated in the section Relationship Between the Boards, Conflicts.

E.Responsibility and Authority of Board Members

1.It is the responsibility of each of the members on a board/council to strive to fulfill the responsibilities of the board/council to the best of their ability. A member who does not fulfill his or her responsibilities may be replaced. (See section: Procedures, Removal of Board Members.)

2.Board members have the responsibility to get the agreement of their Home, by a simple majority vote, in order to accept their appointment to a board.

By agreeing to the appointment of a member to a board, the Home is agreeing to his or her appointment for the full term.

3.Board members, be they CO, AO, or otherwise, only have a say and vote in the decisions made by the board(s) on which they sit. They do not have a say or vote in the decisions of other boards or a right to get involved with those boards.

4.With the exception of COs and AOs (VSs), board members do not have shepherding authority or other authority over the Homes and their members.

It is not the responsibility of the board members to get involved in Home affairs other than to talk about and offer counsel regarding their particular pillar. Board members are only there to assist the Homes in matters relating to their pillar. Matters not relating to the portfolio that the board member is involved in should be referred to the appropriate board, and if a shepherding matter to the VS board.

5.The shepherding of individual board members is the responsibility of the teamwork of the Home where they reside, as well as the VS Board.

Home teamworks can and should shepherd board members. Just because a Home member is on a board does not mean that that person does not need to be shepherded. That responsibility still falls on the Home shepherds and the area’s VSs.

6.If a board feels that a certain board member is having problems that are affecting the board and which they or that member’s Home cannot rectify, they can call on the assistance of the VS board or COs in their region to help in the shepherding of that board member.

a.If the VS board, who through the course of their visitation will be involved in shepherding the board members (just as they would other Family members in their area), feel that the problems a board member is having are serious enough to warrant him or her being removed from the board, then they can submit their recommendation to the NB or the RB, either of which have the authority to initiate the process of the removal of NB members. (See section: Procedures, Removal of Board Members).

7.If a board member is partially excommunicated (PE) for breaking Charter rules, they will automatically lose their position on the board. When the member has finished serving their PE term, the CC, in counsel with the VS board of the national area the member resides in, will decide whether he or she should be reinstated to the board.

8.If a board member is placed on Probationary Status by their Home, they do not automatically lose their position on the board.

Relationship Between the Boards

A.Oversight

1.It is the responsibility of the board directly above (within the same pillar) to oversee the work of the lower board.

a.The oversight of a board will fall primarily on the chairperson of the board directly above that board, in the same pillar.

It’s the responsibility of the chairperson of the RB to stay abreast and involved at the national level in what the NBs are doing.

This oversight extends mainly to the performance of the board, counseling with them, occasionally attending board meetings (without a vote), receiving reports from the boards on what is happening in their areas, praying and seeking the Lord to help answer questions, and give counsel.

b.If a board is not producing or providing the services to the Family that its mandate calls for, it is the responsibility of the chairperson of the board above it to point this out to the board or recommend that members who aren’t fulfilling their responsibilities be removed from the board. (See section: Procedures, Removal of Board Members).

B.Veto Power

In any structure where decisions are being made that affect the work of the Family, a system of checks and balances must be put in place to ensure that decisions are being made and carried out in a prayerful and responsible manner. For this reason, veto power over the decisions of the boards is given to certain bodies.

However, this authority should be used judiciously. The goal of the Family board structure is for each board to manage its own affairs as much as possible without interference from above, as long as those decisions are beneficial rather than detrimental to the Homes they serve. Only if a board’s decisions are not in accordance with the Word, or are in conflict with the direction and goals of the pillar or area as a whole, should there be any intervention in that board’s decisions.

The body that is in disagreement with the decision and the body that made the decision should try to work out their differences in prayer and counsel without the need to resort to an official veto. There may need to be compromises on both sides in order to find a happy medium and the Lord’s will in the matter. Vetoes should be used only as a last resort.

1.Regional and international boards have the authority to initiate a veto of the decisions of the boards below them within the same pillar.

If the upper board moves to modify or veto a decision made by the lower board and the lower board does not agree to the modification or veto, then the boards are in conflict and the matter must be taken to a third body to act as arbitrator. (See section: Conflicts below.)

2.The CC and the RC have the authority to initiate a veto of the decisions made by the RB.

If the CC or the RC moves to modify or veto a decision made by the RB, and the RB does not agree to the modification or veto, the board and the council are in conflict and the matter must be taken to a third body to act as the arbitrator. (See section: Conflicts below).

C.Conflicts

When there is a conflict between two bodies, the lower body may appeal the decision to a third body. If the third body agrees with the upper body, then the matter is closed. If the third body agrees with the lower body, then the upper body has the right to an appeal.

1.If there is a conflict between a NB and an RB, the matter may be appealed by the NB to the RC.

If the RC agrees with the RB, the matter is closed.
If the RC agrees with the NB, then the RB may appeal the matter to the IB, in which case the IB will decide the matter.

2.If there is a conflict between an RB and the IB, the matter may be appealed by the RB to the CC.

If the CC agrees with the IB, the matter is closed.
If the CC agrees with the RB, then the IB may appeal the matter to WS leadership, in which case WS leadership will decide the matter.

3.If there is a conflict between an RB and the RC, the matter may be appealed by the RB to the IB.

If the IB agrees with the RC, the matter is closed.
If the IB agrees with the RB, then the RC may appeal the matter to the CC, in which case the CC will decide the matter.

4.If there is a conflict between an RB and the CC, the matter may be appealed by the RB to the IB.

If the IB agrees with the CC, the matter is closed.
If the IB agrees with the RB, then the CC may appeal the matter to WS leadership, in which case WS leadership will decide the matter.

Board Meeting Rules of Order

Systematic rules of procedure are needed to facilitate the business of the board meetings and to ensure an equal opportunity for all board members to contribute and participate in conducting the business of the board. Following are the basic rules by which the board meetings will operate.

A.Using Prophecy

If the boards are to be successful, the board members need to be hearing from the Lord and implementing what He has to say.

1.All decisions made by the board should be confirmed with the Lord. These confirming prophecies must be sent to the chairperson of the upper board along with the minutes of the meetings containing the decisions made by the board.

When it comes to decisions made by the board, both decisions to accept a motion and decisions not to accept a motion should be brought to the Lord for confirmation.

For example, if the board votes to put a proposed plan into action, that should be brought to the Lord for confirmation. Likewise, if the board votes not to put a proposed plan into action, that should also be brought before the Lord to confirm that the correct decision was made.

a.If the members assigned to hear from the Lord on a decision receive seemingly conflicting prophecies, the questions should be brought to the Lord for further clarification.

If there is a case where a decision cannot be confirmed because of conflicting prophecies and those on the board cannot resolve the issue on their own, the counsel and advice of the chairperson of the upper board should be sought. He or she should read over the prophecies, pray about the matter, and help sort out the conflict.

B.Members’ Rights in a Meeting

1.All members of a board have equal rights, privileges and obligations. One of the chairperson’s main responsibilities is to use the authority of the chair to ensure that all those attending a board meeting are treated equally.

The rights of all must be protected at all times and it is the job of the chairperson to ensure this—for example, not permitting a vocal few to dominate the debates.

Although the ultimate decision rests with a majority, all members have the right to be heard and have the right to present a differing opinion. The rights of all members—whether they are voting in the affirmative or are of a dissenting opinion—should be the concern of every member.

2.Every matter presented for decision should be discussed fully. The right of every member to speak on any issue is as important as each member’s right to vote.

Every member has the right to understand the background and intent of any question or proposal presented to a meeting, and to know what effect a decision will have. A member has the right to request information on any point he or she does not thoroughly understand. Moreover, all meetings must be characterized by fairness, good faith, prayer and hearing from the Lord.

3.A majority vote decides an issue and should be confirmed with the Lord in prophecy. Each board member agrees to comply with the final vote of the majority.

When a decision is brought before the Lord (by board members chosen by the board) for confirmation, if He gives new information or points to reconsider before implementing it, the matter should be taken up again for discussion and seeking the Lord for further help, direction, and instruction.

C.Preparation

The most important thing a chairperson can do to ensure a successful meeting is to pray, seek the Lord and do their homework.

1.The chairperson should become thoroughly familiar with all the business to be dealt with at the meeting, including any reports to be made by committees that the board has created, any points already submitted by members or groups of members, and (insofar as is possible) any new business likely to be introduced.

Preparation will enable the chairperson to stay on top of things while chairing the meeting, and to anticipate questions most likely to be asked, information needed, etc. The chairperson should also ensure that key people needed for the meeting (for example, non-board members that the board wishes to invite to the meeting) will attend the meeting.

D.Quorum of Members

1.Before a board meeting can conduct business, it requires a quorum—the minimum number of members who must be present at the meeting before business can be officially transacted.

The requirement of a quorum is a protection against unrepresentative action in the name of the board by an unduly small number of people. In the absence of a quorum, a board meeting cannot be held.

a.A quorum will be a number of representatives that equal a simple majority of the board’s total members.

For example, to make a quorum, if there are 3 members, 2 must be present; 4 or 5 members, 3 must be present; 6 or 7 members, 4 must be present; 8 members, 5 must be present, etc.

A quorum may be a simple majority of any of the board members. It is advisable that certain members be present in order for a meeting to be held (such as the chairperson, secretary, and treasurer). However, it is not essential, so long as there is a quorum of board members present.

In the absence of the chairperson and/or the secretary of the board, one member present must act as a temporary chairperson and/or secretary of the board.

b.Any member of the board may call a meeting following the rules in the section Procedures, Frequency of Board Meetings.

E.The Agenda

The agenda consists of the items of business to be discussed at a board meeting. Usually the secretary of the board or the chairperson is charged with the responsibility of preparing the agenda. The person preparing the agenda can, of course, seek assistance with the task.

1.All board members have the right to submit points to be added to the agenda and discussed at the meeting.

The secretary or board member preparing the agenda should check which committees have reports ready for the meeting, and the importance of the material to be presented, and add these to the agenda.

If a board member cannot attend a meeting and therefore wishes for a point on the agenda to be put off and discussed at another meeting that he can attend, he may ask for the point to be tabled. The motion to table that point, however, must be approved by a simple majority of those attending the meeting. If the motion does not pass, then the point would be brought up for discussion.
If there is any unfinished business from the previous board meeting, it should be added to the agenda. A final draft of the agenda must be sent to all members at least seven days prior to the meeting.
Until the board adopts the proposed agenda at the meeting, it is merely a proposal.

2.The board meeting begins with the consideration of the agenda where the members can, by simple majority, add points to, delete points from, or rearrange the order of points on the proposed agenda.

a.Once the agenda has been adopted, any further change should be made by a motion, and must have a simple majority agreement of those attending the meeting.

3.The board can table an agenda point in their meeting at any time, with the agreement of a simple majority, thereby laying a main point aside temporarily without setting a time for resuming its consideration, but with the provision that the point can be taken up again whenever the majority so decides.

The motion to table a point has the effect of delaying action on a main point. Rather than either pass or defeat a point, a meeting will sometimes choose to postpone or even to bury it by tabling it.

F.Voting

1.A simple majority of affirmative votes is necessary to adopt a point; a tie vote rejects the point. Each abstention decreases the number of board members by one for that vote.

For example, say there are seven board members in a board meeting. A motion is brought to vote. Three vote in the affirmative, two vote against, and two abstain. The motion will pass even though three votes in the affirmative is not the majority of the board. It passes because there were two abstentions, and therefore the number of board members for that vote is five, of which three is a majority.

a.Each board member will have one vote on any point that is brought to a vote.

All votes should be made by a show of hands, and the secretary of the board or the person recording the minutes of the meeting should note alongside the decision how many votes were for the motion, how many were against it, and how many abstained.

b.The chairperson has the same voting rights as any other member.

While it is good for the chairperson of the board to express his or her opinions and views, it is important that the chairperson also plays the role of moderator. Because the chairperson chairs the meeting and therefore can be seen to influence the votes of the rest of the board, it’s important that he or she encourages all views and opinions.

2.Once the vote is made at the meeting, it is final, pending confirmation from the Lord, and may be enacted following the rules in Procedures, Vetoing Decisions Made by a Board.

For a motion to be passed and a decision made, the majority of the board must vote in the affirmative.
If a majority of affirmative votes is not reached on a point and there are board members absent from the meeting at the time a vote is taken, they must be informed of the decision.

For example, if there are ten members on a board, six votes are needed to pass a motion. If only seven members attend the board meeting and six of those seven vote in the affirmative, the point passes.

However, if only four of those seven present at the meeting vote in the affirmative, the point does not automatically pass, because the affirmative votes are only 40% of the total board. In this case the point must be sent to the absent board members for their vote before the point can be decided.

If two of the three absent members vote in the affirmative, the point is passed. If only one votes in the affirmative, the point does not pass because it would only be 50% of the board and therefore not a simple majority voting in the affirmative. The same rule for abstentions would apply here as stated in point 1 above.

c.If an absent board member(s) objects to the decision, they must lodge their dissenting opinion with their board within seven days.

If the absent member(s) dissenting vote changes the vote, the motion is defeated and would not be put into effect.

G.Minutes

1.The secretary of the board should record the minutes of the meeting (subjects discussed and the decisions made by the board) as well as any assignments that were given to the board’s individual members or committees. The secretary should also keep a copy of the minutes in the board’s files.

Before ending the meeting, while the matters discussed and the decisions reached are fresh in the minds of all those at the meeting, the board should look over the minutes of the meeting and sign them to signify that the minutes are accurate.
Within one week of the completion of the meeting the chairperson should receive any absentee votes that are needed and confirming prophecies for decisions made. If there are no corrections, additions or absentee votes that change the outcome of any decisions therein, the minutes (and the decisions made) will be considered final and a copy will be sent to the chairperson of the upper board, as well as to the other members of the board.

H.The Order of Business

The chairperson should prepare in advance the order of business for the meeting. A sample follows:

1.Call to Order

The chairperson (or acting chairperson if the chairperson could not be present) calls the meeting to order. The meeting should begin with prayer and hearing from the Lord for His keynote and counsel, general direction of the meeting, as well as for encouragement, leading and anointing.

2.Adoption of the Agenda

The proposed agenda should be handed out to each member or presented on some visual device (such as on a whiteboard or chalkboard) before the meeting begins. The meeting should begin with the consideration of the agenda. The chairperson will ask if any of the members have additional points they feel should be placed on the agenda, points to be deleted, change of order, etc.

After these have been taken care of, the chairperson should call for a motion to adopt the agenda. Passage of the motion (requiring a simple majority) restricts the business of the meeting to items listed on the agenda.

3.Previous Meeting’s Minutes

Minutes of the board’s previous meeting should be duplicated and circulated to the members at the board meeting to help remind them of the decisions made in the previous meeting and the assignments that were passed out and any unfinished business from the previous board meeting that has not been executed. The notes need not be read at the meeting.

4.Announcements and Chairperson Business

The chairperson should give individual board members or committees an opportunity to make special announcements as well as making any of his or her own.

The chairperson should summarize the major items of business that have been handled by him or her during the interim between board meetings, which have not already been conveyed to the board members. Members may ask for more information regarding the matters disposed of by the chairperson, and sometimes the board may choose to change the action taken by the chairperson.

5.Treasurer’s Report

The chairperson will call upon the treasurer to present a report on the finances of the board, if applicable. If the board decides, the report may be passed on to the board members prior to the meeting. However, if the board members have any questions regarding the report, they should be made at this time.

For a regular meeting, the treasurer’s report need only be a simple statement of the income and disbursements since the last financial report, the balance of money held in the board’s account, and some information about projected expenses.

At the end of the fiscal year (January 31st of each year), the treasurer should submit a detailed record of the financial business of the year, and this report should be checked thoroughly by at least one board member other than the treasurer. The treasurer’s reports should be sent to the chairperson of the upper board as well.

6.Committee Reports

If there are committees that have been assigned a special task by the board, they should present their report to the board at this time. If the board decides, committee reports can be passed on to the board members prior to the meeting. However, if the board members have any questions regarding the report, they should be made at this time.

Committees are made up of individuals assigned by the board to perform specific tasks or functions for the board. For example, if a board has six members they may ask two of those members to form a committee to explore an idea, hear from the Lord on a matter, or implement a decision of the board.

Committees may be made up of board members, non-board members or both.

7.Assignments

Once the business of the meeting has ended, the board will assign tasks and prophecy assignments on matters discussed and decisions made to various board members and committees, as well as set deadlines for when they should be completed.

Before ending the meeting, while the matters discussed and the decisions reached are fresh in the minds of all those at the meeting, the board should look over the minutes of the meeting to ensure that they are accurate.

All decisions made should be confirmed with the Lord before the board members leave the meeting site, and the prophecies received should be turned in to the chairperson to include with the minutes of the meeting. This can be done either at the meeting itself in united hearing from Him, or assigned to at least two board members to bring to the Lord once the meeting is over, but should be done before they leave the meeting site.

Procedures

A.Appointment of Board Members

1.The CC appoints all board members in their continental area and may appoint new members to the boards at any time.

a.The CC can appoint additional members to a RB as long as the appointed members, including the chairperson of the RB, are less than the number of NB chairpersons that automatically sit on the RB.

Although the CC appoints all board members, the chairpersons of the NBs are automatically on the RB and therefore not considered appointed to the RB. The CC may appoint more members to the RB equal to the number of NB chairpersons.

For example, if a RB has three NB chairpersons on it, the CC may appoint up to three additional members, one of which would be the chairperson of the regional board.

2.An agreement, by a simple majority vote, of the Home in which a board member resides, is required before a board member can take up his or her appointment. If the Home does not agree to the member’s appointment, that member may either decline the appointment or move to another Home where they will be able to obtain that Home’s agreement for them to fulfill their board obligations.

3.Each board member is appointed for a term of one year.

a.The CC has the authority to renew or not renew a board member’s term of office.

Every year the RC will review the performance of all the NB members in their region. If certain board members are not performing their duties properly or are a detriment to the board, the RC will recommend to the CC to not renew their appointment.

b.Regardless of when a member is appointed, their term of office comes up for renewal on January 31st of each new year.

c.If board members wish to resign from the board, they must give one month’s notice to the chairperson of the board above and must pass on his or her duties on the board to another board member.

4.In order to help those involved in the Family board structure focus on the ministries that they are most gifted in, any individual’s participation on the boards will be limited to two pillars.

a.On the national level, any individual’s participation in the board structure is limited to two pillars. He or she can sit on two boards in different pillars, but may only chair one of them.

If the CC feels that there is a need for someone on the national level to chair more than one board, the CC may apply to WS leadership for approval.

If the CC feels that there is a need for a NB chairperson to sit on a RB of another pillar, that person would then only be able to sit on one national board.

b.On the regional level an individual’s participation in the board structure is limited to sitting on or chairing a maximum of two regional boards.

Members on the regional level can only be involved in two boards, with the exception of the PR board. Because this board requires a CO who has an understanding, training, and experience in this area, a CO can receive approval from WS leadership to sit on the PR board in their region as the third board they sit on or chair if they are also very needed to sit on two other boards.

In order for some COs to focus on certain ministries (i.e., JETT/Teen, Children and Parenting, Church Growth and Outreach boards, etc.,) not all COs in a regional area need to be a part of the regional VS board. However, though not board members, it is suggested that they attend regional VS board meetings as much as possible, as they will still be involved in some capacity in the shepherding of the region.

c.A regional board chairperson cannot be appointed to, sit on, or chair a national board.

Because of the nature of the job of the regional chairpersons, they are limited to the regional level, with the exception of the VSs. Because all VSs must sit on a national VS board, a VS may chair a regional board other than the VS board, as well as either sit on or chair a national VS board in the region.

B.Removal of Board Members

1.Board members who are failing in their duties can be dismissed from the board.

It is the job of the boards to recommend the removal of negligent members from their board or a board lower than them in the same pillar.

The decision on whether to dismiss board members should be based primarily on whether they are fulfilling their duties as per the board. If they are having personal problems or having problems in their Home, as long as those problems are not affecting their ability to perform their duties properly and be a blessing to the area as a whole, then this alone is not criterion to warrant removal.

Board members do not have to be spiritual leaders and shepherds, or even the best all-around samples at all times. However, if the spiritual sample of a member of a board is having a detrimental effect on interactions with the Homes this person is meant to serve, even if he or she is a good board member, he or she might have to be removed from the board.

2.To remove a NB member, the NB itself or the RB above it must put forth a motion to remove the member.

In order for a NB to remove a member from its board, a majority of the members of the NB must be in agreement. The RB, by a majority vote, must also agree to the measure. If the RB does not agree, then the matter may be taken to the RC to decide.
In order for an RB to remove a member of a NB under it, a majority of the RB must be in agreement. A majority of the NB that the member is on must then agree to the measure. If the NB does not agree, then the matter may be taken to the RC to decide.
In the extreme case where all the members on a NB are found incompetent in their job, the RB or the RC, with the agreement of the majority of the other body, can decide (through majority vote) to dismiss the entire board.

If an entire NB is dismissed, the CC must appoint a new board within 3 months. In the interim period the chairperson of the RB directly above the NB would do their best to fulfill the duties of that NB.

3.The RB has the right to dismiss the chairperson of the NB within the same pillar if they feel the chairperson is not performing his or her duties properly. However, the NB itself (through majority vote) must also agree.

To remove a NB chairperson from the RB, the RB itself or the NB that the member is chairperson of, must put forth a motion to remove them.
If the RB and NB disagree about the removal of the NB chairperson from his or her position, then the matter may be taken to the RC to decide.

If the chairperson of a NB is voted off the RB, they also lose their position as chairperson on the NB. However, they remain a member of the NB unless voted off of that board as well. In this case, the CC would, within one month, appoint a new chairperson to the NB, or may ask the NB itself to choose a new chairperson from among its members.

4.The CC has the right to dismiss the chairperson of an RB if they feel the chairperson is not performing his or her duties properly. However, the NB itself (through majority vote) must also agree.

a.If the CC and RB disagree about the removal of the RB chairperson from his or her position, then the matter may be taken to WS leadership to decide.

C.Selecting a Chairperson

1.The CC is responsible to appoint the chairperson (or chairpersons in the case of a board being co-chaired) of the national and regional boards in its continental area.

The CC can choose to either appoint all board chairpersons (both NB and RB) or allow any particular board to elect its own chairperson.
Every 6 months the national board should hold a vote of confidence in its chairperson. If there is a vote of no confidence, then the matter goes to the RB. If the majority of the RB agrees, the national chairperson will be removed from his or her position (and consequently from the RB), though not from the NB itself. In this case, the CC will, within one month, appoint a new chairperson to the NB, or may ask the NB itself to choose a new chairperson from among its members.

2.WS leadership is responsible to appoint the chairperson (or chairpersons in the case of a board being co-chaired) of the IBs.

D.Frequency of Board Meetings

The number of meetings below are only suggested minimums. Boards and Councils may call additional meetings (time and finances permitting) if they feel the need, but they must meet at least once within the minimum time frame stated below.

To hold the minimum number of meetings is not the goal—they are just the minimum required. The more often a board or council meets, for the most part the stronger the board will be and the better able to carry out its responsibilities.

1.Any member of the board may call a meeting, but it must be agreed upon by the majority of the board members for it to be scheduled to take place.

If a board member wishes to call a board meeting, they must inform the chairperson, who will within 24 hours notify all board members that a proposal for a meeting has been made and pass on the details of the meeting (when and where the meeting is proposed to take place, the topic of the meeting, and any other pertinent details).
The board members should respond to the chairperson within one week as to whether they wish to hold the meeting. A lack of response is equal to a no vote.
When all board members have responded (or not responded, thereby giving a no vote), the chairperson will give official notice to all board members as to what the outcome of the vote was. If the board accepted the proposal, preparations for the meeting will then go forward.

2.NBs must have a minimum of one meeting every 3 months.

3.The NCC is not required to meet. However, they may meet as often as the majority feels they should, time and finances permitting.

Because it is not required that the NCC meet, members are not required to attend any NCC meetings that may be called.

4.RBs must have a minimum of one meeting a year.

It’s recommended that the regional board meet twice a year, but it is not mandatory.

5.RCs must have a minimum of one meeting every 6 months.

6.CCs must have a minimum of one meeting a year.

7.IBs must have a minimum of one meeting a year.

E.Vetoing Decisions Made by a Board

1.Decisions made by the board must be passed on to the board above it via the minutes of the board meetings.

a.The members of the upper board have seven days to look over the minutes and decide if any decisions made by the lower board should be vetoed. If the lower board does not hear back within seven days, they may put the decision into action. The exceptions to this rule are the VS board and the PR board.

Because of the nature of the VS board and the authority granted to the members of the board in the Charter, the VS board does not have to wait for a response from the chairperson of the board above it before the decision is put into effect. The board may decide to put the decision into effect immediately. However, they must still inform the chairperson above of the decision made and the action taken.

Likewise, because the PR board will often have to make immediate decisions regarding legal or media matters, the PR board does not have to wait for a response from the chairperson of the board above it before the decision is put into effect. The board may decide to put the decision into effect immediately. However, they must still inform the chairperson above of the decision made and the action taken.

b.If the upper board feels a decision made by the lower board needs to be vetoed, the board chairperson would put the decision of the lower board on hold. When the decision has been put on hold, the upper board has seven more days to make a decision and get back to the lower board regarding modifications to the decision made.

Once the upper board has given its recommendation of changes that need to be made, or decisions that need to be reversed, it is up to the board that made the original decision to discuss, hear from the Lord, vote and decide whether to accept the upper board’s recommendations or appeal it to a higher level.

2.If there is a conflict between the upper board and the lower board, the upper board may decide, by a majority vote of its board members, to veto the decisions of the board below it, but that veto must have the consent of a third body. (See section: Relationship Between the Boards, Conflicts).

F.Reporting

1.All board chairpersons must report to the board chairpersons above them on a monthly basis. A standard report form will be provided to the boards for easy monthly reporting.

The monthly report will cover such things as the goals, programs and activities of the board.

2.All boards must send the minutes of their board meetings to the council members on their level (NBs to the NCC members, RBs to the RC members) as well as to all the members of the upper board. The exception to this will be the VS board, whose minutes will go only to the members of the board above.

Any decisions made by the vote of the entire board are considered minutes and should be handled as such even if no meeting was held to make those decisions (i.e., the decision was made via e-mail).

G.Organizing Activities with Homes

A board may hold meetings or organize activities for the Homes in its area, but they have no authority to require any Home to participate. Home participation in those initiatives, while probably to their benefit, is entirely voluntary.

1.If an RB wishes to organize an event on a regional scale, it may do so provided that the timing of the planned event has been coordinated through the RC so that it does not conflict with other activities or events planned by the other regional boards.

2.If a NB wishes to organize an event on a national scale, it may do so provided that the timing of the planned event has been coordinated through the NCC so that it does not conflict with other activities or events planned by the other boards in their national area and the RB above it does not object.

If a NB wishes to organize an activity or event with the Homes in its area, it must first inform the RB above it of its plans. The NB will then notify the NCC coordinator of the time period in which it is planning to hold the meeting.
The NCC coordinator will let the NB know whether or not something else is already planned for the Homes at that time and ask them to choose another time, or to work it out with the other board concerned.
When the dates for the activity or event have been set, the board must give sufficient notice to the Homes so that they will be able to attend or participate if they so desire.

The Boards and Their Portfolios

A.Children and Parenting Board (CP Board)

The focus of this board is to assist parents, teachers and Homes with counsel and prayer in regards to the care of their children, from birth through age 11, and offer training and counsel for the parents and teachers.

1.Areas of responsibility of the CP national board:

Teamwork: Meet together at least once every 3 months for prayer and discussion, as well as communicate regularly via mail, e-mail or phone.

Initiatives: Pray about and discuss ways to help the Homes achieve the Charter childcare standard, and how to promote policies, initiatives and decisions made by their board and/or pillar, in the national area.

Counseling: Assist (through counsel, prayer and training) the parents and Homes in the spiritual and physical training of their children. Scholastics are the responsibility of the FED board.

Parental support: Offer counsel to the parents regarding the needs of their children and how best to meet those needs.

Childcare standard: Offer counsel to the Homes in how to maintain the Charter standard in childcare.

Missionary and witnessing training: Assist the parents and Homes in the missionary and witnessing training of the children with ideas, tips, how-tos, etc.

Projects and activities: Work with the Homes in organizing activities or programs for the parents and children in their country/national area.

Training: Work with the Homes in organizing seminars, workshops or other get-togethers for training, as well as inspiration of parents and teachers.

Materials: Instruct and inspire the Homes concerning the availability and use of Word and training materials produced locally, internationally or by WS.

Field questions: Answer parenting, childcare, pregnancy/childbirth-related questions from the Homes or pass them on to the RB for further counsel if necessary.

Ideas and suggestions: Give input (ideas, suggestions, prophecies) to the RB concerning the childcare needs of the Homes in their national area, and pass on ideas for pubs, materials or resources that are needed.

Reporting: Report monthly to the chairperson of the RB. Send minutes of board meetings and decisions made to the entire RB as well as to the members of the NCC.

2.Areas of responsibility of the CP regional board:

Teamwork: Meet together at least once a year (twice a year is recommended) for prayer and discussion, as well as communicate regularly via mail, e-mail or phone.

Goals: Pray about, discuss and outline the goals and needs of the children in their region. The RB will work with the NBs in presenting these to the Homes.

Oversight of the NBs: The chairperson is responsible to give counsel to, and answer the questions of, the NBs and ensure that they are fulfilling their responsibilities.

The chairperson should also be aware of and may help with the training, programs and activities of the NBs in the region when needed.

Comments and suggestions: The chairperson will receive comments and suggestions (C&Ss) from the TRFs relating to childcare and is responsible to hear from the Lord, respond to the Homes and answer their questions (counseling as needed with the NB chairperson of the national area that that Home is included in), or at his or her discretion pass the comments, suggestions and/or questions on to the NB chairperson to pray about and answer. Shepherding issues should be sent to the VS board.

Ideas and suggestions: Generate and pass on (to the IB) ideas (including prophecies received) for parenting and childcare-related pubs, teaching aids, materials, and resources that are needed for the children’s spiritual and physical training in the region that, God willing, WS would produce for the Family worldwide.

Reporting: Report monthly to the chairperson of the IB. Send minutes of board meetings and decisions made to the entire IB as well as to the members of the RC.

3.Areas of responsibility of the CP international board:

Teamwork: Meet together once a year for prayer and counsel, as well as communicate via mail, e-mail or phone.

Policy: Formulate through discussion and hearing from the Lord, Family policy in regards to children and parenting, taking into account the prophecies, counsel, suggestions and decisions of the lower boards, which would then be presented to the regional and national boards for implementation. Proposals involving changes to the Charter would be presented to WS leadership for a final decision and notification of the Family.

Oversight of the RBs: The chairperson is responsible to give counsel to, and answer the questions of, the RBs and ensure that they are fulfilling their responsibilities.

Pubs: Determine through prayer, and taking into consideration input received from the RBs, what topics need to be addressed in the pubs for parents and children. These would then be presented to the appropriate WS pubs department.

Reporting: Report to WS leadership.

B.Family Education Department (FED Board)

The FED board would focus on the education of our children and teenagers.

The responsibility to educate their children rests with the parents and the Home, but the FED boards will do all they can to provide counsel, assistance, information, and when available, resources to help the parents, teachers, and Homes with this task.

1.Areas of responsibility of the FED national board:

Teamwork: Meet together at least once every 3 months for prayer and discussion, as well as communicate regularly via mail, e-mail or phone.

Initiatives: Pray about and discuss ways to help the Homes achieve the Charter educational standard, and how to promote policies, initiatives and decisions made by their board and/or pillar, in the national area.

Counseling: Assist (through counsel, prayer, and training) the parents and Homes in the education of their children and teenagers.

Training: Work with the Homes in organizing seminars, workshops, or other get-togethers involving teachers, parents, and students.

Local standards: Inform the Homes of the educational standards applicable for each age level of children in respect to the local laws.

Local language materials: Research and recommend to the Homes materials for the education of the children in the local language.

FED materials: Instruct and inspire the Homes concerning the availability and use of FED materials produced locally, internationally or by WS.

Scholastic resources: Assist the Homes in obtaining scholastic resources by providing them with information on local materials available or how to order such materials as CLE, A BEKA, ACE, etc.

CVC: Work with the JT board to promote and encourage the use of the CVC in the national area.

Field questions: Answer educational/CVC-related questions from the Homes or pass them on to the RB for further counsel if necessary.

Ideas and suggestions: Give input (ideas, suggestions, prophecies) to the RB concerning the educational needs of the Homes in their national area, and pass on ideas for pubs, materials or resources that are needed.

Reporting: Report monthly to the chairperson of the RB. Send minutes of board meetings and decisions made to the entire RB as well as to the members of the NCC.

2.Areas of responsibility of the FED regional board:

Teamwork: Meet together at least once a year (twice a year is recommended) for prayer and discussion, as well as communicate regularly via mail, e-mail or phone.

Goals: Pray about, discuss and outline the educational goals and needs of the children and teenagers in their region. The RB will work with the NBs in presenting these to the Homes.

Oversight of the NBs: The chairperson is responsible to give counsel to, and answer the questions of, the NBs and ensure that they are fulfilling their responsibilities.

The chairperson should also be aware of and may help with the training, programs and activities of the NBs in the region when needed.

Information: Stay informed of the educational state of the children and teenagers in their area (through FED reports from the Homes), and verify whether the Homes are fulfilling their responsibilities in regards to the education of their children. Work through the NBs to help Homes in need of assistance with their educational standard.

Resource Center: Maintain a FED Resource Center, which would be responsible to make educational materials and resources that they have, available to the NBs and Homes in their region.

Comments and suggestions: The chairperson will receive comments and suggestions (C&Ss) from the TRFs relating to the education of the children and teenagers and is responsible to hear from the Lord, respond to the Homes and answer their questions (counseling as needed with the NB chairperson of the national area that that Home is included in), or at his or her discretion pass the comments, suggestions and/or questions on to the NB chairperson to pray about and answer. Shepherding issues should be sent to the VS board.

Educational support for young people leaving the Family: The Regional FED board is responsible, to the best of their ability, to make available educational information and counsel to the parents of young people who choose to leave the Family, and/or to the young people themselves.

Ideas and suggestions: Generate and pass on (to the IB) ideas (including prophecies received) for educational-related pubs, teaching aids, materials, and resources that are needed for the parents, teachers, teenagers and children in the region that, God willing, WS would produce for the Family worldwide.

Reporting: Report monthly to the chairperson of the IB. Send minutes of board meetings and decisions made to the entire IB as well as to the members of the RC.

3.Areas of responsibility of the FED international board:

Teamwork: Meet together once a year for prayer and counsel, as well as communicate via mail, e-mail or phone.

Policy: Formulate through discussion and hearing from the Lord, Family policy in regards to education, taking into account the prophecies, counsel, suggestions and decisions of the lower boards, which would then be presented to the regional and national boards for implementation. Proposals involving changes to the Charter would be presented to WS leadership for a final decision and notification of the Family.

Oversight of the RBs: The chairperson is responsible to give counsel to, and answer the questions of, the RBs and ensure that they are fulfilling their responsibilities.

Ensure that the regional FED boards are making available to the best of their ability, educational counsel to the parents of young people who are leaving the Family.

CVC office: Work with the CC to ensure that the keeping of student records; issuing of student cards, diplomas and certificates; administration of the CVC, are being taken care of within each continental area.

TEAM: Notify TEAM as to what educational materials the FED IB think the Family at large would benefit from.

WS FED: The IB will decide on the projects the WS FED team should work on.

Pubs: Determine through prayer, and taking into consideration input received from the RBs, what topics need to be addressed in the pubs in regards to education. These would then be presented to the appropriate WS pubs department.

Reporting: Report to WS leadership.

C.JETT/Teen Board (JT Board)

The JT board will do what they can to assist the parents and Homes in: (1) the shepherding of their teenagers ages 12 to 17; (2) providing inspiring activities and programs for them; (3) discipleship, missionary and vocational training.

1.Areas of responsibility of the JT national board:

Teamwork: Meet together at least once every 3 months for prayer and discussion, as well as communicate regularly via mail, e-mail or phone.

Initiatives: Pray about and discuss ways to help the Homes inspire and train their teenagers, and how to promote policies, initiatives and decisions made by their board and/or pillar, in the national area.

Counseling: Tune into the spiritual and physical needs of the JETTs and teens and help to shepherd, counsel, train and inspire them when possible.

Parental support: Offer counsel to the parents regarding the needs of their JETTs and teens and how best to meet those needs.

Fellowship and activities: Work with the Homes to help organize fellowships, activities, and programs for the JETTs and teens in their country or national area.

Missionary and discipleship training: Help the Homes, in conjunction with the CGO board, to organize and coordinate outreach initiatives involving the JETTs and teens, helping them find fulfillment as missionaries and disciples.

Vocational training: Generate ideas and/or programs for the JETTs and teens to get training in ministries they feel called to. Work with the FED to promote the CVC and its vocational courses to help the young people get vocational training.

Leadership training: Work with the Homes in organizing seminars, camps, training centers, and other activities, to give Christian leadership training to the JETTs and teens.

Sex education: Advise and counsel parents in their efforts to give age-appropriate sex education to their JETTs and teens. (Reading material can be found in the Life and Family Sciences section of the CVC.)

Field questions: Answer parenting and young people-related questions from the Homes or pass them on to the RB for further counsel if necessary.

Ideas and suggestions: Give input (ideas, suggestions, prophecies) to the RB concerning the needs of the JETTs and teens in the Homes in their national area, and pass on ideas for pubs, materials or resources that are needed.

Reporting: Report monthly to the chairperson of the RB. Send minutes of board meetings and decisions made to the entire RB as well as to the members of the NCC.

2.Areas of responsibility of the JT regional board:

Teamwork: Meet together at least once a year (twice a year is recommended) for prayer and discussion, as well as communicate regularly via mail, e-mail or phone.

Goals: Pray about, discuss and outline the goals and needs of the JETTs and teens in their region. The RB will work with the NBs in presenting these to the Homes.

Oversight of the NBs: The chairperson is responsible to give counsel to, and answer the questions of, the NBs and ensure that they are fulfilling their responsibilities.

The chairperson should also be aware of and may help with the training, programs and activities of the NBs in the region when needed.

Comments and suggestions: The chairperson will receive comments and suggestions (C&Ss) from the TRFs relating to JETTs and teens and is responsible to hear from the Lord, respond to the Homes and answer their questions (counseling as needed with the NB chairperson of the national area that that Home is included in), or at his or her discretion pass the comments, suggestions and/or questions on to the NB chairperson to pray about and answer. Shepherding issues should be sent to the VS board.

Ideas and suggestions: Generate and pass on (to the IB) ideas (including prophecies received) for pubs, materials, and resources that are needed for the JETTs and teens’ spiritual and physical training in the region that, God willing, WS would produce for the Family worldwide.

Reporting: Report monthly to the chairperson of the IB. Send minutes of board meetings and decisions made to the entire IB as well as to the members of the RC.

3.Areas of responsibility of the JT international board:

Teamwork: Meet together once a year for prayer and counsel, as well as communicate via mail, e-mail or phone.

Policy: Formulate through discussion and hearing from the Lord, Family policy in regards to the needs of the JETTs and teens, taking into account the prophecies, counsel, suggestions and decisions of the lower boards, which would then be presented to the regional and national boards for implementation. Proposals involving changes to the Charter would be presented to WS leadership for a final decision and notification of the Family.

Oversight of the RBs: The chairperson is responsible to give counsel to, and answer the questions of, the RBs and ensure that they are fulfilling their responsibilities.

Pubs: Determine through prayer, and taking into consideration input received from the RBs, what topics need to be addressed in the pubs for young people and the parents/shepherds of young people. These would then be presented to the appropriate WS pubs department.

Reporting: Report to WS leadership.

D.Church Growth and Outreach Board (CGO Board)

The CGO board focuses on all aspects of the Family’s witnessing, including disciple winning and training, church growth, follow-up, provisioning contacts, local CTPs, tool distribution, promotion of the Activated program, and reaching the world with the Gospel.

1.Areas of responsibility of the CGO national board:

Teamwork: Meet together at least once every 3 months for prayer and discussion, as well as communicate regularly via mail, e-mail or phone.

Initiatives: Pray about and discuss ways to help the Homes in their outreach and church growth ministries, and how to promote policies, initiatives and decisions made by their board and/or pillar, in the national area.

The Activated program: Promotion of the Activated magazine to the Homes and public.

Work with the Homes in organizing workshops and seminars in order to promote the Activated program.

Help to encourage the Homes to get activated, collecting subscriptions, feeding their sheep, etc.

Work with the Homes to encourage the follow-up of Activated readers and other sheep.

Church growth: Assist the Homes in building a local church of believers and offer counsel in matters relating to Active members.

Work with the Homes in organizing meetings and seminars on follow-up and caring for Active members.

Look for ways to improve the care of Active members by helping and encouraging the Homes to create programs, organize seminars and host other activities for the Active members.

Tool distribution: Promote the distribution and marketing of outreach tools.

Tune into and cultivate the ideas and needs of the local distributors, generate ideas for new outreach products that are needed, and pass on the board’s ideas and thoughts to the RB.

Local CTPs: Assist (through counsel, prayer and information) the Homes in the organization and coordination of local CTPs.

Address questions relating to local CTP work. (Questions regarding the legal aspects of setting up a humanitarian or NGO project may be directed to the PR board.)

Encourage the Homes to send in their testimonies and photos of their local CTP work so that they can be passed on to the PR board and WS GP department and WEB team.

Field questions: Answer church growth and outreach-related questions from the Homes or pass them on to the RB for further counsel if necessary.

Ideas and suggestions: Give input (ideas, suggestions, prophecies) to the RB concerning witnessing, disciple winning and training, church growth, follow-up, provisioning contacts, local CTPs, tool distribution, and the promotion of the Activated program, and pass on ideas for pubs and new outreach products that are needed.

Reporting: Report monthly to the chairperson of the RB. Send minutes of board meetings and decisions made to the entire RB as well as to the members of the NCC.

2.Areas of responsibility of the CGO regional board:

Teamwork: Meet together at least once a year (twice a year is recommended) for prayer and discussion, as well as communicate regularly via mail, e-mail or phone.

Goals: Pray about, discuss and outline the goals and needs of the Homes in regards to church growth and outreach in their region. The RB will work with the NBs in presenting these to the Homes.

Initiatives: Pray about and discuss ways to help the Homes achieve the goal of reaching their region with the Gospel, and how to promote policies, initiatives and decisions made by their board and/or pillar, in the region.

Oversight of the NBs: The chairperson is responsible to give counsel to, and answer the questions of, the NBs and ensure that they are fulfilling their responsibilities.

The chairperson should also be aware of and may help with the programs, activities, and initiatives of the NBs in the region when needed.

Church growth: Pray about the growth of the church of believers in their regional area and look for ways to improve the care and involvement of Active members in the work.

Pray about, discuss and decide on new programs and initiatives, which would then be implemented in counsel and conjunction with the NBs.

Activated: Work with the NBs and the Activated offices in the region or continental area to pray and come up with ideas of how to promote Activated to the Homes and the public in their region as well as the follow-up by the Homes of Activated subscribers.

Marketing and distribution: Counsel and work with the production centers (SCs/PPCs) regarding products needed for distribution in the region.

Comments and suggestions: The chairperson will receive comments and suggestions (C&Ss) from the TRFs relating to witnessing, disciple winning and training, church growth, follow-up, provisioning contacts, local CTPs, tool distribution, and the promotion of the Activated program, and is responsible to hear from the Lord, respond to the Homes and answer their questions (counseling as needed with the NB chairperson of the national area that that Home is included in), or at his or her discretion pass the comments, suggestions and/or questions on to the NB chairperson to pray about and answer. Shepherding issues should be sent to the VS board.

Ideas and suggestions: Generate and pass on (to the IB) ideas (including prophecies received) for witnessing, discipleship, follow-up and church growth-related pubs, classes, materials, and resources that are needed in the region that, God willing, WS would produce for the Family worldwide.

Pray about the ideas and needs of the local distributors and ideas for new outreach tools received from the NBs and pass on their ideas and thoughts to the IB.

Make suggestions (to the IB) as to the content of pubs that Active members receive, and offer ideas and suggestions regarding content for the general membership magazine. (See ML #3308:145, GN 908.)

Reporting: Report monthly to the chairperson of the IB. Send minutes of board meetings and decisions made to the entire IB, the members of the RC, as well as to the CO who works with the Activated offices and Production Centers.

3.Areas of responsibility of the CGO international board:

Teamwork: Meet together once a year for prayer and counsel, as well as communicate via mail, e-mail or phone.

Policy: Formulate through discussion and hearing from the Lord, Family policy in regards to witnessing, including disciple winning and training, church growth, follow-up, provisioning contacts, local CTPs, tool distribution, promotion of the Activated program, etc., taking into account the prophecies, counsel, suggestions and decisions of the lower boards, which would then be presented to the regional and national boards for implementation. Proposals involving changes to the Charter would be presented to WS leadership for a final decision and notification of the Family.

Oversight of the RBs: The chairperson is responsible to give counsel to, and answer the questions of, the RBs and ensure that they are fulfilling their responsibilities.

Activated materials: Offer counsel on the promotion of the worldwide Activated program.

Pray about and propose ideas and suggestions for the Activated magazine content and pass this on to the GP department.

Products: Cultivate ideas for new products from the RBs and make suggestions to the GP Production board regarding products to create for worldwide or local distribution.

Pubs: Determine through prayer, and taking into consideration input received from the RBs, what topics need to be addressed in the pubs on witnessing, the needs of sheep and Active members, Activated, CTP ministries, tool distribution, and related subjects. These would then be presented to the appropriate WS pubs department.

Pray about and generate proposals for content of pubs that Active members receive, and offer ideas and suggestions regarding content for the general membership magazine.

Reporting: Report to WS leadership.

E.Public Relations Board (PR Board)

The PR board deals with public relations, relations with the media, religious freedom issues, persecution response, and promoting the Family’s good name and good works. The PR board will also be available to give advice on legal matters when asked by foundations, NGOs and other organizations that are connected to or run by Family members.

1.Public Relations national board:

At the time of the drafting of this document no PR boards will exist at the national level.

2.Areas of responsibility of the PR regional board:

(Note: Because there are no PR boards on the national level, and thus no NB chairpersons to sit on the RB, the CC will appoint members with talents in the areas this board is responsible for, to the RB.)

Teamwork: Meet together at least once a year (twice a year is recommended) for prayer and discussion, as well as communicate regularly via mail, e-mail or phone.

Goals: Pray about, discuss and outline PR, media relations, and proactive goals and needs in their region and present these to the Homes.

Initiatives: Pray about and discuss ways to help the Homes with persecution prep, proactive work, contact with the media, etc., and how to promote policies, initiatives and decisions made by their board and/or pillar, in the region.

Communication: Communicate and share information with the PR boards of other regions.

Media: One or more members of the PR board will focus their efforts on media-related issues. (In most cases this RB member will work with, or be a part of, the media team.)

Legal and humanitarian matters: One or more members of the PR board should be knowledgeable and available to give advice to the Homes on legal matters relating to associations, NGOs, for-profit and non-profit companies or foundations.

Questions regarding local CTPs not involving a legal entity would be directed to the CGO board.

Public relations: Pray and discuss plans, projects and ways to promote the Family’s good name in their region, and encourage input on this from the Homes.

Receive from the Homes photos, testimonies and copies of recommendation letters as a means of documenting the Family’s humanitarian work, in conjunction with the CGO board in their region. Pass on pertinent photos and testimonies to the WS GP department and WEB team.

Proactive work: Invest time in proactive work and meeting with people who can make a difference in helping to promote and protect religious freedom, such as academics, government officials, lawyers, community and religious leaders, and others.

Persecution response: Assist the Homes in whatever way they can in the event of persecution.

Comments and suggestions: The chairperson will receive comments and suggestions (C&Ss) from the TRFs relating to public relations, media, religious freedom issues, persecution and proactive work, legal issues, etc., and is responsible to hear from the Lord, respond to the Homes and answer their questions, or at his or her discretion pass the comments, suggestions and/or questions on to the board member responsible for that part of the PR portfolio to pray about and answer. Shepherding issues should be sent to the VS board.

Ideas and suggestions: Generate and pass on (to the IB) ideas (including prophecies received) for legal and media-related pubs, classes, materials, and resources that are needed for the Homes in the region that, God willing, WS would produce for the Family worldwide.

Reporting: Report monthly to the chairperson of the IB. Send minutes of board meetings and decisions made to the entire IB as well as to the members of the RC.

3.Areas of responsibility of the PR international board:

Teamwork: Meet together once a year for prayer and counsel, as well as communicate via mail, e-mail or phone.

Policy: Formulate through discussion and hearing from the Lord, Family policy in regards to general media and legal-related matters, taking into account the prophecies, counsel, suggestions and decisions of the lower boards, which would then be presented to the regional boards for implementation. Proposals involving changes to the Charter would be presented to WS leadership for a final decision and notification of the Family.

Oversight of the RBs: The chairperson is responsible to give counsel to, and answer the questions of, the RBs and ensure that they are fulfilling their responsibilities. The chairperson is responsible to answer general media and legal-related questions from the RBs and media teams. On major issues he or she would counsel with the full IB.

Pubs: Determine through prayer, and taking into consideration input received from the RBs, what topics need to be addressed in the pubs on promoting the Family, Family Policy Statements, handling the media, legal and religious freedom issues, and persecution prep. These would then be presented to the appropriate WS pubs department.

Work with the WS GP department and WEB team in promoting the Family via the Family WEB sites, the FAR, or other brochures and materials as needed.

Reporting: Report to WS leadership.

F.Visitation and Shepherding Board (VS Board)

The job of the VS board would be to uphold the Charter as well as provide shepherding and visitation (spiritual shepherding of the Homes and Family members). Those on the VS board will be Area or Continental Officers.

1.Areas of responsibility of the VS national board:

Teamwork: Meet together at least once every 3 months for prayer and discussion, as well as communicate regularly via mail, e-mail or phone.

Area Office responsibility: Fulfill the responsibilities of Area Officers as stated in the Charter.

Initiatives: Pray about and discuss ways to help the Homes achieve the Charter standard, and how to promote policies, initiatives and decisions made by their board and/or pillar, in the national area.

Spiritual oversight of the Homes: Visitation of the Homes, shepherding and offering counsel and prayer to Home members, helping to resolve with prayer and hearing from the Lord inter-Home disputes, and checking on the financial state of the Homes.

Charter enforcement: Unlike the other boards, this board would have authority over the Homes as per the authority granted to Area Officers in the Charter—that is, to enforce the Charter and discipline Homes or members who fail to live up to the Charter standard.

Disciplinary Committee: Investigate reported Charter infractions and excommunicable offenses, and discipline accordingly.

The NB, along with the chairperson of the RB, make up the Disciplinary Committee for that national area. The Disciplinary Committee handles, in conjunction with the Continental Reporting Center (CRC), Probationary Notice (PN) and Partial Excommunication (PE).

Clearance Committee: Grant or deny clearance to their national area.

The NB, along with the chairperson of the RB, make up the Clearance Committee for that national area. The Clearance Committee handles, in conjunction with the CRC, clearance requests to their national area.

New disciples: Ensure that new CM disciples are receiving training, Word, and spiritual input by the Homes in which they reside. (The national CGO board would also be involved with this.)

Young adults: Tune into the needs of young adults from 18 through 20 and help provide them with focus in their ministries and callings.

Comments and suggestions: Comments and suggestions (C&Ss), from the TRFs of the Homes in the national area relating to shepherding will be sent to the NB, which is responsible to hear from the Lord, counsel as a board, respond to the Homes and answer their questions.

Reporting: Report monthly to the chairperson of the RB with a copy to all COs in the region. Send minutes of board meetings and decisions made to the entire RB and all COs in the region.

2.Areas of responsibility of the VS regional board:

Teamwork: Meet together at least once a year (twice a year is recommended) for prayer and discussion, as well as communicate regularly via mail, e-mail or phone.

At the onset of the implementation of the board structure there may not be 3 VSs in every national area. In such a case the RB chairperson could invite all VSs in the region to sit in on the board meetings.

Spiritual oversight and goals: Pray about and discuss the spiritual state and needs of the Homes in the region, and outline goals for raising the standard in weak areas. The RB will work with the NBs in presenting these to the Homes.

Initiatives: Pray about and discuss ways to help the Homes achieve the Charter standard, and how to promote policies, initiatives and decisions made by their board and/or pillar, in the region.

Oversight of the NBs: The chairperson is responsible to give counsel to, and answer the questions of, the NBs and ensure that they are fulfilling their responsibilities.

The chairperson should also be aware of and may help with the training, programs and activities of the NBs in the region when needed.

Disciplinary Committee: The chairperson of the RB is a part of the Disciplinary Committees of the national areas he or she oversees, and is responsible to chair those committees.

Clearance Committee: The chairperson of the RB is a part of the Clearance Committees of the national areas he or she oversees, and is responsible to chair those committees.

Comments and suggestions: The chairperson will receive comments and suggestions (C&Ss) from the TRFs relating to shepherding, but is not responsible to respond or answer them as this will be taken care of by the national VS board.

Ideas and suggestions: Generate and pass on (to the IB) ideas (including prophecies received) for shepherding and training-related pubs, materials, and resources that are needed for the Homes’ spiritual shepherding and training in the region that, God willing, WS would produce for the Family worldwide.

Reporting: Report monthly to the chairperson of the IB with a copy to the members of the CC. Send minutes of board meetings and decisions made to the entire IB as well as to the members of the CC.

3.Areas of responsibility of the VS international board:

Teamwork: Meet together once a year for prayer and counsel, as well as communicate via mail, e-mail or phone.

Policy: Formulate through discussion and hearing from the Lord, Family policy in regards to the problems, standard and spiritual needs of the Family as a whole, taking into account the prophecies, counsel, suggestions and decisions of the lower boards, which would then be presented to the regional and national boards for implementation. Proposals involving changes to the Charter would be presented to WS leadership for a final decision and notification of the Family.

Oversight of the RBs: The chairperson is responsible to give counsel to, and answer the questions of, the RBs and ensure that they are fulfilling their responsibilities.

Pubs: Determine through prayer, and taking into consideration input received from the RBs, what topics need to be addressed in the pubs for the Family and Homes in general. These would then be presented to the appropriate WS pubs department.

Reporting: Report to WS leadership

(End of file.)

Family Board Handbook, The

Table of Contents

The Board Structure

Responsibilities and Authority of the Boards and ­Councils

Relationship Between the Boards

Board Meeting Rules of Order

Procedures

The Boards and Their Portfolios

Responsibilities and Authority of the Boards and Councils