The Unity Factor

Lying awake one night after a church board meeting.

That’s when Larry Osborne thought, We have to find a way to replace our posturing and battling with the new spirit of teamwork and cooperation. Every experienced pastor knows the joys and struggles of working with a board. As Chuck Swindoll wrote: “The need for a better relationship between pastors and board members is apparent, and in some cases, acute.”

What are the secrets to creating an effective church leadership team? How can a pastor lead a board to true unity?

Osborne set out to find answers. Now many years and board meetings and hours of research later, he offers tested, no-nonsense wisdom to questions like these: What are the roadblocks to a board really working together? How can you remove them?What do I do when a leadership team member isn’t working out?What roles can the pastor take with the leadership team, and which is most effective?What work should a board handle? What should it definitely not touch?How can a leadership team guide the congregation through controversial changes?What does it take to negotiate a fair salary?How can you continue to minister during a time of board disunity? In The Unity Factor, you’ll find sensible strategies and warm encouragement for building a healthy leadership team.

This is the twentieth volume of THE LEADERSHIP LIBRARY, a continuing series from LEADERSHIP, the practical journal for church leaders published by Christianity Today, Inc. Others in the series include Well-Intentioned Dragons, Learning to Lead and The Contemplative Pastor.