Much tension between church leaders stems from a fuzzy knowledge about each other's responsibility. Who sets the goals? Who leads the church to accomplish its goals? Who actually carries out the work to reach those goals?

This exercise can help. Under "Responsibility," check which of the eight statements best expresses the church's viewpoint, the board's perspective, and so on.

Then repeat this process with the four statements in the "Accountability section.

It is possible for one statement to reflect the viewpoint of more than one party.

Responsibility

1. The senior pastor is responsible to establish the vision for the church and to lead the church in its accomplishment.

2. The senior pastor is responsible to establish the vision for the church and, with the concurrence of the board, lead the church in its accomplishment.

3. The senior pastor is responsible to establish the vision for the church and, with the concurrence of the board and congregation, lead the church in ...