It is almost 7:00 p.m. and you are about to chair your church’s business meeting. You ask yourself, “Self, what if someone wants to amend the original motion, how will I handle it?” “Self, what if the discussion gets a little out of hand and I need to table the motion in order to do some more research?”
Here are a few parliamentary procedures that will get the average pastor by in the average church. You can take these procedures with you and use as a cheat sheet. If your church requires more than these basics, then you probably need to take a class in Robert’s Rules of Order or maybe you can get by with just purchasing Robert’s Rules For Dummies.
A. Moderator calls the business meeting to order
B. Moderator recognizes the church clerk for the reading of the minutes
1. Moderator “Is there any corrections or additions?”
2. If none, the Moderator responds, “The minutes will stand approved as read" If there is a correction given by someone then the moderator says, "The minutes will stand approved as corrected.”
C. Moderator recognizes the secretary to read the business report of the last quarter
1. Moderator “Is there a motion to receive the report as written.”
2. Moderator “Moved by __________________”
3. Moderator “Seconded by ________________”
4. Moderator “Is there any discussion?”
5. Question by a member (Question is a call by a member to end the discussion and vote). Your church may not require the question to be called.
6. Moderator “Question is called”
7. Moderator “All in favor raise your right hand” “All oppose likewise.”
8. Moderator “Moved and carried”
D. Moderator recognizes our deacon secretary for a recommendation from the deacons
1. Moderator “What is your pleasure concerning the recommendation? “
2. Moderator “Motion by ________________”
3. Moderator “Second by ________________”
4. Moderator “Any discussion?”
5. Moderator “Are you ready for the question?”
6. Question by member
7. Moderator “Question is called”
8. Moderator “All in favor let it be known by raising your right hand” “All opposed likewise”
9. Moderator “Moved and carried”
E. Moderator recognizes the secretary for the next recommendation
1. Moderator “What is your pleasure?”
2. Moderator “Moved by ________________”
3. Moderator “Second by ________________”
4. Moderator “Any discussion?”
5. Moderator “ Motion to amend by __________________”
6. Moderator “ Second to motion to amend by ________________”
7. Moderator “ Any discussion?”
8. Question by member
9. Vote to amend.
10. Moderator “All in favor of amending the motion raise your right hand.” “All oppose likewise.”
11. Moderator “Motion on the original motion as amended by _______________”
12. Moderator “Second by ________________”
13. Moderator “All in favor in the original motion as amended” “All opposed likewise”
14. Moderator “Moved and carried”
F. Moderator recognizes the secretary for the next recommendation
1. Moderator “What is your pleasure?”
2. Moderator “Moved by _____________”
3. Moderator “2nd by ________________”
4. Moderator “Any discussion”
5. Moderator “Motion to table by ______________”
6. Moderator “2nd by _______________”
7. Moderator “All in favor….”
At the next business meeting the tabled motion would be brought before the floor as follows:
a. Moderator recognizes the secretary for a recommendation. Secretary reads tabled motion
b. Moderator “Motion to remove the motion from the table by _______________________”
c. Moderator “2nd by ______________”
d. Moderator “All in favor….”
e. Moderator will lead the congregation to either not pursue another motion or amend the motion that was tabled. If amending then the moderator will go through the steps to amend.
G. Moderator “There are no other recommendations.”
1. Moderator “Do I have a motion to adjourn?” Motion by _________________
2. Moderator “Second by ________”
3. Moderator “All in favor please stand”
4. Moderator calls on someone to dismiss in prayer.
When a committee brings a motion to the floor, a second is not needed (Robert, Henry M. (2000). Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 10th ed. p. 35).
Robert Anderson has a chapter in his book The Effective Pastor: A Practical Guide to the Ministry that is helpful: Chapter 25, “Conducting Church Business Meetings.” Anderson suggests that the pastor not be the moderator of the church business but rather one of the laymen of the church so “that when items of business are presented to the congregation, it should not appear that they are necessarily the ideas of the pastor that he is attempting to railroad his ideas into adoption.” According to Anderson, the pastor could serve more as a mediator from the floor if the moderator needs guidance.
In most churches, the lead pastor is the moderator who has the support of his staff and deacons when recommendations are brought to the church for a vote.
Even within a congregational church government, the church can vote to authorize the appropriate people the ability to spend what the church has budgeted for their area of responsibility. In other words, the church should not have to vote on spending $50 to repair a bathroom fixture. For example, the congregation can approve to the pastor and deacons spending $1000 dollars before church approval is needed.
The church should be informed and prepared ahead of time before important matters are brought up at business meetings. For example, if the church is adopting a church constitution, the purposed constitution should be made available to church members, special meetings made available for members to discuss areas of concern and then after all of these differences have been addressed the church can meet and vote for approval.
In the above parliamentary procedures, a line for New Business is not included. Instead of taking new business from the floor, which could drag the meeting on ad infinitum, it is better for new business first to go through the leadership of the church and then let the leadership make the necessary recommendations for church approval. Much of what would be considered new business can be handled by the leadership.
Hopefully this brief post will aid your church in doing “all things decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).
In Church Ministries, Pastoral Theology Robert's Rules of Order, The Church Business Meeting