Nominations

Six Powerful Shifts for a More Vital Leadership Nominations Approach

August 27, 20244 min read

For many, this is the time of year when new leaders are being recruited by the Committee on Nominations. Some might even refer to it as the “arm-twisting” or “phone call avoidance” season. Others view it as a time of musical chairs for committee members or getting through the process of completing that darn charge conference paperwork. 

However you reference this season, please allow me to offer a few thoughts for your consideration. The process of nominations and the role of the Nominations Committee can be a critical and pivotal season in the life of your church. It all depends on the understanding, equipping, and approach that starts with the approach to nominations! Following are some pivotal shifts the Committee on Nominations can make to strengthen the process, outcomes, and vitality of the church.

  1.  The committee responsible for this work is named in the UMC Book of Discipline (❡258.1) as the Committee on Nominations and Leadership Development. Their responsibilities are to not only discern leadership for nomination, they are also responsible for developing leaders. Being a member of this committee is a year-round position - not only a few weeks in the fall for nominating leaders. If your church is lacking a leadership development process, check out the book, Launching Leaders: Taking Leadership Development to New Heights, for a resource to get you started.

  1. The process of nominations is one of discernment. It is not thumbing through the latest pictorial or membership directory to ascertain who hasn’t been a recent victim and can be persuaded to say yes to a hole on a committee. Ask potential leaders to fill out an interest form (see R-6, page 246-7in Mission Possible 3 for an example) to identify why they feel they are being called into leadership in this season, their spiritual practices, their leadership and spiritual gifts, their hopes for the future of the church, etc. The committee can then conduct holy conversations with potential leaders (see R-7, page 248-9 in Mission Possible 3 for example questions).

  1. Potential leaders are supplied with the job descriptions and expectations for any leadership positions they are being considered for. Setting low (or no) expectations is contradictory to building high-capacity leaders who are engaged, committed, and passionate about the leadership role and its potential for impact.

  1. The Nominations Committee prays and discerns together after the holy conversations with potential leaders for which leaders have the giftedness, commitment, and passion for leading the church in this season. Only then are leaders invited to be nominated for a leadership position.

  1. Shifting away from recruiting people who possess skills in specialty areas is a huge step for many churches. This has been the traditional approach to naming members of the administrative committees (finance, pastor-parish relations, trustees). First and foremost, leaders of the administrative committees need to be mature disciples and servant leaders. Their area of expertise in real estate, banking, plumbing, construction, etc. is a bonus not the primary driver for membership.  Without first being a mature disciple, leaders in these positions can easily make decisions without the missional focus of making disciples as their primary filter. People with expertise can always be called in to confer and consult with the spiritual leaders in administrative positions as needed. Leaders first and foremost need to model well-developed spiritual leadership. This is another reason why the leadership development process is such an important part of the work of the Nominations Committee.

  1. The members of the Committee on Nominations and Leadership Development will likely need to be retooled for these shifts in fulfilling their role and responsibilities. As new members roll onto the committee, they will also need to be trained so they, too, can shift into a new mindset for their role. Check out the on-demand training for members of the Committee on Nominations and Leadership Development.

Too many times, people will more eagerly take the position on the Nominations Committee than other committees because its commitment is low. The committee is only active for only a few weeks a year. It requires a few meetings and phone calls and then members are finished until the next year. It is often seen more as filling in all the blanks on their required charge conference paperwork than it is about developing mature servant leaders who will not only lead their church, but will also lead the greater community with a spiritual foundation lens. Consider making the shift in your church’s nominations approach this season to begin the journey towards healthier leaders and a more vital congregation.

Additional Resources for the members of the Committee on Nominations and Leadership Development:

Launching Leaders Small Group Study

Launching Leaders On-Demand Webinar


Kay’s purpose is to Equip and Empower Leaders of Faith Communities How to Engage in More Effective Ministry.
Kay Kotan is the founder of You Unlimited (coaching, consulting and training company) and The Greatest Expedition – a collaboration of more than twenty thought leaders providing resources and insights for a congregational journey to develop new MAPS (ministry action plans) to reach new people in your community.  Kay also launched Multipliers’ Movement – a gathering of kingdom multipliers for sharing, equipping, and encouraging.
She is a CoachU and Advanced CoachU Graduate, an accredited coach (PCC: Professional Certified Coach) with the ICF, International Coaching Federation, a Certified Path 1 Coach, and once served on the faculty at Coaching4Clergy.  As a passionate lay person, she has a banking background and has been a business owner for more than 25 years.  Kotan has served as a church developer for conferences and worked with churches, pastors, conferences, and judicatory leaders across the country for more than a decade.  She is most proud to be the wife of Bob for over 30 years and the mother of their adult son, Cameron.
Kay is the author of multiple books, workbooks, and resources including Gear Up:  Nine Essential Processes for the Optimized Church, Cry From the Pew, Full Schedules, Barren Souls, Being the Church in the Post Pandemic World, and Journey Preparation: Surveying Your Church’s Landscape,  as well as the co-author of the books titled:  IMPACT!:  Reclaiming the Call of Lay Ministry, Small Church Check-Up, Insights on Productivity, Renovate or Die – Ten Ways to Focus Your Church on Mission, Ministry 3.0 and Get Their Name , Ten Prescriptions for a Healthy Church, Necessary Nine – Nine Things Effective Pastors Do Differently, Launching Leaders:  Taking Leadership Development to New Heights, Strategy Matters:  Your Roadmap to Planning a Strategic Ministry Planning Retreat, Voices of Christmas: A Daily Devotional for Advent and Expanding the Expedition Reach Through Marketplace Multipliers. Mission Possible for the Small Church. Inside Out: Everting Ministry Models for the Postmodern Church, and more. Kotan and her co-author Bradford published their third version of the best-seller, Mission Possible:  Simple Structure for Missional Effectiveness.  

Mrs. Kotan spends her time investing in pastors, laity leaders, congregations, and judicatory leaders through equipping, coaching, and creating resources to help them discover and live into their fullest missional potential of effectiveness and fruitfulness to reach people for Jesus Christ.  Through her enthusiasm, truth-telling, and passion, she challenges those who encounter her in both their thinking and their doing.

Kay Kotan

Kay’s purpose is to Equip and Empower Leaders of Faith Communities How to Engage in More Effective Ministry. Kay Kotan is the founder of You Unlimited (coaching, consulting and training company) and The Greatest Expedition – a collaboration of more than twenty thought leaders providing resources and insights for a congregational journey to develop new MAPS (ministry action plans) to reach new people in your community.  Kay also launched Multipliers’ Movement – a gathering of kingdom multipliers for sharing, equipping, and encouraging. She is a CoachU and Advanced CoachU Graduate, an accredited coach (PCC: Professional Certified Coach) with the ICF, International Coaching Federation, a Certified Path 1 Coach, and once served on the faculty at Coaching4Clergy. As a passionate lay person, she has a banking background and has been a business owner for more than 25 years. Kotan has served as a church developer for conferences and worked with churches, pastors, conferences, and judicatory leaders across the country for more than a decade. She is most proud to be the wife of Bob for over 30 years and the mother of their adult son, Cameron. Kay is the author of multiple books, workbooks, and resources including Gear Up: Nine Essential Processes for the Optimized Church, Cry From the Pew, Full Schedules, Barren Souls, Being the Church in the Post Pandemic World, and Journey Preparation: Surveying Your Church’s Landscape, as well as the co-author of the books titled: IMPACT!: Reclaiming the Call of Lay Ministry, Small Church Check-Up, Insights on Productivity, Renovate or Die – Ten Ways to Focus Your Church on Mission, Ministry 3.0 and Get Their Name , Ten Prescriptions for a Healthy Church, Necessary Nine – Nine Things Effective Pastors Do Differently, Launching Leaders: Taking Leadership Development to New Heights, Strategy Matters: Your Roadmap to Planning a Strategic Ministry Planning Retreat, Voices of Christmas: A Daily Devotional for Advent and Expanding the Expedition Reach Through Marketplace Multipliers. Mission Possible for the Small Church. Inside Out: Everting Ministry Models for the Postmodern Church, and more. Kotan and her co-author Bradford published their third version of the best-seller, Mission Possible: Simple Structure for Missional Effectiveness. Mrs. Kotan spends her time investing in pastors, laity leaders, congregations, and judicatory leaders through equipping, coaching, and creating resources to help them discover and live into their fullest missional potential of effectiveness and fruitfulness to reach people for Jesus Christ. Through her enthusiasm, truth-telling, and passion, she challenges those who encounter her in both their thinking and their doing.

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