Six Powerful Shifts for Church Leadership: Rethinking the Committee on Nominations in SAS
For many churches, fall is synonymous with leader recruitment—sometimes seen as “arm-twisting season” or a scramble to complete charge conference paperwork. But in churches practicing Simplified Accountable Structure (SAS), the Committee on Nominations and Leadership Development plays a far more vital role than filling seats: it’s a strategic engine for developing high-capacity, spiritually grounded leaders.
The UMC Book of Discipline (❡258.1) makes clear that this committee is responsible not only for discerning leaders but also for developing them year-round, and not just during the short nomination window. One practical resource to get started is Launching Leaders: Taking Leadership Development to New Heights, which equips churches to build ongoing leadership pipelines. It is also helpful for committee members to be familiar with the simplified, accountable structure model found in Mission Possible 4.
Six shifts to strengthen the nominations process:
Focus on Discernment, Not Convenience: Leaders are identified through holy conversations and interest forms, not a quick scan of a membership directory. Potential spiritually-mature leaders share their spiritual practices, gifts, and hopes for the church’s mission.
Set Clear Expectations: Share job descriptions and responsibilities upfront. High-capacity leaders thrive when expectations are clear and meaningful.
Prioritize Spiritual Maturity Over Skills: Administrative committee leaders should be mature disciples and servant leaders first; professional expertise is secondary. This ensures decisions are made through a prioritized missionally-focused lens.
Commit to Leadership Development: The committee itself must develop leaders continuously, not just during the nomination season. On-demand training and coaching for committee members can support this ongoing work.
Shift Mindset of Committee Members: Members must see their role as cultivating transformational leaders rather than just filling roles for compliance or paperwork.
Engage in Prayer and Discernment: Every decision should be rooted in prayerful discernment and holy conversations to identify leaders with the passion, commitment, and spiritual gifts to guide the church in this season.
By embracing these shifts, churches move from transactional leader selection to strategic leadership cultivation. The result is a healthier congregation, empowered leaders, and a church culture that prioritizes spiritual growth and mission impact.
