College Union

By D. Merricks

One often overlooked part of being a Wesley Director is relating to the men and women who make up the local Board of Directors. There are many different opinions about what a Board’s role should be: Is it primarily a fundraising body? Does it help decide about ministry programs? Does it take responsibility for the property? No matter what a Board does or how it sees itself, it is vital to the health of the ministry for the Wesley Director to have a good relationship with his or her Board members.

I am in my second year as a Wesley Director so I am still learning what a healthy Board relationship looks like. However, as I have interacted with them this past year, I have discovered three significant ideas that helped me build a good rapport so far.

First, it is important that each board member know they truly are chosen to be a part of the Board. When it comes to participating in groups such as volunteer boards, many people probably think they have been drafted by others or that they just drew the short straw, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Each board member brings specific gifts and graces to the group, whether that be good contacts in the community or wisdom and discernment in decision making. Board members benefit the Board and the ministry simply by being who God created them to be. A good biblical example of someone being chosen is Zacchaeus. Jesus chose to eat at Zacchaeus’ house rather than many others, and as a result Zacchaeus was changed forever. After being chosen, Zacchaeus gave half of his possessions to the poor and gave back four times of what he had taken from those he cheated.  Others were ministered to because of Zacchaeus’ transformation, but it all started when Jesus chose him. I believe board members are most helpful when they know they are appreciated and treated as chosen persons.

The second important idea to emphasize with board members is nurturing them as a body through the practice of hospitality. The members of the Board come from many different places. In my case, at least six different towns and nine different churches are represented at most every board meeting. Many of these people never see one another except at our meetings. How is such a diverse group of people supposed to fulfill their role at Wesley and in God’s kingdom if they don’t even know one another? Hospitality is more than atmosphere and refreshments, but it is a spirit that pervades the room as people arrive, during the meeting itself, and as everyone leaves at the end. Hospitality ensures that no one is left as the outsider because through the interactions with other board members, everyone will feel a sense of welcome and belonging. In order to encourage a spirit of hospitality, last year my wife and I hosted an open house for Board at our house (which also happens to be the Wesley parsonage). We prepared seasonal foods and punch in an effort to enhance the relationship we have with the board as well as their relationships with one another. In the future I hope to incorporate an actual meal into our meetings. There is something very holy about sharing a meal together, which we see in the life of Jesus (read Zacchaeus again). Christine Pohl states it this way: “A shared meal is the activity most closely tied to the reality of God’s Kingdom, just as it is the most basic expression of hospitality.”  Hospitality among board members allows them to come near to one another as well as drawing the ministry nearer to the kingdom.

Lastly, as the director of the ministry it is most important to provide a practical and theological vision for the board. Just as board members come from many different places, they also come with many different opinions and ideas about what the ministry should look like. It is the responsibility of the director to listen to those opinions, but also provide a vision to guide them. The vision must be practical in terms of being able to see some kind of fruit for their labors. Practical vision may take the form of increasing the cash flow from supporters, hosting a successful fundraiser, or making a group effort to beautify the property. When I first arrived at Ole Miss, one half of the front of our Wesley House was covered in ivy with the flower bed in front of it overgrown in weeds. At my first board meeting, I asked if we could have a workday in the fall to tackle the mess in order to enhance our curb appeal. Immediately after the meeting, one of our members approached me and said, “I don’t think I can wait that long.” Four days later, she and her husband arrived with six others from their church to completely clean up that side of our building. They brought rakes, shovels, chainsaws, and even a small front end loader. It turns out this couple owns an equipment rental business, and so they used their resources to make my vision for a more attractive house a reality.

Vision, though, is more than just practical; it is theological. It is imperative that any vision given for the ministry be crouched in sound theology. A vision that is not grounded theologically will likely never take root in the ministry because it will not speak to the deep center of people’s lives. I know of many ministries that are engaging in building programs. A new building for a ministry can be a very welcome sight, but what are the reasons behind the building? Is it because the ministry is growing and the new building will nurture that growth? Or is it because the ministry across the street just got a new building and now yours looks second rate? Competition and one-upping the neighbors are not theological reasons for building projects. I am currently asking our board to pray about whether or not that is a direction in which we need to go. Why? I believe we are not being faithful stewards of what God’s given us. God has provided this ministry with a prime piece of land across the street from campus, but we do not use it to its fullest potential. We have office and hang out space, but the three apartments we rent out every year are substandard. Most of our 1.75 acres sits in kudzu and undergrowth, and the Wesley House itself is 40+ years old and in need of some cosmetic maintenance. I believe we would be better stewards if we used our land more wisely, took care of it more faithfully, and provided quality space for students to live in community.

As I said in the beginning, I am still learning, but I believe God has been faithful to help me relate to my Board this year. I am excited about the direction Ole Miss Wesley is going, and I believe it is because our members feel chosen, welcome, and led by a practical and theological vision for ministry.

D. Merricks is the Director of the Ole Miss Wesley Foundation.

Categories: Nurturing the Soul of the Campus Minister
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