On BLD's District Leadership Conference

From "In the Spirit of Transparency"
January 31, 2003

The structure for “governance” within our community consists of the District Council of Steward (DCS) and the District Leaders’ Conference (DLC). The DLC consists of the collective body of coordinators, shepherds and trustees appointed by the DCS to oversee the community’s ministries, apostolates and programs. While the DCS’ primary responsibility consists of discernment, pastoral care, teaching and preaching, for the DLC, it is oversight over community operations (Ref: Acts 6:1-7). The DLC plans, coordinates and implements community-level programs and activities.

The distinction between DCS and DLC responsibilities is not merely predicated on function, but likewise on the principle of subsidiarity. This principle states that the “community of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life of a community of a lower order so as to deprive it of its functions” (CCC #1883). If the community’s programs and activities are undertaken through its ministries and apostolates, and if the coordinators run the community’s ministries and apostolates, shouldn’t the DLC be better positioned to oversee the community’s operations?

If the DCS were to invest part of its time in overseeing community operations, it will have to be done at the expense of its primary responsibilities. An “operationally hands on” DCS will necessarily have less time for prayer and the Word- the sustaining strength of stewardship. Spread too thinly, even its foray into community operations would likely bring less than optimum results.

But wouldn’t this place the onus of operations on the DLC? Don’t they have individual ministry responsibilities as well? True, our growing community ceased to be a weekend ministry many years ago. True, our members’ welfare ought to be our concern any day of the year, since our discipleship is not merely for weekends but for life. Still, are we not “contemplatives with families and mortgages”? Shouldn’t the family come first before the community? How then can we serve others without sacrificing our family?

Discipleship always entails sacrifice. However, one of the benefits of community is the potential to share the work among its members. What if the coordinators scheduled a rotation for DLC duty among themselves and their core groups? What if they scheduled regular ministry members for temporary core group duties? What if we can distribute the task of running the ministries and the community among a larger number of disciples?

An actively and effectively engaged DLC is essential to the growth and well-being of our community. The DLC is the forum where the broadest collaboration may be practiced by its servant leaders, where the perspective turns from ministry-specific to the overall good of the community, where a better understanding of the other ministries’ needs is acquired, where members are trained for leadership succession, and where fellowship and partnership among the ministries is forged. Let us therefore pray for the Lord’s abundant anointing on our DLC.