The Last Thing You Need To Do Is Form A Committee (052109)

Define a non-Biblical hell for Troy Brewer and it would look something like a board meeting. A board which is supposed to be a noun is actually more of a verb to me and spelt bored. Really that’s a false statement because a verb implies action and church boards are not famous for having a sense of urgency.


I hate having to go through a committee. I just can’t stand boards and having to listen to people who love to hear themselves talk about things and hammer a little piece of wood on a table. Blah, blah, blah is all I hear over the twisting noise of grass growing outside as everyone makes sure they voice their opinion under rule of governing procedure. I start praying for the rapture and hoping the boards in America will be left behind.


There are things that make sense in a board room environment that don’t make sense anywhere else. Completely sane people will suddenly feel like a responsible move is not to move at all before they do a $20,000 study on a $500 project.

Churches throughout America are ruined by elder boards and tend to be more deacon possessed than full of the Spirit. The Brewer begins to rage out at people that love process and title more than achieving victory or accomplishing vision.

Get A Move On
The word for a pack of lions is called a pride and I think this word fits a lot of church governments. Pride goes before the fall and if you want a major downgrade in effectiveness, turn it over to most church boards. There you will find a prideful group with a religious reason why you shouldn’t reach the world for Jesus.

Do you know what you call a pack of buzzards? - A committee. I am not making that up and it’s a perfect illustration of what happens to most ministries. A group of old buzzards hang over something that died along time ago when they ought to be making something else happen.

Somebody once asked me if running ministries through a church board was Biblical. I said yes. There is an excellent example in the book of Numbers chapter 13 where Moses formed a committee of twelve to spy out the Promised Land. True to form, they came back with a long list of reasons why they couldn’t do what God had told them to do. So God sent them all into a desert instead of his promises until they weeded out all of the board members. What should have taken a week, ended up taking forty years – typical church board decision and you can find it in the bible.

The I in Team Work
Instead of having boards ruled by procedure, power and title, what we need are TEAMS of people held accountable for action and results. John Maxwell says, “One is too small a number to achieve greatness.” He is exactly right.

We need teams of advancing people who have initiative and won’t even let paint dry on their watch.

Never let bean counters run a ministry! That’s why so many churches are all about money and not about people because the governing board feels like their first responsibility is financial. Feeding the poor, taking care of widows, loving on old people and doing youth ministry is in fact a money pit and there is no financial reason to do such things. It’s not about the money, it’s about Kingdom Purpose.

Obviously there are some church board members and leaders who believe this but we need to confront and weed out left lane leaders. People who have been put into position to accelerate but drive so slow none of the rest of us can pass. If your leaders do not have initiative then the angry peasants in the congregation should rise up with challenging pitchforks and encouraging torches. Sometimes we need leadership to sound less like Charlton Heston and more like Larry the Cable Guy. “Get ‘er done!”

Get the Led Out
When it comes to taking initiative, there are really only four kinds of people:

1. People who do the right thing without being told.
2. People who do the right thing when they are told.
3. People who do the right thing when told more than once.
4. People who never do the right thing, no matter what.

Anyone who wants to be a world changer needs to become the first kind of person.

Believe it or not, you don’t need mass approval to live your dream. Get up and take on hell with a water pistol. Your ability to accomplish vision and to get things done whether it’s an evangelical mission or a marketplace pursuit is entirely up to your own personal character. God has given you the grace to go forward. Focus on the benefits of completing a task and trash whatever it is that is holding you back. Quit putting things off. Procrastination is the fertilizer that makes difficulties grow. Make up your mind and make a difference or get the heck out of the fast lane so the rest of us can go.

Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.

Contact the Brewer at www.FreshFromTheBrewer.com