Leadership and Accountability

Leadership
Leadership of the Beacon Group would be via a team using the strengths of each member but without a deliberate hierarchy. For example, someone in the team who has good networking skills might be our nominated ‘point person’ to relate to other Beacon Group leaders and the ‘centre’, but this would not imply an overall leadership role within the group.

One of the responsibilities of the leadership team will be to agree a programme which would enable the priorities set out above to be achieved over a period of time. It is unlikely to be a detailed plan of what topic / passage is to be covered when, but would identify key topics that would take as long as they took to cover. Also central to the role would be to teach and model the values on a day by day basis so that these become a way of life within the group.

Initially, we would expect the leadership team to be approved and commissioned by the SBC eldership. Subsequently, leaders of the group would be recognised and affirmed by the group with the ‘centre’ being informed of any changes. As an example, someone (most likely but not exclusively one of the existing leaders) would bring a person to the attention of the whole leadership team. They may have spotted them exercising some leadership gifting or simply have a sense from God that this is what they are being called to. Over the course of a few weeks, the team would prayerfully observe to confirm or otherwise that sense. If it is, then at an appropriate point in one the Beacon Group meetings, this would be prayerfully raised with the whole group who would be asked to test what is in effect a prophetic word. If the consensus is that this is right, then the team would establish a mentoring relationship and development path for the individual to ensure they are equipped and released into their gifting. The same process would apply to any of the other gifts that were discerned.

Accountability
The leadership would be accountable to other Beacon Group leaders, to the values and vision agreed by the group as a whole and to the group members.

Relationship with SBC ‘Centre’
We’re looking for high accountability but low control. The elders have signed off on the vision and ethos for the group and will have input into any proposed changes to this as time goes on. The elders will hold the group leadership accountable to biblical principles and the agreed vision and ethos statements. With regards teaching, we will develop our own materials and programme. The key issues that the whole of SBC need to engage with would be covered in parallel rather than as a replacement to the existing programme.

We want to embrace and develop an attitude of servant-heartedness and would be happy to act as a communication conduit for needs outside the group, as well as occasionally choosing as a group to take up a specific challenge.

We anticipate our own overheads being low, but there may be significant financial and practical needs in the group that take resources. We would teach and model generosity and encourage a sense of belonging to the group but identifying with SBC as a whole. Given that we would then leave it to individuals to decide how to steward the gifts God has given them.