The Top 10 Qualifications of a Building Committee Member
by Bill Couchenour

I am thankful for my friends in information technology. For all my exposure to IT, I still have not been able to get past the “novice” stage. One thing I do know is that, if you are using a certain software application to accomplish a project and it is the wrong software or, worse yet, viruses, you are unlikely to have a successful project. In a similar way, the building committee is like the software the church uses to accomplish the building project. If the software isn’t right, it is unlikely the church will end up with what they need to facilitate their ministries. That makes the selection of the building committee members critical in every program.

I have personally worked with building committees that range anywhere one person to forty-five people in charge of the process. My experience has been that the optimum number for most churches is somewhere around five to seven members. Regardless of the size of your committee, here are the “Top 10 Qualifications of a Building Committee Member”:

1. Exemplary Christian Life – Each building committee member should conduct his life in a way that garners respect from the members of the church as well as the community. I almost didn’t include this because it seems like it would be automatic. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Sometimes things that go without saying need to be said more often.
 
2. Thorough understanding and uncompromising support of the strategic ministry objectives of the church – For the project to be a success, it must meet the needs of a purposeful ministry strategy. If the building committee is unable to understand and articulate the ministry strategy, it is unlikely the resulting facilities will be exactly what the church needs.
 
3. Emotional Intelligence – Daniel Goldman describes the four major components of emotional intelligence as: self-awareness, self-managing, social awareness and relationship management. Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage your emotions and the interests of others to accomplish the highest purpose.

4. Respected by the Congregation – For a building program to progress, let alone succeed, it will need the support of the congregation. The members of the building committee must have the integrity that engenders trust. They will be administrating a substantial amount of the church’s resources.

5. Common Sense – There are a lot of outside forces and agendas that come to bear on a project. Common sense is often the tool that dismantles the outside agendas that can be disruptive to moving forward with the right project.
 
6. Independent Team Player – I am aware of the apparent oxymoronic quality of this characteristic. What I mean here is the ability to be an independent thinker and not be swayed by someone else’s emotional, but illogical, idea. But they also have to be able to work as a team so that they support every decision 100% when they leave the meeting, regardless of whether or not it was their idea.
 
7. Varied Background – A building committee with varied backgrounds will give you well rounded insight into solutions for the building process. It will also help you gain broader support from the congregation.
 
8. Diligent Worker – Most building committee members volunteer their time and talents. They usually have families, careers and other circumstances that will make demands on them. Building committee members need to be diligent enough to faithfully fulfill the responsibilities of the committees without sacrificing the other important aspects of their life.
 
9. Planning Skills – Skills in analysis and decision making are necessary to move forward in a positive direction. Creativity or “thinking beyond the box” is often necessary to find the right solutions.
 
10. Knowledge of the Building Industry - I have intentionally made these the least of the ten requirements. All too often, church leadership will set up a building committee of people that are familiar with the building industry but unfamiliar with where the church is headed. That is disastrous. Knowledge of the building industry is helpful but not a substitute for any of the other qualifications.

You will notice there is no mention of a qualification as a major financial contributor. That status should neither qualify nor disqualify someone from serving on the committee. Their invitation to service on the building committee should be based on these ten qualifications, not on what they have contributed.

I believe that the first two qualifications are non-negotiable. They cannot be sacrificed regardless of what else an individual “brings to the table”. With qualifications one and two, alone, you could develop an excellent building committee. But, for the building committee chairman, I would suggest that the first three are non-negotiable. He will need emotional intelligence to navigate the inevitable challenges and opportunities that accompany a building program.

An excellent building committee is not one that is unified in its perspective and insights. It is the variety of these perspectives and insights that gives breadth and depth to the committee’s work. An excellent committee will, however, have a reconciling attitude that enables them to move forward together in the process. Strive for community of spirit, not unity of perspective.

The goal of any project is to develop the facilities that best meet a purposeful ministry strategy and comprehensive financial plan; while keeping the focus on the ministry. Just like the right software enables you to effectively accomplish a project, the right building committee can help you achieve this goal.

Bill Couchenour has served as President of Cogun since 1994. Bill has a B.S. in B.A. from Youngstown State University and an MBA from the University of Tampa. Bill is the author of the book, Churches…Before You Build. Cogun is a member of the Cornerstone Knowledge Network which provides research and education to churches concerning construction related issues and trends.