Every charity is required to have in place good governance and one of the key foundation stones to this is a Board of passionately engaged, knowledgeable, dedicated and responsible trustees. They are relied on for directing the work of the charity and keeping the “ship watertight”, finances sound, actions are within the charity’s objects and powers, and the charity has the resources to fulfil its vision.
Church Growth Trust (CGT) has been blessed since its formation with a great Board of trustees. As Giles Arnold, CGT’s Chief Executive, says, “They are all different, bringing a variety of skills and experience. They are not afraid to have a robust debate on issues, but they do come to a consensus and make wise, God-centred decisions, empowering the staff team to get on with their work. They have always been passionate about the ministry of CGT – I consider this to be the most important qualification for being a trustee.”
The CGT trustees meet four times a year, as well as sharing responsibilities through various Board Committees that specialise in different areas. The last meeting on 16 February was online and covering a huge amount of work and decisions. This time the trustees said goodbye to Dave Foster, who has been a trustee since 2012 and is now retiring at 70 years of age. Dave has served so faithfully over the years, not only directly with the CGT Board (and Committees), but also representing CGT on national groups such as the Church Planting Initiative. Trevor James, who also reaches 70 this year, will be retiring later in the year.
It was encouraging to have two new potential trustees attend the February meeting with a view to them joining the Board soon. It is great to have continuity with trustees who have served for many years, as well as having new trustees join and give new perspectives. Their combined effort and experience ensure the charity continues to make headway towards its vision. More on whether these two candidates come on board later in the year.
