Chapter 15 » 15.07

Trustees’ responsibility

It follows that trustees must be well-grounded in the life and concerns of the meeting for which they act. Their own business meetings are held in a spirit of worship and they are full participants in the meetings for worship for business of the meeting that appointed them. Just as they care for the life of the meeting, the meeting should support and uphold them and their work.

In its turn, the meeting must trust the discernment of the trustees, to whom much day-to-day decision-making may be entrusted. Good communication between trustees and the meeting is essential. It is the responsibility of the clerks of both bodies to ensure that key decisions are brought before meeting for worship for business whenever this seems appropriate.

Friends, whether trustees or other members of the meeting, should always be ready to seek clarification on matters they do not fully understand. If they feel moved to urge a course of action not supported by the trustees or by the meeting, they should first test themselves inwardly. They should check whether they have understood and taken into account all the information available; considered with discipline and rigour all the implications of their preferred course and any alternatives; and measured these against the responsibilities set out in 15.05. If they feel led to pursue the course of action, the matter should be tested by the body following the discipline of our meetings for church affairs described in chapter 3.

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