Written by:

Being Who You

Say You Are
A Guide to Governance
for Faith-based
Organisations
The Governance Hub is a partnership of eight organisations that provide support to the
voluntary and community sector: Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations
(ACEVO), the Black Training and Enterprise Group (BTEG),The British Association of
Settlements and Social Action Centres (BASSAC), Charity Trustee Networks (CTN), East
Cornwall Council for Voluntary Services (ECCVS), the National Association for Voluntary and
Community Action (NACVA), the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and
Volunteering England.
The Governance Hub is one of six national Hubs of expertise, developed as part of the
ChangeUp programme to build capacity and improve the infrastructure of the voluntary and
community sector. The other five Hubs are concerned with: Finance, ICT, Performance,
Volunteering and Workforce. The Hubs are funded by Capacity Builders.
This publication may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium provided that it is
reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. The material must be
acknowledged as Governance Hub copyright and the title of the publication specified.
While all reasonable care has been taken in preparing this publication, the publishers cannot
assume any responsibility for any errors or omissions.

© National Council for Voluntary Organisations

February 2007
Published by NCVO on behalf of The National Hub of Expertise in Governance
Web: www.governancehub.org.uk
Email: governance.hub@ncvo-vol.org.uk
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Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007

Being Who You
Say You Are
A Guide to Governance
for Faith-based Organisations
Written by Faithworks

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007

Contents
Introduction 5

Part 1 Why good governance matters for faith-based organisations 6

1.1 Why good governance matters 6

1.2 Particular challenges and opportunities in the current context 6

Part 2 The voluntary and community sector (VCS) context 8

2.1 Growth of the VCS 8

2.2 Government recognition of the role of the VCS 8

2.3 Charities and public confidence 8

Part 3 The role of faith 10

3.1 Growth in the number of faith-based voluntary organisations 10

3.2 Faith and charity 10

3.3 What is faith-based governance? 11

3.4 What happens when the faith basis is not aligned 13

with the organisation?

3.5 Organisational beliefs and behaviours 14

3.6 Getting a connection between beliefs and behaviours 14

3.7 Conclusion 15

Part 4 Checklist for authentic governance 16

4.1 Documentation 16

4.2 Translation 17

4.3 Implementation 17

Part 5 Practical perspectives 18

5.1 An example from a Christian perspective: Faithworks 18

5.2 Faith-based organisations and governance: questions 20

from the Governance Hub

Part 6 Resources and contacts 21

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 4

Introduction
This guide, commissioned by the Governance Hub, is a perspective from Faithworks about
why good governance matters for faith-based organisations (FBOs). Since faith-based
organisations vary as much as other voluntary and community organisations, we see this as
beginning a debate rather than proposing a single understanding. The Hub would like to invite
other contributions and perspectives explaining why governance matters for faith-based
organisations. The papers that emerge from this dialogue will be published on the Hub
website.
It is clear that the voice of faith-based organisations is not sufficiently heard in the sector, and
awareness of their particular needs and how these may be met is fairly low, although growing
fast.The Governance Hub is focussed on exploring what is distinctive about faith-based
governance and how its resources and services might be adapted to be useful and relevant to
faith-based organisations.
This guide is aimed at those involved in faith-based organisations and faith-related
organisations (although it will not continually refer to the latter, for ease of reading). We hope
it asks these questions:

• Is this how you see governance of a FBO?

• If not, what is different about your perspective?

We hope it is also of interest to others in the sector who are interested in the particular
potential and contribution of faith-based organisations, including advisors, consultants and
funders.
We have also added some discussion points throughout the text, to stimulate response and
make it easier to use with a group and even with a board of trustees.
Finally, there is a section giving two particular practical perspectives: the first is a Faithworks
perspective on how the relationship between faith and governance leads to particular
commitments in one type of Christian organisation. The Hub is seeking further examples and
perspectives from other faith traditions to enable dialogue and debate. The second is the
Hub’s questions about faith-based organisations and governance.

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 5

Part 1 Why good governance matters
for faith-based organisations

1.1 Why good governance matters

Leading an organisation can be an all-consuming task. The everyday responsibilities can be so
demanding that it is easy for the leader or leadership to forget what makes the organisation
different and unique. The same is true when governing an organisation. Keeping up to date
with the business of the organisation can take up such a large portion of the agenda that the
responsibility of ensuring the organisation stays true to its purpose can easily get left behind in
the mists of good intentions.
Good governance is central to the success of any organisation, because it is in the domain of
governance that the vision and mission of an organisation is overseen and protected. Trustees
are entrusted with the purpose of the organisation and as such are responsible for its strategy
and direction, as well as its financial viability and its accountability.
Governance is therefore important to all charitable organisations and now more than ever.
There is increasing public scrutiny of charities, and growing expectations about accountability
and transparency. Charities themselves want to maintain their independence and autonomy,
whether in advocacy work and campaigning, or in service delivery. And with increasing
numbers of charities being involved in the delivery of public services, the demands on those
governing charities are growing all the time.
Faith-based and faith-related organisations are a crucial part of the sector. Whether they
represent a single faith or are multi-faith, or take their inspiration from a faith base, they are
involved in community work, regeneration, advocacy, campaigning, service delivery and many
other kinds of activity.

1.2 Particular challenges and opportunities

in the current context
The role of faith in 21st Century Britain is one of the most hotly discussed subjects of the
moment. Whether the issue is faith-based schools, or the freedom of expression of particular
communities, faith often commands extensive media coverage and divided opinions. There is
also considerable government interest in what faith-based organisations can offer in fields like
building community cohesion and delivering public services, and new sources of funding are
available. They may be relative newcomers to being funded for public service delivery, but they
are not newcomers to the business of serving and regenerating their communities. Many of
them have done exactly this for decades, even centuries. The difference is that now it is more
accepted; faith-based organisations are seen as playing a valuable and distinctive role.
For some, the role of faith-based organisations delivering public services can be highly
contentious. They question whether it is fair to allocate public funding to faith groups and
whether faith groups are capable of delivering fairly to the diverse needs of communities.

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 6

Churches, mosques, temples, synagogues and other places of worship that are in receipt of
public funding to deliver services to their communities will need to open up their governance
systems and structures to be viewed by authorities that will not necessarily understand or
accept their traditional ways or routines. If faith-based organisations are to be increasingly
involved in public service delivery, the way that they are governed will play an essential role in
their ability to maintain their faith identity and, at the same time, serve the diverse needs of
communities.
Sometimes, where a church, mosque, temple or synagogue itself has become a service
provider, it can be at one and the same time helpful and confusing in relation to the faith basis.
It is helpful in terms of understanding the faith basis because the place of worship is a
permanent reminder of it and may provide crucial facilities. What can be complex to resolve
is whether those in spiritual authority should also be responsible for the governance required
for good service delivery. In these situations it can be helpful to establish a group of trustees
responsible for the project who recognise the spiritual authority of the place of worship but
whose responsibility for governance is equally recognised and trusted. Whatever the solution,
good governance, like good leadership and management in faith-based organisations, is
essential to their success in a climate of such complexity.
There is also a wider and more political debate taking place about ethnicity, security, British
society and belonging, which affects the context in which any faith-based organisation works.
Some faith-based organisations may want – or even be compelled – to express their voice on
these issues; others may simply want to carry on their work. Whatever position FBOs take, it
will be important to think through their reactions and position, and it will most often be those
who are responsible for governance of the organisation that must do this.

Reflection points
• In your experience, how are faith-based voluntary organisations viewed?
• Do some faith-based organisations get treated differently from others?
Which, and why?

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 7

Part 2 The voluntary and community
sector (VCS) context

2.1 Growth of the VCS

There are currently 190,000 charities registered with the Charity Commission, which is 30,000
more than there were in 2000. Their combined income exceeds £39bn per annum and
between them they employ over 600,000 staff. There are more small charities than ever, with
over half of all registered charities having an income of less than £10,000. By contrast, there are
now 14 organisations in the sector with an income of over £100m, known as super charities.
In addition to this growth of the sector, a significant diversification is taking place. There is a
growing interest within the VCS in the role of co-operatives and mutuals and a growing
number of social enterprises being set up.

2.2 Government recognition of the role

of the VCS
Faced by the challenge of funding the variety of services demanded by the public, the
government is turning more and more to the VCS for solutions.
The appointment of a Minister for the Third Sector signals the fact that the government
regards the VCS as a key partner in the search for excellence in the delivery of public
services. Whether national or locally based, driven by the power of faith, of imagination or
specific goals, the government can see that the VCS demonstrates the skills, passion, and
commitment to get things done. It is clear that the VCS has outstanding capacity in reaching
and gaining the trust of disadvantaged groups in our society and an understanding that their
contribution undoubtedly makes our communities safer and more rewarding places to live in.

2.3 Charities and public confidence

In addition to the distinct benefits that the VCS brings – being able to offer people focused
solutions to some of society’s most intractable problems – charities also have the benefit of
being trusted more than other organisations or institutions. While the public appear, in
general, not to trust politicians or their promises to get to grips with society’s problems,
people do trust charities and confidence in them is high.
Research reveals that charities engender trust and public confidence. Even though the public
has little or no idea how charities are managed or run, their ‘not for profit’ existence and their
often local appeal are the all important factors. An NCVO / ICM survey1 in March 2006
reported that 80% of those polled said that they believed local charities were important in
representing local opinion, campaigning for a fairer society and supporting the vulnerable in
society. 54% of those polled had over the last 12 months given unpaid help to an individual
not related to them, 34% had volunteered for a local group and 24% had attended a
community or residents’ meeting. 90% said they had not written to their MP in the last
12 months.

1 www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/press/briefings/index.asp?id=2388

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 8

The Charity Commission’s Report of findings of a survey of public trust and confidence in charities
(Nov 2005)2 states that the main factor driving trust is an ‘inherent belief’ that charities will
spend wisely and effectively, i.e. that they will employ ethical and efficient practices and enable
maximum funds to reach the end cause, thereby making a positive difference.
Recent campaigns have demonstrated that people will join a social movement and commit to
local action rather than join a political party in order to achieve change. The success of Make
Poverty History and Comic Relief proves this point well.

2 Available from www.charitycommission.gov.uk

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 9

Part 3 The role of faith

3.1 Growth in the number of faith-based

voluntary organisations
Faith-based voluntary organisations represent approximately 12% of the VCS (22,000 of the
190,000 charities registered with the Charity Commission have a religious basis). Given the
fact that some registrations will cover multiples of charities, for example, some of the church
denominations, the figure is likely to be between 15 – 20%. Research by the Northwest
Development Agency shows that faith groups account for a contribution of between £70m
and £100m to the region’s economy. The Home Office Citizenship Survey (2003) estimates
that 57% of those who actively practise a religion had been involved in formal volunteering in
the previous year by comparison to 38% of others.

3.2 Faith and charity

Values and a values-led approach to the work underpin more than anything else the high
esteem in which charities are held. Dr Indarjit Singh, Editor of the Sikh Messenger and
Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations, states in the National Council for Voluntary
Organisation’s (NCVO) 2002 Hinton lecture3 that the values of VCS work leads to a cohesive
and contented society as a result of:
• knowledge of and respect for the way of life of our neighbour

• a recognition of our common human identity

• concern for the health, well-being and economic opportunity of our neighbour in a
different community

• common service to help the weak and vulnerable in society

• a readiness to stand up and be counted for adherence to these values.

He goes on to say that ‘it is no coincidence that all the values and aspirations that I’ve just
listed are those found in our different religions’.

Faith and charity is therefore a powerful mix. That is not to say that faith-based organisations
have or should have a monopoly on delivering a cohesive and contented society. However, it
is simply to say that at the basis of faith-based organisations there is a natural source of
motivation for this kind of work.

Dr Singh continues ‘But there’s a problem. Today religion itself is in the dock as a major
source of prejudice and conflict between human beings. It is also considered as irrelevant
by much of secular society. In looking to ways in which our different religions can work
together to tackle common concerns it's important to examine how religion has got itself
such a bad press’.

3 Available from www.charitycommission.gov.uk

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 10

He continues ‘To me, the root cause of the problem that bedevils our different faiths, is that
the ethical guidance at the heart of our different beliefs, is extremely easy to state, but far
harder to live by. Therefore, being weak human beings, we look to other easier things to do in
the name of religion. We readily turn to rituals, traditions and dubious social practices, that
we have over the years, allowed to attach themselves to religion to such an extent that they
often become surrogates for true religion’.

What Dr Singh is arguing for is authentic religion and thus, it is reasonable to argue, authentic
faith-based organisational leadership. By contrast, what society simply and, at times, painfully
experiences are the symptoms of religion that is not authentic. As a result, many parts of
society find it difficult to trust the role of religion in society. Consequently, there is a lot of
ground to recover.

Governance is at the heart of this recovery because it is central to authentic leadership of a

faith-based organisation. Why? Because this is where the implications of the faith basis are
generated, understood and safeguarded.

3.3 What is faith-based governance?

At one level, faith-based governance is no different to the governance role in non faith-based
organisations.
The role of governance in any organisation is described in the Trustee and Management
Committee National Occupational Standards4 as follows:

• To safeguard and promote the values and mission

• To determine the strategy and structure

• To ensure that the organisation operates in an effective, responsible and accountable

manner

• To ensure the effective functioning of the board of trustees.

Where an organisation has a faith basis, there are certain questions to come to terms with:
What difference does the faith basis make? How should it relate to the governance role and
to what extent does it influence direction and strategy? And should the faith basis simply be
about the faith motivation of a number of key individuals?
If a faith-based organisation is to be authentic, its faith basis should make it different to and
distinctive from other organisations that do similar work. There is a spectrum of ways in which
organisations relate to their faith basis, ranging from those that have a very strong link and clear
identity, to those that acknowledge inspiration, or tradition, or value particular support.
Whatever the relationship to faith, what matters is that it is a real commitment and a careful
choice, and that whatever the organisation claims about its faith basis, it is alive and active.

4 Available from www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 11

So what kind of difference does the faith basis make? One way of answering this question is
to focus on what faith-based organisations do most. On the whole they care for and
empower people and communities, and often have a particular concern for people who are
poorest, disadvantaged or most at the edges of society. They may express this through
campaigning as well as providing assistance. However, in the previous chapter, it was
recognised that this focus is not a monopoly of the faith sector. Indeed, this is much of the
focus of the VCS itself, where debate about values and their implications is often lively.
One key area of difference lies in the motivation that the staff and volunteers come to work
with. This is what distinguishes the faith-based organisation from others. Staff and volunteers
choose to work with a faith-based organisation because they are motivated to work out their
faith in their work. This may lead to a commitment to service, or presence, or campaigning, or
learning from local communities, or sometimes all of these together. Other factors are often
built into the organisation’s mission; faith communities are almost always rooted in their local
communities, and faith-based organisations and their staff and volunteers are frequently rooted
there too.
These factors reflect a deeper distinctiveness. The faith motivation is why the organisation
exists. It is what inspired it in the first place. The founder or founders created the
organisation out of their passion for and commitment to their faith. There is thus a direct
relationship between the faith basis and the purpose and mission of the organisation. The
faith-basis therefore underpins and is relevant to the entire governance role.
Similarly, while there is an obvious correlation between the faith basis and the mission, if there
is not an equal correlation between the faith basis and the values, strategy, structure, operation
and the functioning of the board, then the faith basis is in danger of being cosmetic. Some
faith-based organisations have drifted in this direction. They exist because their founder was a
person of faith who, for example, felt compelled to do something about the homeless or
disadvantaged children. The organisation is the result of that motivation. The mission was
therefore faith driven but over time the faith basis has become detached from the rest of the
organisation.

Reflection points
• How do you see the distinctiveness of faith-based organisations?
• What role do you think trustees or management committees play in maintaining the
faith basis of an organisation?

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 12

3.4 What happens when the faith basis is not
aligned with the organisation?
If an organisation’s faith basis is only in its history and, is not fully integrated with the whole of
the organisation, the implications are considerable in terms of the organisation’s overall health.
Where there is no correlation between the faith basis and the whole of the governance role,
there is a risk that the organisation may develop organisational behaviour which is not
authentic.
Two common situations where a lack of authenticity can cause problems are in recruitment
and in applying for funding.
For example, an organisation could call itself a Christian youth agency, but in fact may have
moved towards becoming no different from a secular youth agency. On the basis of its
Christian tradition, such an organisation may think it needs to recruit a Christian youth
worker but, in truth, there may be no specific requirement for this post holder to be a
Christian. This can lead to all sorts of problems; including allegations of discrimination from a
person of a different faith or of no faith who was deselected; or it might be a grievance from
the Christian who was recruited but who subsequently discovers that the organisation is not
what it says it is ‘on the tin’.
In the case of funding, situations can occur where an organisation has a faith basis but, out of
fear of discrimination, chooses not to reveal this when applying for public funding. This can
open up avenues of mistrust in terms of the public profile of the organisation.
The faith basis has to be aligned not only with the mission but also the values, strategy,
structure, operation and the functioning of the board. Otherwise, not only is trust lost by
staff but trust in the organisation will be lost by the community at large. The challenge for
faith-based organisations is being who you say you are.
The key to successful faith-based governance is, therefore, clarity about what the organisation
believes in relation to its faith and how those beliefs affect and translate into organisational
life. A disconnect between the core beliefs and how they affect what happens in the
organisation is the reason very often why faith-based governance gets a bad name or is seen
to be faith-based in name only.

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ➠ VALUES ➠ BEHAVIOURS (organisational practice)

Reflection points
• What do you see as the risks for faith-based organisations, arising from
their faith basis?
• What are the issues you see as likely to challenge the faith basis?

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 13

3.5 Organisational beliefs and behaviours
Understanding the relationship between beliefs and behaviour is essentially about working out
the identity or the ‘who’ of the organisation. All successful organisations know their mission –
the ‘what’ they are in business to do. Most know why they exist – their purpose. Many spend
time understanding how to do it better – the procedures. But few know ‘who’ they are when
they are delivering their mission and achieving their purpose – their identity and ethos.
Organisational identity is often described as the culture of the organisation – this might be an
informal or formal culture, or it might be a results-driven culture, a bottom line culture or
alternatively a relational culture. But the identity or ethos of an organisation is more than a
description of the culture of the organisation. It is much more about the shared motivation of
the people who work in and for the organisation. The ethos of an organisation is its oxygen,
why people choose to work for this organisation and not for another one that does similar
work. It is what streams through every aspect of an organisation; it is present everywhere,
like a taste or a flavour of a meal.
Those organisations that do not know their identity or who they are, are capable of making
wrong decisions about what to do or how to do it. They are likely to make decisions that do
not fit, that are at odds with their identity. When individuals make this mistake, they become
dysfunctional. They attempt to do things that simply do not suit their personality. They get
stressed because the task feels awkward and does not fit with the rest of their lives. It is the
same with organisations. If the dysfunction is not reversed, the organisation is capable not
only of underperforming but also of going further and further away from its roots.

3.6 Getting a connection between beliefs

and behaviours
Dr Singh, in his Hinton lecture, said that the failure of religion to have integrity between belief
and behaviour is to do with the fact that it can be difficult to put beliefs into practice, to
translate belief into practical reality.
The same is true for faith-based governance. When the faith basis of an organisation is
translated and applied into the current every day reality of the organisation rather than simply
observed as a statement of faith, there is more likely to be integrity between the stated
identity of the organisation and the real identity.
This can be very helpful in making decisions. For example, if a funding option becomes
available, where the organisation knows it could do the work but is uncertain about applying
for it, one way of responding to this situation is to consider whether the funding option aligns
with the basis of the organisation. This is where the objectivity of governance is essential.
However tempting the funding option might be, shoe horning the organisation in to the
requirements of the funding option could take the organisation away from its basis. Faith and
governance can intersect well when there is clarity about the role of the faith basis.
Equally, however, the faith basis can make decisions difficult and stressful. This can be in all
sorts of areas but one area which is particularly prone to challenges is staffing. If the
organisation has decided for sound reasons that a particular project leader needs to be of the
same faith as the organisation, it can be difficult to reject internal candidates who are more

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 14

than capable of doing the job but who do not have a commitment to the faith basis. The
situation can be made even worse if the rejected candidate has ever been required to deputise
for the role he/she now wishes to apply for. Here the challenge of balancing the values of the
organisation – for example, justice, inclusion etc – with commitment to the individual
concerned can be really difficult and can strike at the heart of the organisation’s integrity. The
same but different sort of complexities can emerge in investment decisions, property deals,
business transfers and so on.
Where there is a values clash, governance discernment and a clear process, together with a
transparent explanation about how decisions have been reached, will be all-important to
maintaining credibility and to the organisation’s sense of its own integrity.
Thus, successful faith-based governance must start with a clear understanding of the faith
basis, followed by a translation of it into values, strategy and structure that have currency and
meaning in the organisation and always supported by clarity as to how the faith basis affects
operating decisions.

Reflection points
• What challenges have you faced when applying your faith basis to particular decisions?
• What connections between beliefs and organisational behaviour do you think are
most difficult to make?

3.7 Conclusion
The key point is that if an organisation has a faith basis, the faith basis has to be seen and
understood as the absolute basis of the organisation, from which everything else flows. If it is
not, the organisation will never be fully aligned. It will say it is one thing and behave like
something else, it will fail to ‘practice what it preaches’, and it will disappoint itself and others.
If, however, the faith basis is understood in this way, the organisation has a strong basis on
which to develop not only its governance but also its structure and strategy.

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 15

Part 4 Checklist for authentic governance
Although a review of the authenticity and effectiveness of your organisation’s governance can
never be totally reduced to a checklist, the list below may be useful to bring the key points
together.

This checklist flows from the simple formula expounded in the previous chapters: namely that
the faith basis must be recognised and understood for what it is – it must be part of the key
documentation referred to by the organisation; it must then be translated into the life and
value base of the organisation – in other words it must be given ‘legs’; after that, those values
must be implemented by applying them to the organisation’s policies. It is only in this way that
the faith basis can be authentic.

4.1 Documentation
• The place to start is the purpose or mission statement of your organisation. Many
organisations review their mission statement on a three or five yearly basis. However,
the statement referred to here is what is understood as the original purpose of the
organisation.

• It is also helpful to be reminded of the legal objects of the organisation. Many

organisations will have a specific legal object that relates to them as a faith-based
organisation. The legal object clauses can be found in the organisation’s constitution or
trust deed, or if the organisation is registered as a company, the legal objects will be in
the memorandum and articles of association.

• Another helpful tool at this point is the existence of any statement of faith. Again many
faith-based organisations may have started out with one of these but it may not have
kept pace with changes made more recently.

• These documents together embrace those things that are permanent about the
organisation – its purpose, the reason why it exists. The strategy or renewable mission
statement are documents that describe what the organisation ‘does’, not ‘why’ the
organisation exists. What the organisation ‘does’ in terms of activities will change to
reflect changing needs and priorities – it must keep updating at this level otherwise it
will grow stale.

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 16

4.2 Translation
• Understanding the faith basis in its original context will help to keep the organisation
clear about its purpose and guide the organisation in translating purpose into
appropriate and relevant action.
• Understanding the faith basis will also help to translate the essence or spirit of it into
the ethos and values of the current organisation. If the faith basis is written in language
which is very out of date, it may be useful to update it. But, regardless, the process of
writing an ethos statement that flows from the faith basis can be a very useful step in
helping people understand what the underlying beliefs of the organisation are. An ethos
statement describes what the faith basis means in terms of values and behaviours.

4.3 Implementation
• Translating the faith basis into ethos and values means that the faith identity of the
organisation can be more credible as a distinguishing feature of the organisation. A faith
basis left on an old piece of paper or in a plaque on the wall soon becomes obsolete.
Implementing a faith basis requires more work than simply the writing of an ethos
statement. The ethos statement needs to be developed into the values of the
organisation and the values then applied to the organisation’s policies and procedures.
This is how the faith basis gets implemented.

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 17

Part 5 Practical perspectives

5.1 An example from one Christian perspective:

Faithworks
If we apply Dr Singh’s analysis about achieving integrity by relating our beliefs to our
behaviours to Christianity and Jesus’s teachings, we can see that Jesus’s ministry was in many
ways about avoiding a disconnect. Perhaps the reason why Jesus’s teachings were so successful
at the time they were taught was because they were related to the present day way of life.
They were steeped in the agricultural culture of the age. When, for example, he talked about
himself being a shepherd or a vine, people knew what he was talking about and therefore
understood the point of his teaching.
The 21st Century Christian therefore has to understand not only the purpose of Jesus’s
parables but also the culture of the age in which they were taught in order to really get to
grips with what was being taught. It seems therefore that religious authenticity is more
possible when the teachings and the scriptures are applied or translated into current
everyday reality.
When we apply this to organisational governance our starting point should be the beliefs that
lie at the heart of an organisation. The faith basis in Christian organisations will include
reference, in some shape or form, to the following core beliefs:
• God as Creator of all people and Jesus as the Son of God who was sent to save the
world, who died on a cross and who was resurrected to live for eternity.

The first step is to translate these Christian beliefs into values that have meaning today:
• Creator God – people matter to God so much so that he made them in his own image
but all different; we need to treat people with respect and dignity.

• Jesus as the Son of God – God wanted (and still wants) to relate to us as humans so he
sent his Son to be born and live as a human being. Relationships matter to God. God
is interested not only in how we relate to Him but how we relate to others and those
whom we serve.

• Resurrection and eternal life – life here on earth is not the sum total or the end of
everything. Through the resurrection God gives us reason and grounds for hope, even
after death. He wants us to be agents of transformation, in our work and in our
relationships.

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 18

The next step is to consider how the beliefs that translate into these values relate to and determine
organisational behaviours. So for example:
• An organisation that has a belief in a Creator God and thus values respect and dignity for all
people must have a commitment to equality and diversity.
• An organisation that has a belief in an incarnated God and thus values relationships at every
level must have a commitment to the recruitment and development of relational skills, must
spend time and invest in team building, must be relational in the way it does business and
delivers its mission.
• An organisation that has a belief in the resurrection and thus values hope in everything must
be committed to not giving up, even when the funding runs out and must be as committed to
its own ongoing transformation as it is to transformation in society.

The final step is to consider how these organisational behaviours relate to governance behaviours:
• Governance committed to equality and diversity will ensure that the senior staff understand
the need for a policy for this, will ensure that finance is available to train its staff and
volunteers to implement it, will monitor equality and diversity within the staff/volunteer
structure as part of the board agenda and will be committed to operating within the
requirements of equality legislation.
• Governance committed to relationships and a relational way of working will ensure that the
board works in a relational way, that there is a board member who has organisational
development skills and that the Chief Executive Officer or staff leader operates with a high
level of relational skills.
• Governance committed to hope and transformation will be committed to change and will
promote it as a way of life, will commit time to board development and will put a high priority
on good quality change management in the staff team.

In summary
The purpose of this example is simply to demonstrate how faith does relate to governance. These
examples show how three core beliefs of the Christian faith can be applied. Faithworks has worked
with five other major faiths in the development of their ethos and identity statements.5

5 To obtain guidelines on how to develop your religious ethos statement, please contact Faithworks.

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 19

5.2 Faith-based organisations and governance:
questions from the Governance Hub
The Governance Hub has the task of promoting good practice in governance, and in particular,
encouraging trustees and organisations to use two particular tools:
• Good Governance: A Code of Governance for the Voluntary
and Community Sector
(referred to as the ‘Code of Governance’ or ‘Code’ for short)
and
• Trustee & Management Committee National Occupational Standards
(referred to as the ‘Trustee Standards’)
Both these tools are generic; they set out principles and describe roles, responsibilities and
competences about good governance and effective trusteeship in a fairly comprehensive and
objective way. They have different but overlapping purposes; the Code can be used as a tool
for governance development or governance assessment and review; the Trustee Standards are
a platform for developing informal and formal accredited learning and training for trustees and
can also be used in practical tasks such as induction and appraisal of trustees.
When we recommend these tools (and the accompanying toolkits containing practical
exercises to help people use them), we stress that organisations should adapt them to their
own purposes and needs; that they can choose from different versions (there are three
versions of both the Code and the Standards: a full version, a pocket summary and a toolkit
for applying them within an organisation) and that they can be used flexibly over time as well
as systematically. We want to avoid either being seen as a straightjacket or a series of hoops
to jump through; we hope they can genuinely help organisations strengthen their governance
in the way that works best for them.
Both tools are fairly new; both became available over the last 12-18 months. The Hub is
gathering as much feedback and learning as possible about how to use and adapt both texts, as
well as developing resources, training and learning materials based on them.
In relation to faith-based organisations, we have the following questions:
• How could these tools be helpful to faith-based organisations? Is it better to leave
each individual organisation to select and adapt what is useful to suit their own
character and needs? Or could there be a version of the Code which is relevant to all
faith-based organisations?
• How can we help trustees in faith-based organisations learn from each other and from
others in the sector? Do trustees in faith-based organisations see themselves as part of
a larger body of voluntary trustees in the sector as a whole? Would they, for example,
be interested to take part in networks, accredited training etc?
• What would encourage faith-based organisations to review and strengthen their
governance practice? Is support offered by faith-based infrastructure, such as
Faithworks or Faith-Based Regeneration Network or churches and faith communities’
own structures, or regional structures, the only way? What other sources of support
are likely to be valued and used?

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 20

Part 6 Resources and contacts
The Governance Hub
The Governance Hub aims to improve the quality of governance in the voluntary and
community sector in England by:
• increasing the supply of trustees and committee members
• enhancing trustee learning and development
• strengthening and extending governance support services
www.governancehub.org.uk
Help Desk: 0800 652 4886

Faith-based organisations and infrastructure

The faith-based and faith-related sector is as diverse as the voluntary sector generally.
Each faith community is organised differently, and there are also interfaith and ecumenical
structures. Below are a few of the organisations that provide infrastructure support and
networking across a range of faith-based organisations.

Faithworks
Faithworks is a movement of thousands of individuals, churches and organisations motivated
by their Christian faith to serve the needs of their local communities and positively influence
society as a whole.
www.faithworks.info
Contact: 020 7450 9031

Faith-Based Regeneration Network (FBRN)

FBRN brings together organisations from nine faith traditions and aims to encourage
engagement, build capacity, identify training needs and demonstrate the value of collaboration
across faiths.
www.fbrn.org.uk
Contact: Doreen Finneron, Director
Tel: 020 7471 6791
Kensington Charity Centre, 4th Floor, Charles House, 375 Kensington High St,
London,W14 8QH.

Churches Community Work Alliance (CCWA)

www.ccwa.org.uk
Contact: Nils Chittenden, Co-ordinator
email: info@ccwa.org.uk
Tel: 0191 334 3346

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 21

Publications and resources
Good Governance: A Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector
Published by the Governance Hub and available to download for free or buy from
www.governancehub.org.uk

The Faithworks Best Practice Guide

Incorporates the Faithworks Charter, which faith-based organisations can use to demonstrate
their inclusiveness and quality to funders and others.
Written by Joy Madeiros and available from www.faithworks.info for £10.00 in print or £4.00
as a download.

Faith as Social Capital: Connecting or Dividing?

Robert Furbey et al
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
www.jrf.org.uk

Living Values: A Report Encouraging Boldness in Third Sector Organisations

Living Values: A Pocket Guide for Trustees
Both by Geraldine Blake, David Robinson and Matthew Smerdon
Available from Community Links www.community-links.org
Contains research findings, advice and a small toolkit on making values live.

Tools for Regeneration: Practical Advice for Faith Communities

By Rumman Ahmed, Doreen Finneron, Steve Miller and Harmander Singh
£12.95 from FBRN

Working Together: Co-operation Between Government and Faith Communities

Home Office, 2004
www.communities.gov.uk

Being Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007 22

Being Who You Say You Are has been written by Faithworks for the Governance Hub and provides
guidance on good governance for faith-based organisations.The perspective it offers is by no means
exhaustive, and readers should see it as providing a starting point from which can begin a wider
dialogue explaining why good governance matters for diverse faith-based organisations.
The Governance Hub exists to improve governance within the voluntary and community sector in
England by:
• increasing the supply of trustees
• enhancing trustee learning and development
• strengthening and extending support services for trustees.

Governance Hub c/o NCVO

Regents Wharf, 8 All Saints Street, London, N1 9RL
Helpline 0800 652 4886 To order publications and resource packs, and for
(9am to 6pm Mon to Fri) general information about the Hub, governance and
board membership
020 7520 2469 Media enquiries
020 7520 2514 Inquiries about the Hub’s partnerships, tenders or polices
governance.hub@ncvo-vol.org.uk General enquiries about the Hub, governance and board
information
www.governancehub.org.uk To access information, download free resources or sign-up
to our e-newsletter

Registered charity number 225922

© NCVO
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Who You Say You Are © NCVO 2007
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