Anne Robertson has been involved in church governance for 16 years at her church, Norwest Anglican in Sydney.

When Anne joined, the church had 100 members, but now it has over 1,000 members across five services. For 12 of those years, she’s been a warden.

In an Anglican church, a warden is someone elected to help oversee the practical and financial matters of the church. They manage property and finances, oversee budgeting, and handle staff employment.

It’s a significant leadership role that carries both legal and pastoral responsibility, and it plays a big role in the health and integrity of the church’s ministry.

Why is good governance so important for churches?

Churches are places where God’s people gather and do life together, so churches should reflect God’s character in the way they are run.  We should see integrity, honesty, kindness, transparency, and trust. 

Good governance helps us to ensure that everything we do brings honour to God and best manages the resources he has given us.

We might think of ministry as what happens on a Sunday or in purely relational terms, but it’s really the culmination of many things including good order and reliable processes. 

All the governance activities we undertake should aim to support effective ministry to grow us in our walk with Jesus and reach our community with the good news of him.  

I love that good governance has eternal significance!

Did you have any professional skills that were relevant to this work?

I have worked in health for many years, as a midwife and then manager, so I brought skills in administration and team leadership.

I don’t think I would have been suited to pastoral ministry, but I’ve really enjoyed being able to use my management skills to serve my church.

Many of the principles I was applying in my working life, accountability, transparency, responsibility, and the service of others, are also essential for good governance in a church.

What’s one project you’ve been working on?

Our church has recently undertaken a significant building project to renovate and restructure our main building.

We wanted to make our space larger to fit our growing congregation and welcome new people, as well as making it more modern, accessible and fit for purpose. I had the privilege of chairing the Building Committee. 

Whilst I don’t bring any personal expertise in building, I have been able to support from a governance perspective, bringing together and supporting the building experts in our congregation to fully utilise their knowledge and skills. 

I loved the experience and learnt so much about building standards and requirements, and my construction and project management vocabulary has increased dramatically!

Even something relatively small, like choosing the doorframe colours to assist people with visual impairments, is such an important aspect in providing a welcoming environment for anyone who God brings to our door.

What are some of the skills God has grown in you over that time?

I’ve learned to be open to different perspectives, and to always be on the lookout for what I don’t know.

When you’ve been doing something for a long time, it can be tempting to assume you have all the answers, but knowing what you’re responsible for, and when to reach out to the expertise of others, is really important.

I’ve also learned how to foster good, collaborative relationships. Our minister talks about “the generous assumption,” trusting that other people want the best outcome as well, and giving them the benefit of the doubt.

We all make mistakes, so being quick to admit them and quick to forgive is essential to creating an effective working environment. 

Maintaining strong, collaborative relationships is essential for that. It’s much easier to have good conversations about tricky, difficult topics in the context of good relationships.

At the beginning I didn’t really know what I was doing. But by God’s grace, I’ve gradually learned as I have gone along, and I’m still learning.

I very much feel that the church and I have grown together!