Within this structure a basic "Board/Chief Executive Officer" model of governance is used to support the execution of the vision of the ministry under the leadership of the Senior Pastor. This model is similar to the governance model of many churches in the U.S.A. There are, however, some very significant differences between churches and secular organizations, thus necessary variations sometimes occur in roles and relationships of church boards as compared to secular organizations.
While the Pastor serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), a position familiar in other nonprofit organizations, he/she has other roles and responsibilities not commonly held by CEO's of other kinds of organizations. For example, the Pastor's role as spiritual leader of the congregation creates responsibilities and expectations beyond those of a typical CEO.
