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When decision-makers should abstain

24 01 2025

Author: Andreas Rother

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What if a conflict of interest arises for a member of the Church’s governing body? The Board of Directors of the New Apostolic Church International (NACI) broached this controversial question recently and set down guidelines.

The whole matter falls under the subject of good governance—leadership principles that serve NACI and the Regional Churches. Principles of good governance have already come into effect. Keywords are organisational unity, continuity, shared decision-making, informed decision-making, accountability, ethical behaviour, duty of care, supervision, transparency, and representation.

 A crucial point concerning the principle of duty of care has so far only been touched on: “Members of the governing bodies should avoid conflicts of interest,” it says. “Where conflicts of interest arise, these should be transparently disclosed, and the conflicted member should abstain from voting or participating in that matter.”

NACI has now specified what exactly is meant by conflicts of interest.

When interests collide

The governing bodies of a Regional Church are usually comprised of the Church president, the board, and the general assembly, a body in which the members are represented. The exact composition depends on the Church’s own statutes and legal requirements, which may differ from region to region.

The conflicts of interest have now been defined: “In the context of governing bodies, conflicts of interest occur when a member of the governing body has a direct or indirect personal and or financial interest which could influence their ability to make unbiased decisions in their role, or their ability to act in the best interest of the Church.”

Minimising and documenting

The paper identifies select examples of conflicts of interest:

  • for example, when it comes to awarding contracts or services by the Church to companies in which a member has a stake or holds influence or managerial functions
  • when related persons of a member of the governing body are employed even though there are more suitable applicants
  • when decision-makers receive personal financial benefits such as discounts, gifts, dividends, or profit share linked to their stake in the supplier company 

“It is important to effectively identify, minimise where unavoidable, and manage conflicts of interest in order to maintain integrity and trust in the governing bodies of the Church,” the paper emphasises. “Ideally, the procedure applied in the specific case is documented in the minutes of the governing bodies.”

The NACI Board of Directors unanimously approved the addition and passed it on to the other District Apostles for feedback.

Church strategy at work

The first part of the good governance paper was adopted in Cape Town in South Africa in 2023. The Regional Churches then subjected themselves to a process of self-assessment on the basis of this catalogue. The result:  so far, no major systemic governance problems have been identified. Should a need for optimisation arise it will be addressed. And the Church’s self-assessment has entered a second round. 

NACI has now begun to undertake appropriate measures in-house. The most recent Statutes have restricted the Chief Apostle’s decision-making powers in financial matters and transferred further responsibility to the newly created Board of Directors as a collective body.

With the topic of good governance, the New Apostolic Church is continuing its Church strategy work on international standards. In recent years, this included the minimal requirements for the operation of the Church as well as the global risk assessment for the continued existence of the Regional Churches.


Photo: KENZOGROW – stock.adobe.com

24 01 2025

Author: Andreas Rother

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