The Simplified Accountable Structure (SAS) is a church governance model that can work for any size. This helpful article will prepare small church leaders before they attend the SAS Small Church Webinar on September 25, 2025, at 11 am ET.
REV. CAROL BLAIR BOUSE
SAS Certified Consultant, Michigan Conference
Editor’s note: The first of three webinars on the SAS / single-board model of church governance, focused on small churches, those with attendance under 50, will be held on September 25. Register now. Webinars for medium-sized (51 to 120) and large churches (121 and up) are coming in October and November. Read this article to learn more.
Over the years, I have coached and helped churches of assorted sizes implement the Simplified Accountable Structure (SAS). I have heard all the excuses why the SAS model does not work for “our size” church. The thing is, they say, “our size” keeps changing.
The Simplified Accountable Structure can work for a church of any size, from the smallest to the largest in the Michigan Conference. It can work if you have a multi-clergy, multi-staff, multi-site congregation, and it can work with a quarter-time paster with under twenty-five in worship. A SAS governance system works because it can adapt to every situation.
In the smallest congregation, the SAS system typically has five to six people in leadership serving as your governance board. These persons serve in the roles of the congregation’s Ad Council, Board of Trustees, Finance Committee, and Pastor-Parish Relations Committee. Included in the total number are the Lay Leader and Lay Delegate to Annual Conference. Each person must meet the strictest requirements for board membership. They must be over 18 years of age and a professing or associate member of the congregation. They cannot be a church employee or a member of an employee’s immediate family, or part of the pastor’s immediate family. Also, no two members of an immediate family can reside in the same household.
One of the advantages of the SAS model for small churches is having every leader at the table all the time. Even though many small membership churches work in a de facto single-board model, incorporating accountability in the leadership structure changes the dynamic. By keeping the accountability at the forefront of the leaders’ minds, each will remember they are accountable to God, through Christ, first, to their local congregation, next, and then to one another. As members of the Leadership Team, they will hold each other accountable to their membership vows. The leaner Leadership Team frees up more people to do the work of ministry.
A big plus is helping people understand that we find work where God is calling us. It is a fantastic way to begin teaching the role of everyone in mission and ministry, not to fill a spot on a nominations report. God has work for each of us to do, and there are places for everyone to do ministry in our congregations.
In smaller membership congregations, people who serve on the Leadership Team will also have to serve in mission and ministry elsewhere in the congregation. As part of that, they will carry out their role as a member of the Leadership Team. This will allow more people to serve in places they love, not simply on a committee.
Would you like to explore the SAS model further? Bring your questions and tune in next Thursday, September 25, to learn how SAS flexibility can help your small congregation simplify and save more time for ministry. Register now for the free SAS webinar.
Last Updated on September 18, 2025