For Eldership teams and Trustee teams.

Our Vision for Leadership & Governance

We've all heard many sad and devastating stories of people who have fallen/abused their position in church life. We all rightly feel anger and deep hurt about these failings, but what can be done to prevent people from getting to the point of taking these actions in the first place? How can our church be set up to recognise issues well in advance and to provide appropriate help and guidance before they become problems?

This year, we’ll be encouraged through teaching and discussions to ensure our practices match our gospel intentions so that we can be good news to the world, an example worth replicating and see God's kingdom come. This conference will gather our trustees and elders for time of encouragement, strengthening and equipping for the challenges of healthy governance in our churches. The day will also contain sessions for worship, discussion, Q&A and seminars with lunch being provided.

Our speakers are Elders, and Trustees with many years of experience who will be sharing from their wealth of knowledge on the topic. Time and again we have seen churches rightly come under scrutiny because of their governance practices. We want to build healthy churches for the modern world who are aware of their responsibilities and will be making a positive impact on society through their actions.

Main Sessions for 2026

**Margaret Ochieng**

By trade, Margaret is an organisational psychologist and the founder of the Inclusive Village, a management consultancy that specialises in inclusive leadership, people, talent and culture in the UK and other parts of the world. She is also a PhD candidate and visiting lecturer at Birkbeck university of London. Meg is part of the strategic leadership team at Welcome Church, Woking. She is married to Victor, and they have two lovely children aged 14 and 10.

Name it Before it Harms: Expanding the Field vision of Care through Systemic Governance

How do we care well for people beyond policy and governance refinement? Most failures of care in church leadership are not sudden events - they are the visible fruit of invisible systemic conditions that were present from the beginning, hidden in blind spots, enabled at every stage, and left unconfronted. Using Biblical principles, this session will explore how structural wisdom and courageous relationships can help name and address 'obscured' systemic issues before they cause harm, demonstrating that good governance is itself an act of care for people.

Paul Johnson

Paul is a registered therapist who works exclusively with leaders navigating demanding roles. Prior to that he worked for 28 years on the eldership team at Kings Arms in Bedford. He is married to Emma and they have 4 adult children, one grandchild and another one on the way! In his spare time he attempts overly ambitious DIY projects that rarely go to plan.

Resilient Leadership: 12 Stressors on church leaders

Church leadership brings unique pressures – complex roles, emotional demands and the reality of spiritual battle. This session explores why burnout/blowing up is so common among leaders and how it can be prevented. In this session we'll look at the unique pressures on church leaders and how to build rhythms that sustain emotional/ spiritual health for the long term.

Psychological Safety in Eldership and Trustee Teams

In this session we'll explore how teams can function effectively, resolve conflict and create psychological safety. Drawing on insights from secular leadership research alongside biblical principles we'll look at what both helps/hinders relationships within senior leadership teams.

Seminars for 2026

Coming soon.

There will also be an opportunity in the day to talk with your team of trustees and elders about real-world situations and how to approach them.

Schedule of the day

09:30 - Arrival
10:00 - Welcome & Worship
10:30 - Session 1 - Name it Before it Harms: Expanding the Field vision of Care through Systemic Governance
11:30 - Break
11:45 - Session 2 - Resilient Leadership: 12 Stressors on church leaders
12:45 - Lunch
13:45 - Seminars
- Staff and Money: Do’s, Don’ts and Depends // Stephen Mathews
- Elders & Trustees: Adventuring Together // Charlotte Walker
14:45 - Break
15:00 - Session 3 - Psychological Safety in Eldership and Trustee Teams
16:00 - Departure