Max De Pree had a long history of successful service as the board chair of Fuller Theological Seminary. Verley Sangster had need of a mentor’s good advice as he assumed the presidency of the Center for Urban Theological Studies in Philadelphia and faced the daunting task of developing a stronger volunteer board. The resultant dialogue by correspondence subsequently became Called to Serve (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan), from which this article is excerpted and adapted. It’s a marvelously concise handbook for anyone who may take the helm of a board.

Changes in leadership always result in a shift of dynamics within a board and reflect the nature of the leader’s style in team building. One incoming chair’s style led him to a series of personal visits with each of his board members prior to their first meeting together. How he went about it, what he learned, and how that translated into productive action suggests that the personal approach may be something other board chairs should consider.

On paper the ownership and governance of Roman Catholic diocesan schools fall squarely on the shoulders of the bishop. In the case of Cincinnati’s Athenaeum, the shoulders belong to the Most Reverend Daniel Pilarczyk, a man who eschews the potential role of autocrat and, instead, invites his advisory board to participate actively in the governance process. How this has come to be and the positive results this partnership has achieved offer some points to ponder no matter what your school’s governance structure.