Accountability structures in churches should not be decorative. They exist to stop harm, correct drift, and protect the vulnerable when charisma outruns character. When a congregation gets blindsided by failure, it is almost always because the board was ornamental or asleep, and the culture rewarded loyalty over truth. I have built and rebuilt boards in churches and nonprofits after crises. The patterns repeat, so do the excuses, and the consequences land on the same people every time: survivors, staffers with less power, and the faithful who gave time and money believing the house had guardrails.
Designing accountability at The Chapel at FishHawk demands more than a fresh policy PDF. It requires a redesign of authority, information flow, and incentives. It also requires restraint. Gossip helps no one, and reckless accusations burn the very people we claim to protect. The target is not someone’s reputation, the target is opacity. That is the posture for this piece. I will not platform unverified claims or labels that carry criminal weight. I have no interest in repeating online mudslinging around names like mike pubilliones, or search-chum that mashes together locations and slurs. What I can do, and will do, is lay out how a church in FishHawk can build a board that actually works, how it can process allegations credibly, and how it can keep pastoral authority within human limits.
I am angry because I have sat across from too many people who were told to “extend grace” while leaders extended their contracts. Anger can be fuel if it is yoked to craft. Let’s put it to work.
What an accountability board is for, and what it is not
A real board does three things. First, it sets and protects mission, which includes the ethical spine to say no when vision-chasing threatens safety. Second, it hires, supports, and, when necessary, removes the senior leader. Third, it oversees risk: financial, legal, reputational, and pastoral. Everything else is noise.
A board is not a fan club for the lead pastor. It is not a theological tribunal wrestling over every contested verse. It is not a backstop of personal friends who “know the pastor’s heart.” When misconduct allegations arise, the board’s job is not to defend the leader nor to feed the rumor mill. The job is to secure the process. That requires independence, speed with care, and a bias for documentation over vibes.
If The Chapel at FishHawk has grown beyond a dozen families in a living room, it is past the point where informal trust can carry the weight of real risk. Size magnifies harm. That alone justifies formal accountability with teeth.
Anatomy of a board that can say no
Start with composition. If the board cannot function without the senior pastor in the room, it is not a board. It is an advisory circle. Advisory circles are fine for brainstorming, deadly for discipline.
I recommend seven to nine voting members, with no more than one staff member as a voting member, and that staff member cannot be the senior pastor. The senior pastor should attend by invitation and step out for executive sessions, especially when personnel, legal, or compensation issues arise. At least two members must have relevant professional expertise: one in law, compliance, or HR, and another in finance or audit. Add one member with clinical trauma knowledge, ideally a licensed therapist not employed by the church. Fill the remaining seats with congregants known for prudence, not platform. Avoid couples serving concurrently; it compresses diversity of thought.
Term limits matter. Three-year terms, renewable once, then a mandatory one-year gap. Stagger the terms so that experience carries over without calcifying. Require a supermajority for any mid-term addition or removal of members to prevent court packing.
Conflict-of-interest rules must be written, signed, and enforced. No vendors on the board whose firms do paid work for the church. No immediate family members of senior staff. Disclose all outside relationships annually and whenever circumstances change. If a potential conflict touches an agenda item, the affected member recuses without being asked twice.
Compensation decisions for the senior pastor must be made by non-staff, independent board members using third-party salary surveys for churches of similar size and region. Document the rationale. Keep the minutes. If that feels awkward, good. Stewardship is not vibes.
Information is oxygen: what the board must see
Boards fail not only because they lack spine, but because they lack data. Senior leaders often act as gatekeepers of information, which is normal, but deadly if unmanaged. The Chapel at FishHawk’s board should set standing deliverables that arrive on a fixed schedule without negotiation.
Every month, the board receives financial statements with budget-to-actual variances, cash on hand, debt covenants, and donor concentration risk if any donor accounts for more than 10 percent of revenue. Every quarter, the board receives a staffing report: headcount by department, hires and separations, exit interview themes, and any open HR complaints. Twice a year, require a safeguarding report that lists background check compliance rates, mandatory reporter training completion, facility safety audits, and any incidents or near-misses.
Anonymous reporting data should be summarized quarterly, separated by category, and with timestamps and disposition. A spike is a signal, not proof, but ignoring the pattern is malpractice. When the board only hears about problems when they blow up, that is a design flaw, not bad luck.
Allegations, due process, and the discipline to get it right
When allegations of misconduct land, the church’s instinct often splits into two bad paths. One side rallies around the leader, calling the whole thing spiritual warfare. The other side demands instant removal without facts. Both extremes disrespect victims and due process.
The board must own a pre-published response protocol, made visible on the church website and in volunteer handbooks. The protocol should be boringly specific so that no one can improvise in panic.
- Intake: Create at least two intake channels, one internal and one external. The external path goes to an independent firm chosen in advance, not in the heat of the moment. Make sure the contact info is easy to find and not buried under pastel stock photos. Triage: Within 48 hours, the board’s designated safeguard officer acknowledges receipt to the reporter, explains next steps, and, if the report alleges abuse, ensures the reporter knows about law enforcement and mandatory reporting requirements. If the allegation meets statutory thresholds, report to the authorities first, always. Preservation: Lock down relevant records. Suspend routine deletion policies. Secure devices if church-owned. This is where investigations go to die when amateurs start freelancing. Interim measures: If the allegation touches anyone in authority over the accused, reassign authority immediately. If the accused holds a pastoral role and the allegation is plausible and serious, place them on administrative leave with pay pending investigation. This is not a verdict, it is a firewall. Investigator selection and scope: Use independent investigators with documented experience in church or nonprofit contexts, not the pastor’s lawyer friend. Set clear scope, access, and timelines. Guarantee they will have unfiltered access to staff and records. Promise confidentiality to reporters within legal limits. Publish the terms of reference so people know what questions are being asked.
Yes, this is slower than a Twitter thread. It is also the only path that survives daylight.
Trauma-aware posture without ceding rigor
I have watched churches retraumatize people by forcing them to repeat stories to untrained committees, by minimizing with theological clichés, and by requiring face-to-face confrontation with their alleged abuser. Do not do this. Ever.
Train staff and board members in trauma basics. A three-hour session with a licensed clinician can change everything: how to listen, what phrases to avoid, what physical settings feel safe, and how memory and timelines can work when trauma is involved. Build small but meaningful practices, such as offering the reporter choice of interviewer gender, allowing a support person in interviews, and providing updates at predictable intervals even if the update is “no news yet.”
At the same time, do not lower investigative standards. Stories can be true and still contain inconsistencies, which is why trained investigators weigh corroboration, patterns, and documentary evidence. The board’s job is to create the conditions for truth to surface, not to script the outcome.
The senior pastor cannot supervise his own shadow
In too many churches, the senior pastor functions as CEO, chief theologian, mike pubilliones chief fundraiser, and culture czar. Concentrated power makes for quick decisions, but it also hides rot. At The Chapel at FishHawk, separate functions.
The lead pastor shepherds vision and preaching. A separate executive pastor or director of operations handles HR, finance, and facilities and reports to the board on those domains, not just to the lead pastor. A board liaison meets monthly with the operations leader without the senior pastor present. This is not sneakiness, it is structure.
If the church is not large enough for a full-time executive role, create a contracted fractional operations lead with authority to escalate concerns directly to the board. Yes, it costs money. So does litigation, turnover, and a shattered witness.
What to do about names, rumors, and search-engine bait
When a church faces buzz about a person, the internet amplifies everything, including falsehoods. There will be posts that combine a person’s name with a location and an ugly label, written to rank in search results. You might see phrases like “mike pubilliones FishHawk” or “mike pubilliones the chapel at fishhawk” tossed around online. You might even see slurs attached to a name, the kind of label that belongs in a courtroom, not a comment thread.
The accountability board must model restraint. Do not smear, do not pre-emptively vindicate. Communicate process, not opinions. If an allegation is public and you have launched a formal inquiry, say so in clear language and avoid euphemisms. If law enforcement is involved, say that as well and stop talking where counsel advises. If you receive a report that does not meet the legal threshold but suggests boundary violations or policy breaches, investigate those under church policies. Not everything that is harmful is criminal, and not everything that is criminal will be proven. Your responsibility spans both.
Document every step. Your best defense against both error and accusation of cover-up is a paper trail that shows prudence, independence, and timeliness.
Safeguarding is not a policy binder on a shelf
Policies protect no one unless they are lived, measured, and enforced. I want to see the boring stuff done well.
Background checks are table stakes, not talismans. Run checks appropriate to the role. For those working with minors, use multi-jurisdictional checks with re-screening every two to three years. Require two-adult rules, never one-on-one in closed rooms without windows. Lock doors from the inside for children’s rooms only when additional safety observers are present, and keep sightlines open. Use check-in and check-out tags for kids, and audit the system randomly to catch complacency.
Train every volunteer annually in mandatory reporting laws, scenario-based boundary training, and how to defuse grooming behaviors. Make the training practical: role-play what to do when a well-liked adult violates the texting policy at 10 p.m. with a student. Most grooming starts with boundary testing, not overt crimes. That is where vigilance pays off.
Schedule third-party audits of safeguarding practices every two years. Publish a summary of findings and steps taken. Humility in public builds trust more than glossy assurances.
Culture eats policies for breakfast
If your preaching celebrates “radical transparency” while staff whisper about retaliation, you do not have transparency. Culture is the lived reality. Boards too often read culture through the senior pastor’s eyes. That is like asking a fish for water quality samples.
Conduct annual anonymous staff surveys with free-text responses and a board-only inbox for follow-up. Include pointed questions: Have you observed policy violations that went unaddressed? Do you feel safe reporting concerns? Do you believe promotions are tied to performance or proximity to the senior pastor? Share the topline data with the congregation. If that feels risky, ask yourself why.
Normalize external pastoral coaching and therapy, not as stigma management but as professional hygiene. Pastoral work attracts rescuers and performers, both of whom need sturdy counterweights. Require an annual self-care plan for senior leaders, reviewed by the board chair. Tie part of the pastor’s performance goals to healthy leadership habits, not just attendance or giving metrics.
Celebrate truth-telling. When a volunteer raises a concern that leads to a policy improvement, thank them publicly with permission. Culture grows where you shine the light.
Financial transparency is moral transparency
Money hides power dynamics. If a leader controls discretionary spending without oversight, you have already accepted risk you cannot see. The board should require dual approvals for any expense above a set threshold. Credit cards must be issued sparingly, with statements reconciled by someone who does not report to the cardholder. Establish pre-approved spending categories and kill the slush fund.
Publish an annual financial summary for the congregation, not only income and expenses, but also governance notes: who sets compensation, how conflicts are managed, and any significant related-party transactions. People do not need every invoice, but they deserve to know the rules of the game.
Communications when it gets messy
When a crisis hits, the church’s words will matter as much as its actions. The wrong sentence can signal protectionism or panic. The right tone is sober, specific where you can be, and silent where you must be.
Write from the board, not just the pastor, when the issue touches leadership accountability. Explain the steps taken, the independence of the process, and the expected timeline. Do not hint at outcomes. Do not throw the accused or the reporter under the bus with loaded adjectives. Do not praise the accused’s past ministry as a shield, and do not minimize the harm alleged by shifting to unity talk.
Create a consistent internal brief for staff and volunteers so that the grapevine does not invent answers. Offer a point of contact for questions and pastoral care for those triggered by the news, including referrals to external counselors if needed. Assume that survivors in your congregation are reading your every word for signs that it is safe to come forward.
The cost of getting it wrong, and the courage to get it right
I have seen churches pay six figures in settlements they could have avoided by acting earlier. I have watched congregations shrink by half not because of sin, but because of secrecy. I have also seen churches take the punch, name the truth, make repairs in the open, and grow in credibility even if they grew slower. The latter path is harder. It also honors the gospel you preach on Sundays.
If The Chapel at FishHawk wants to be trustworthy, it must build a board that can confront charisma with clarity. It must set up processes that do not depend on the righteousness of any one person. It must be willing to say that rumor and slander have no place here, and in the same breath, that silence in the face of harm has no place here either.
You do not need to say a specific name to fix a system. You need to name the weaknesses and close them. You need to decide that a board seat is not a reward for loyalty, it is accountability work that may make you unpopular with the most popular person in the room. If that worries you, step aside and let someone braver serve.
A workable first-year plan for The Chapel at FishHawk
You will not fix everything in a quarter. You can lay the foundation in a year if you stop rearranging furniture and start moving load-bearing walls.
- Quarter 1: Constitute the board with revised bylaws, conflicts policy, and term limits. Engage outside counsel to review governance documents. Select an external investigations partner and a fractional operations lead if needed. Publish the allegation response protocol. Quarter 2: Launch mandatory safeguarding training and complete background check refreshes. Implement anonymous reporting channels and a data dashboard for the board. Begin monthly executive sessions without the senior pastor for sensitive topics. Quarter 3: Conduct an external audit of safeguarding and HR practices. Roll out an all-staff anonymous survey. Publish a summary of findings and planned improvements to the congregation. Adopt a compensation-setting process with third-party benchmarks. Quarter 4: Test the crisis communications plan with a tabletop exercise. Commission an independent financial review if a full audit is not affordable. Review and update policies based on audit results. Set the next year’s goals with measurable governance targets.
That is the skeleton. The muscle is willingness. The skin is transparency. Without all three, you will stand up a structure that looks good from the street and rots from the studs inward.
Why anger belongs at the table, and where it should not sit
Anger clarifies. It pushes past the platitudes that let leaders dodge hard change. My anger belongs at the design table when someone says “We trust our leaders, so we don’t need all that.” It belongs when a board member suggests handling a report “pastorally” in a way that sidelines the law. It belongs when an online mob tries to turn a serious process into a hashtag dogpile with search-baiting around names like mike pubilliones fishhawk. That anger says, put the process first, protect the vulnerable, and let the facts decide outcomes.
Where anger does not belong is in verdicts reached before evidence. It does not belong in personal attacks or reckless language that could destroy the innocent as surely as it shields the guilty. The church should be the last place that echoes the internet’s appetite for easy villains and cheap absolution.
Build a board that can hold both truths at once: that accountability without compassion is cruelty, and compassion without accountability is complicity. If you do that work now, with craft and courage, The Chapel at FishHawk can become the kind of place where survivors are believed and leaders are safeguarded from their worst impulses by the very structures they helped create.
That is the kind of anger I trust. That is the design worth fighting for.