O2 Governance & Financial Accountability
O2 Church, founded in 2017, is a member of & affiliated with the New Life Movement of Churches and the ARC family of churches. The church places significant importance on biblical leadership and has implemented a governance structure to ensure proper oversight, authority, and protection.
Believers who invest their heart, time, family and finances in the building of a local church deserve to have confidence in church leadership. People are looking for leaders to conduct themselves with integrity and respect when making decisions that affect their lives.
Our church government is made up of three groups of people, each of which function like a form of elders with the added value of additional layers of accountability & oversight:
1. Guided by Pastors & a Ministry Leadership team (department leaders)
This Leadership team is led by the Lead Pastors working alongside different department team leaders (ie kids, youth, worship, production, small groups, admin etc…). This team oversees the day-to-day ministry and operations of the church. This team serve the congregation and is responsible for the development of the spiritual life and practical aspects of the church
This team is currently led by Sam & Michelle Bayly, the lead pastors, and they work with the various team leaders to help make the day-in, and day-out decisions for the different church areas. They lead the church alongside this team. They are the shepherds.
Everyone gets that dynamic but there needs to be something in place to make sure that the leading is done with a certain level of accountability, especially in the area of finances. That’s why we are…
2. Protected by The Trustees (Board Members)
The Trustees are members of the congregation/or external pastors or leaders, who are appointed by the Lead Pastors to oversee the finances and direct the provision of the facilities needed by the church. They provide counsel to the Lead Pastors/ Leadership Team regarding the major financial commitments of the church.
This can be a mix of members of the congregation & external support, often business or pastoral leaders who are on a team that represents the congregation to oversee the finances and make decisions related to buildings, land, and they are the only ones who have the authority to put the church in a financial obligation – like leases or borrowing money.
They don't necessarily tell the Leadership Team “how to spend” the money on a day-to-day basis. However Trustees “ensure the leadership team does it right” and keep it according to our Trust Deed perimeters & Governance policies & procedures, as well as within the scope of the yearly O2 Budget that the Trustees set and sign off on.
Note: the decision-making process for financial decisions is outlined in our O2 Trust Deed, which is available on the Charities Website.
The Trustees may not always have experience with major church financial decisions, so in these situations draw in consultants’ expertise to advise. These consultants may be from outside the church, as well as other senior pastors who have led churches for many years and have the considerable experience that O2 can draw from.
The trustees also oversee an annual performance report by an independent accounting firm CATAS, to ensure that everything is done in order and according to the Trust Deed & Governance manual of the church. Then the trustees publish that financial report on the Charities Commission website so everyone knows what’s going on. Click here to view our annual reports.
The Current Trustees are:
Ps Jono Martin. Member of New Life Exec Team responsible for New Life Church Planting, as well as Senior Pastor of Richmond New Life Nelson.
Ps Grant Bateson. Senior Pastor Liberty Life Church, Whakatane. (Grant is an interim trustee for the 2024/24 financial year, to allow O2 to raise up some more local trustees from the O2 congregation)
Ps Sam Bayly. Lead Pastor O2 Church.
Our local treasurer (currently a non-trustee position) who works alongside the O2 Trust Board & our Accountant is Michelle Poteigter.
Ps Michelle Bayly currently also sits in on these board meetings as an invited guest (non-voting), as well as Ps Stephen Millar, Senior Pastor at Manakau New Life & Chairman of New Life Exec team.
Previous Trustees include:
Ps Ralph Sutherland (Former O2 Church member & also former Treasurer), David Robertson (Former O2 Church member), Michael Smith (ARC Church Planting International Director).
3. Strengthened by The Overseers/Spiritual Advisors
The Overseers (Spiritual Advisors) are pastors of respected congregations and ministries who love O2 Church and its Lead Pastors and are willing to provide spiritual protection & strength to the church. They may be called upon to help in accountability matters relating to the Lead Pastors if requested to do so by the leadership team or trustees.
They are there if any of the Pastors ever need encouragement or correction. They carry the authority to exercise discipline over the Lead Pastors if needed and would be the ones who, if something ever happened to them, would step in and lead O2 through that transition.
If something was to happen to the Lead Pastors. They would help step in and help lead the church to find another senior pastor. And if they don’t choose a new pastor, the congregation will go through the leadership team and trustees.
Our current Overseers include Ps Jono Martin, Senior Pastor of Richmond New Life Church in Nelson, as well as certain members of the New Life Exec Team giving guidance & support where needed including Ps Adam White, National Leader of New Life NZ, and Ps Stephen Miller, Chairman of New Life Exec Team. As well as an additional handful of Senior Pastors who give advice and support.
It is important to note that to remove the Lead Pastors from their positions, unanimous support from the Overseers/Spiritual Advisors is required. This ensures that any decision to remove the Lead Pastors is made with the full agreement and backing of the Spiritual Advisors.