Church Board of Directors

[Guest Joy Keefe]

On a 3-member board, if 2 members have recently resigned before a meeting of the members has occurred, does the one remaining board member have any authority?

[Richard Brown]

That depends in large part on your bylaws and what, if anything they say about resignations.  According to the rules in RONR, a resignation must be accepted by the appropriate body and does not become effective until it is effective accepted. If your bylaws provide otherwise, your bylaws will prevail.  Do your bylaws address resignations?  Per the rules in RONR, the body with the authority to fill vacancies has the authority to accept resignations.  That  could be your general membership  or the board.  We don't know.  That is something  that should be in your bylaws, usually in a section dealing with vacancies or in the section regarding the powers of the board.

If the resignations have become effective and the vacancies have not been filled, and if your bylaws do not provide otherwise, then until such time as the vacancies are filled, you have a one-person Board.

Edited April 19, 2021 at 07:36 PM by Richard Brown
Typographical correction