Our church is board directed so that the Pastor follows the directives of the board. Any new additions to the board require unanimous approval of the board members present and the Pastor is considered a member of the board. Our new Pastor wants to veto new board candidates that have been approved by the others on the board. Should the Pastor recuse himself for that vote since he serves under the board? —From the Website.
I am not sure what you mean when you say the Pastor “is considered” a member of the board. Usually a person either is, or is not, a member of the board. You may be saying that he is a member of the board “ex officio,” i.e. by virtue of his position as Pastor. But ex officio directors normally have the right to vote as full directors unless the bylaws specify otherwise.
If the Pastor is a member of the board with the right to vote, he does not have to recuse himself from the selection of a new director any more than he would have to recuse himself from a vote on a policy issue that he did not agree with. Unfortunately, you are a victim of your own rules. In a situation like this, you may want to reconsider your bylaws. It is usually not wise to give single person a veto power over what everyone else wants to do. Amending the rules to require a super majority vote, like two-thirds or even 75%, can assure that you have general agreement without giving veto power to a couple of outliers.
Your Pastor may decide, however, to be prudent and not to exercise his veto power. It does not seem to reflect an understanding that he works for the board, and the organization is not structured the other way around. But he may understand that, if he fights with the board too much, your board undoubtedly has the right to fire him and seek a new Pastor without requiring unanimity.
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