But councils do not always attract these kinds of members. They frequently attract doers, not thinkers. Despite the importance of mission, leadership, and membership, the three remain problematic. Much of the responsibility for the problem lies with the guidelines for councils, guidelines published by almost every U.S. diocese. These guidelines typically give councils so much to do, or state the council's task in such vague terms, that pastors and council members cannot clearly say what their mission is.
Guidelines also fog the issue of leadership.
They state that councils are consultative, underlining the fact that councils are not the final decision-makers. Then, in almost the next breath, they state that councils should reach decisions by consensus. Members make all the difference, but diocesan guidelines are frequently unclear about their selection. Most guidelines state that council members are to be representative. Guidelines frequently make a hash of member recruitment.