This mixed methods, grounded theory study presents insights about the inception, maturation, and preservation of relationships that are practiced in the governance team of Christian schools located in the Commonwealth of Virginia and any intentional practices related to those relationships that foster HOS longevity. Therefore, this study combined quantitative surveys completed by the Head of School and followed up with qualitative focus group interviews of three to five board members, including the board chairperson. The research specifically focused on the relationships associated with the recruitment and selections of new board members, the orientation and training of board members, the evaluation of the head of school and the board, and the governance documents of the school. The most significant findings were from the qualitative focus group interviews, which aligned with the quantitative survey, and were from schools with the HOS having from seven to thirty years of tenure. Relationships within the interviewed schools tended to be very close and had at least one board member with seven years of service, if not significantly more. Recruitment was often multi-layered and based on referrals from the current board members resulting in candidates already having an established, preferably close relationship with some of the currently serving board members before being selected. Training was a priority for most of the interviewed schools, with an annual retreat training plus brief training as part of every board meeting. All four schools conducted an annual evaluation, typically based on the head of school job description, and most conducted an annual board self-evaluation, with one school performing a mini board evaluation at the end of every meeting. Each school had varying degrees of documentation, but most had written procedures for all this study's areas of focus. The relationship practices documented in this study provide a framework for improving head of school longevity and for future research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]