TOWARDS A PHILOSOPHY OF CHURCH MANAGEMENT

Elisha Kwabena Marfo, MAR (OT)

Introduction

Management can be said as the co-ordination of all resources to achieve desired

goals and objectives set by the organisation. It includes Planning and executing to
overcome all odds and challenges that stand on the way of the organisational goal. It is a
complete team work effort.1 Management is also seen as the process of working with
people and resources to accomplish organizational goals placing much importance on
efficiency and effectiveness. These two qualities (efficiency and effectiveness) drives
every management endeavour in measuring organizational performance.2 The church as
an institution or an organization is no exception to this process. The church needs a clear
understanding of the philosophy of church management that integrates biblical principles
into church management. There may be potential rigidity between the pastoral ministries
and the management works in a church, yet both are indispensable for the growth of a
church and integration is not impossible. Thus the two much go hand-in-hand.
To successfully implement the commission of the church given by God, there is
the need to integrate pastoral works with church management so that the two will be seen
as one ministry. When this is done managing a church will not become something of less
spiritual value that will not contribute to the spiritual wellbeing of a church. The training
and development of pastoral gifts among the clergy and laity are surely parts of pastoral
ministry, which necessarily involve certain degree of management.

Biblical Foundation for Church Management

In understanding the role of church management with the view of advancing

mission and efficiency of the church, pastors and leaders in particular need to examine
the foundations for church management biblically. In doing this the Bible becomes the
most helpful and essential source for the understanding church management distinctively.
It is therefore critical that leaders and managers of the church’s ways, thoughts, and
engagements are guided by the revealed truth of God that is found sole in His word and
His creation. In the midst of confusing plurality of the theories that the church are
subjected to in the current managerial world’s setting, the investigation of the Biblical
foundations serves as a vital standard for measuring management in the church
perspective. The evidence of biblical record reveals that various kinds of management

Michael Armstrong, Armstrong’s Handbook of Management and Leadership: A Guide

1

to Managing for Results, 2nd ed. (Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page, 2009), 3-4.
2
Dioi Cruz, class notes for the course LEAD 882 Management in the Church and Church
Organizations, Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies, Silang, Cavite, Philippines,
May, 2016.

1
were instituted in biblical times. The Bible indicates clearly that God is concerned about
proper organization and management.
The scriptures (both the Old and New Testaments) provide several foundations
that help our understanding of management. At a face-reading of the text, these scriptural
sources offer approaches that are crucial. In the Old Testament, Joseph the son of Jacob is
shown by God as a figure for management. In the biblical account of Joseph in Genesis
41 and 42, he is tasked to manage the economy of Egypt. This was after he had made
known to the Pharaoh concerning his dreams. He was later appointed as the person in
charge of the management of the whole of Egypt.
From the start of the implementation of his management and leadership role for
the nation, Joseph had to familiarize himself with the land by travelling across Egypt to
assess the situation (Gen 41:46). He interacted with the people and observed from the
grounds before coming out with a strategy. He afterwards helped in the establishment of
a system of inter-city granaries (Gen 41:48). This large-scale management of grain
surpluses demanded wisdom and diligence and Joseph was able to manage it. Here we
see the connection between the economic planning and management of Joseph which
were in line with the principles of God. The two came together to offer salvation in God’s
plan for the local Egyptians and those countries surrounding Egypt. This integration of
management highlights the significance of understanding management from the
perspective of God for humanity. Claus Westermann has pointed out that “although the
economic processes are here seen in the context of God’s activity, this does not in any
sense obscure their being perceived as independent and autonomous processes, within
which human planning and rational design find their place.”3
Also the account of the building of the Tower of Babel shows how organization
and management leads to efficiency and effectiveness. With a clear goal and vision the
people nearly accomplished their purpose. The people intended to erect the tower so as to
make a name for themselves all over the world. God destroyed their work and
consequently stripped them of the ability of coordinating with one another through
confusing their languages. This shows that when human organizations seek to set
themselves higher than the almighty God, organization and management defeats itself.
On the management of the people of Israel as a whole, God gave instructions that
shows a picture of intelligent organizational management of God. There was no kind of
chaos regarding God’s management instructions. When the Israelites entered the desert,
God commanded Moses to take a census of the people and divide them into groups. This
insightful way revealed in this organizational management of God give an indication that
God is a God of order. He took the initiative to command Moses to arrange the Israelites
in a particular camp pattern. The handling of 600,000 men of Israel in the wilderness
would have resulted in a chaotic situation without such organization and management.
The book of Numbers also shows that there were twelve leaders who were responsible for
the census which was necessary for organizing the whole group into military units (Num
1). When they were to fight for the land of Canaan, through prudent management, the
twelve spies were sent to assess the place (Num 13). In Num 34:16-29, ten tribal leaders
were appointed by God to supervise in the future division of land among the remaining
tribes. These leaders did bring the people into the grace of God, so God managed His
3
Claus Westermann, Joseph: Eleven Bible Studies on Genesis (Minneapolis, MN:
Fortress, 1996), 56.

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people through the leaders. The management was blessing to the people, because the
leaders ruled in faith and in obedience to God.
First Chronicle 15 indicates that David organized the temple ministries in details
with all his strength and wisdom so that his love for God could be fully expressed. Also
after the return from exile to Jerusalem and the re-building of the city wall and the temple
by the returnees were wisely managed by Ezra and Nehemiah. Their successes in the
management of the people were seemingly the results of their truth and adherence to the
words of God. This is emphasized greatly in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
In the New Testament, we see that Church leaders were given the opportunity and
role in management according to the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Acts account
shows the biblical way of church management. From the account we see that the apostles
did not practically involved in the serving of table, their responsibility was in deciding
the criteria for choosing the seven deacons and monitoring the process of selection (Acts
6). This shows that pastors and leaders of the church has a managerial way of addressing
the concern of the church members. They allow the Holy Spirit to direct all their
management of the church. The work of Holy Spirit places priority on church
management as reflected in early Christian church. “The management tasks . . . do not
derive from leaders’ ideals or institutional needs, but from a discernment of what Holy
Spirit is already working among them. Therefore the management concern will be the
development of necessary organizations to help discovering and affirming the gifts of
people and support the proper exercise of their affirmed gifts.”4
Ellen White makes it very clear that the pastor's primary duty is to train the laity
and set them to work. She posits that
The best help that ministers can give the members of our churches is not
sermonizing, but planning work for them. Give each one something to do for
others. Help all to see that as receivers of the grace of Christ they are under
obligation to work for Him. And let all be taught how to work. Especially should
those who are newly come to the faith be educated to become laborers together
with God. If set to work, the despondent will soon forget their despondency; the
weak will become strong, the ignorant intelligent, and all will be prepared to
present the truth as it is in Jesus. They will find an unfailing helper in Him who
has promised to save all that come unto Him.5

These biblical exposition and foundation for management give a clear evidence
and understanding that management was/is part of God’s plan for His church. Thus, the
model for church management should be based of the examples given in both the Old
Testament and the New Testament. Also Godly church management should be dependent
on the exercise of the gifts of the people of God.

4
Mark F. Fischer, “The Donetist Controversy and a Local Theology of Church
Management,” in The Parish Management Handbook: A Practical Guide for Pastors,
Administrators, and Other Parish Leaders, ed. Charles E. Zech (Mystic, CT: Twenty-Third,
2003), 21.
5
Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9 (Nampa, ID: Pacific, 1998), 82.

3
 Value of Church Management

The purpose of church management can be seen as to create a fertile climate for
spiritual and effective service which is in a way a sense of shared mission, prudent
stewardship of God’s resources (both human and material/financial), and mutual
supportiveness. Thus, the value placed on church management should not be drive at
attaining a secular excellent management practices per se but it should be only directed as
a means to the end of serving God. Management should be a team work that are valued
not only for their performance contributions to the ministry, but also because all members
work efficiently as the family of God.
Church management should also be people-centered and participative. Members
of the church has a role in management. Management should not be at the reserve of just
the pastors and leaders. The involvement of all members will help sell the concept and
get the people to know the focus and the direction of the church. Thus, church
management should place a high value on cooperation and teamwork. In church
management, members are motivated by a shared sense of vision and mission, which is
more important to them than personal gain. This goes a long way to increasing
participation in mission and ministry. When that is done, goals are pursued selflessly and
sacrificially. Peter F. Rudge has observed that effective management in the church may
help not just the church but also the members to restore its reputation and be a significant
form of Christian witness.6
Another angel of value of management in the church is the responsibility placed it
to manage the personnel/staffs, and even those who are not directly employed by the
church. The church in its management should give value and attention to the selection of
its employees, their training to effective carry the mission of the church, evaluating them
to see the progress of their work periodically, and making retirement provision in a
thorough and conscientious way in a fair manner.
The church stands at an advantage by helping leaders and pastors understand their
managerial role of God’s resources for the achievement of the goal set forth by the
church. There the pastor should not be trained solely for mission or soul winning which is
seen as the target for the church. Norman Sawchuck has postulated that “management
practice is perhaps the purest form of practical (practicing) theology, giving flesh and
blood to the sacraments, creeds, liturgies, and to the confessions of the church.”7 This
gives the indication that when the pastor is adequately trained management and
leadership, he or she will be empowered to be a good manager of the resources of the
church. This will bring the pastor to a point of developing and utilizing the total resources
of the church to bring growth to God’s church.
Sawchuck further points out that “Pastors and church leaders need these skills
today in order to keep the church on target. Theological education has equipped leaders
to be mechanics. But church leaders today must be architects, not mechanics; managers
and shapers of the future, not precedent followers of the past. . . . We cannot escape the
6
Peter F. Rudge, Management in the church (London, UK: McGraw-Hill, 1976), 23.
7
Norman Sawchuck, “Church Management: The Architecture of Ministry,” Christianity
Today, July 20, 1979.

4
fact that the church requires management.”8 By training in management and helping
pastors understand their role as managers of the resources of the church, the church could
well profit by achieving tremendous growth. A key aim of church management should be
to help members become more like Christ. Management in Christian or church
organizations should ultimately be a partnership with God, built on prayer, faith, and
obedience.

Motivation and Goal in Church Management

Several goals and motivation drives the church in its management. While some
are internal, some can equally be seen as external. All these help in accomplishing the
mission of the church. Church management can be seen as a community partnership
entity that focuses on establishing collective ownership of and responsibility for
operation of the church effort. These are for developing effective structures and processes
that facilitate the mission of the church. It is also seen as a collaborative action where
various discusses on ways to maintain joint effectiveness and efficiency is carried out
towards the mission of the church.
Also in church management, pastors and members get access to needed supports
and services. This may cover areas of practice as well as policy and management areas.
In the church, leaders, pastors, and managers focus on organizational and resource issues
to make sure all are served through the process and have access to needed supports and
services. The church may even through the initiative planning, follow through for the
betterment of the members as well as the progress and advancement of mission/ministry.
In church management, there are human resource development and support which
focuses on the issues of members. This can take the form of in-service training or sending
out pastors and leaders for further studies to advance mission of the church. When people
are not develop to improve on their skills and knowledge, work of the church might be
redundant which the same old ideas and skills will be repeated again and again.
There is also accountability in church management which is designed to provide
an overview of how the church’s resources and activities are monitored and evaluated.
Experience has taught people that resources and activities of the church should be carried
out in a clear set of expectations regarding accountability and find ways to improve them
towards having the trust and confidences of members. Accountability creates an
opportunity for pastors, managers, and members to make adjustments to ensure effective
implementation of programs and efficiency in the delivery of the church’s mission.9
To meet these burdensome demands of the church, the church in its management
needs pastors, leaders and members of wide range of skills and willingness to service.
The skills needed for church management includes but not limited to counselling,
communicating, delegating, stewardship, facilitating, leadership, measuring and
managing performance, motivating, networking, problem-solving and decision-making,
and providing feedback. The goal of church management is to empower and develop
8
Ibid.
Darrell W. Johnson, “The Purpose of Personal Management,” in Leadership Handbook
9

of Management and Administration, ed. James D. Berkley (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2007), 33-
34.

5
people to understand and practise the process of delivering God’s mission of the church
through the capability and collaboration with others.
The goal is also to manage resources, people and performance to maintain morale
while also maximizing their performance in ministry and mission. The church in this way
is to work across boundaries, engaging with others, working as a member of a team,
thinking differently about problems and their solutions.10 They are also to develop
relationships and a focus on the members, building partnerships with both members and
non-members. Church management is to balance pastoral, technical and managerial skills
which deal with the technical aspects of management and the management of human
relationships within the church and it’s constituent.
The church belongs to God and He has call men to partner him in His mission.
This shows that there is an essential partnership between God and persons in the life and
work of a church. Church management concerns itself with presenting the human element
in the partnership equation as a disciplined, orderly, purposeful instrument to be directed
and used of God as He sees fit. When God is not lifted high in church management, then
the goal and aim of the church is defeated. God should be the center for church
management.
The goal of church management can also be said as focusing on managing
complexity in the church by planning and budgeting with the aim of producing orderly
results, not change within the system. It also has the emphasis of developing the capacity
of the church to achieve plans by creating an efficient and effective organization structure
and staffing it, that is, developing human systems that can implement plans as precisely
and efficiently as possible. Church management also ensures plan accomplishment by
controlling and problem-solving, that is, formally and informally comparing results to the
plan, identifying deviations and then planning and organizing to solve the problems of the
church.11 These motivation and goals in church management should drive every pastor,
church leader, and members as well to carry out their managerial duties with integrity,
accountability and competence.

Conclusion

The foregoing discussion of the church management reveals that management in

the church can be seen as a theological concept with a biblical foundation, which should
not be relegated in handling or in the day to day running of the church. Management is a
critical and vital subject in the Bible which helps in understanding the philosophy of
church management. In the Scriptures management is expressed in a variety of ways.
Management in the church do not occur in a vacuum. It starts and end with God and His
spiritual leading of His church. He is the supreme source of insightful issues of church
management. God wants His church to be efficient and effective in their operations,
ministry, and mission to the heathen world. How His church manages itself has a role in
10
Michael Anthony, “Biblical Perspective of Christian Management,” in Management
Essential for Christian Ministries, ed. Michael J. Anthony and James Esteps, Jr. (Nashville, TN:
Broadman & Holman, 2005), 13-34.

J. P. Kotter, “Power, dependence and effective management,” in Managing People and

11

Organizations, ed. J. Gabarro (Boston, MA: Harvard Business School, 1991), 33–49.

6
reaching out to the outside and as well for the spiritual development of its members. It is
hoped that pastors and leaders may find this philosophical concept of church management
as well as other related issues worthy of study.

7
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anthony, Michael. “Biblical Perspective of Christian Management.” In Management

Essential for Christian Ministries, 13-34. Edited by Michael J. Anthony and
James Esteps, Jr. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2005.

Armstrong, Michael. Armstrong’s Handbook of Management and Leadership: A Guide to

Managing for Results. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page, 2009.

Cruz, Dioi. Class notes for the course LEAD 882 Management in the Church and Church
Organizations. Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies, Silang,
Cavite, Philippines, May, 2016.

Fischer, Mark F. “The Donetist Controversy and a Local Theology of Church

Management.” in The Parish Management Handbook: A Practical Guide for
Pastors, Administrators, and Other Parish Leaders, 18-39. Edited by Charles E.
Zech. Mystic, CT: Twenty-Third, 2003.

Johnson, Darrell W. “The Purpose of Personal Management.” In Leadership Handbook of

Management and Administration, 25-37. Edited by James D. Berkley. Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker, 2007.

Kotter, J. P. “Power, dependence and effective management.” In Managing People and

Organizations, 33-49. Edited by J. Gabarro. Boston, MA: Harvard Business
School, 1991.

Rudge, Peter F. Management in the church. London, UK: McGraw-Hill, 1976.

Sawchuck, Norman. “Church Management: The Architecture of Ministry.” Christianity

Today, July 20, 1979.

Westermann, Claus. Joseph: Eleven Bible Studies on Genesis. Minneapolis, MN:

Fortress, 1996.

White, Ellen G. Testimonies for the Church. Vol. 9. Nampa, ID: Pacific, 1998.