Church
Administration
MODULE
Church Administration Solid Foundation Bible College
Course Description
This course is designed to orient the student to the biblical principles that are necessary
for the administration and organisation of the church in order to fulfil New Testament
objectives through an analysis of examples provided in Scripture.
Course Objectives
At the end of the course the student should be able to:
✓ understand the theoretical and practical principles of church administration
✓ identify practical administrative duties which are expected church leadership
✓ be equipped with knowledge to deal with administrative problems in the church
Course Requirements
1. Attendance and participation 10%
2. Do a study of the book of Nehemiah and work through it and draw the following
administrative structures 45%
✓ Describe the Nature of the Problem and its impact
✓ Identify how the problem was solved
✓ What was the Significance of the Results after the problem was solved?
3. Construct a prospectus of a ministry that you feel God has called you to highlighting
the following aspects 45%
a. Vision
b. Objectives of the ministry
c. Strategy or Approach
d. Key Result Areas
e. Leadership Structure
Bibliography
1. Barna, G 1988. Marketing the Church. Sutherland: Albatross.
2. Engstrom, T 1976. The Making of a Leader. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
3. Gertz, G 1974. Sharpening the Focus of the Church. Chicago: Moody.
4. Phoku, E 2000. Church Administration: Class notes. White River: PBC
5. Wilson, M 1994. Money management: A practical guide. Leicester: IVP.
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Introduction
Paul writes in 1 Cor14: 33, 40 …”But everything should be done in a fitting
and orderly way”. This is the goal of administration in the church, to bring about
order and sanity. As a matter of fact, we read in the word of God that there is a
gift of administration that the Lord God has given to some of us [1 Cor12: 12 cf
Rom 12: 8].
In as much as the church is an organism, we cannot run away from the fact
that it is an organisation or institution which requires administration like any other
corporates in order for it to be able to achieve its mission. Administration
challenges exist in working with people and the Church function as a service
organisation hence we cannot run away from administration and organisation.
Administration is a prerequisite for ministry. It requires several skills and it is hard
job but necessary for effective and efficient growing ministry
The Bible is relatively silent regarding organisational and administrative
patterns for the church but this is not without design, for nothing comes
absolutely quickly as structural forms. We must realise that life is made up of
variables and unpredictable events such that administration is needed.
Definition of Administration
Purposeful church administration is the involvement of the church in discovery
of her nature and mission and in moving in a coherent and comprehensive
manner toward providing such experiences as will enable a church to utilize all
her resources and personnel in the fulfilment of her mission of making known
God’s love for all men. Let the Church be the church, be principled,
comprehensive and involve all members of the church in administration
responsibilities.
It can be further defined as the management of the affairs of the church,
getting things done and the capacity of co-ordinating many things and people.
Church administration and the nature of the Church
Administration by definition requires a clear understanding of the Vision of the
Church
Church must have a clear purpose or vision. This refers to the general
direction and aspiration of the church; vision. Without a clear sense of direction in
the church there is no administration and organisation because organisation and
administration follows vision. The vision of the church must be clearly
communicated to the church. It must be written down and made plain upon the
tablet so that he that reads it may run [Hab2: 3-4]. The running or administration
must be born out of the vision. Administrator must understand the purposes and
objectives of where he serves. Techniques and methods vary with differing
purposes and situations. It also encompasses dynamic interaction of persons. A
Church administrator must know where he is going and why, before he can
decide how to get there
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Vision is a comprehensive sense of where you are, where you are going, and
how you are going to get there. This is seeing the big picture or a portrait of all
that exists in your sphere of potential influence and developing a concept of how
the church can reach that end. It is the driving force behind the activity of the
motivated group of people. It is the internal force that guides the group through
unforeseen difficulties or stimulates the group to act when they are tired to want
to take the next step to reach their goal.
Church must have clear Objectives
Objectives are goals which the church wants to achieve or accomplish and there
should be more specific. These are specific goals within the vision. This calls for
strategic planning. Steps in administration process involve planning, organising,
stimulating and implementation and finally evaluating. Goals and principles of
purposeful church administration exist to coordinate all activities and experiences
so that they are mutually supportive of one another as well as the common goal
of the Church. Without clear goals there is no evaluation and success because
you weren’t going anywhere in the first place. Goals will determine the standards
and philosophy of ministry.
A Church must have a Comprehensive Constitution
A church constitution is a document that contains the vision, administrative and
organisational structures of the church, its statement of faith and by-laws of the
church. It must be a result of the consensus of the whole church. It should
prescribe the activities of the church, conditions for church membership as well
as state clear job descriptions for its officers. Its structure must follow the vision
of the church and must be biblical.
BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF ADMINISTRATION
It is important to note that there are so many examples of administration from the
Bible; both the Old and New Testaments.
Two most obvious problems calling for organisation are found in Exodus 18 and
Acts 6. exodus18 deals with a huge number of people camped in the wilderness
while Acts 6 involved a rapidly growing church in Jerusalem and by then
numbering thousands [Acts4: 4].
MOSES IN THE WILDERNESS THE NEGLECTED WIDOWS
Ex18: 13-27 Acts6: 1-7
Problem Problem
Vs13 The people stood about Moses from Vs1 The disciples were increasing rapidly
morning until the evening. Moses sat alone and the communal system was put under
trying to do all the job all by himself. He was stress and certain widows among the
attempting to resolve the problem of the Hellenistic Jews were neglected in food
people and he served as the judge in matters distribution and they began to complain.
of interpersonal relationships as well as taught The apostles got involved in the details of
the people of God. This process caused undue this discussion and the results of the
stress for him and the people as well. discontentment caused them to neglect
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their primary responsibility to teach the
word of God.
Solution Solution
Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, served as a The twelve called a meeting of the
consultant. He advised Moses to establish disciples. In the meeting they informed the
priorities between to serve as a mediator people regarding their major task as the
between the people and to teach the people as apostles [prayer and the ministry of the
a group the statues and the laws of God. To Word].
delegate the responsibility of handling the They instructed the church to select seven
interpersonal problems of everyday life to a qualified men to care for the need that
select group of qualified men. These were to existed…men of good reputation, full of the
handle the minor matters, and only major Spirit and wisdom.
problems would be filtered through to Moses. The congregation chose seven men and
Moses communicated his problem to people the apostles confirmed the choice of the
and he instructed each tribe to choose wise people through prayer and the laying of
and experienced men whom he appointed as hands.
heads. He instructed these heads carefully in
everything they were to do.
Results Results
Moses was assisted in his responsibilities. Evidently the needs of the people were
He was able to endure the responsibility of his met; unity was restored; the apostles were
leadership role and the people’s needs were able to fulfil their primary work. The word of
met and they were satisfied. God kept on spreading and the number of
disciples kept on increasing [vs7]
The Nature of the Problem
Both Moses and the apostles had more than they could do personally, and
both were becoming involved in details that kept them from fulfilling their
responsibilities. Moses particularly was unable to endure the physical and
psychological stress. Furthermore, in both situations the people themselves were
under stress and became discontented because their personal needs were being
neglected. The Israelites came to Moses to be instructed, to have him work out
problems among them, to state their grievances, and to make their petitions.
Evidently people stood in a queue all day long and perhaps did not get a chance
to have a hearing with their leader [vs13]. In view of the previous problems
Moses had with these people – their desire to return to Egypt and their
complaints of the wilderness experience – it does not take too much imagination
to get to understand the tense mood and emotional outbursts that were taking
place among these people.
The disciples in the Jerusalem church faced a similar scenario. They
became unhappy when their physical needs were not met. We see favouritism
being shown towards a certain class or group of people. It was the Hellenistic
Jews against the Hebrews. It was a cultural and religious division, a problem that
persisted throughout the New Testament church. The church was growing too
fast such that the tendency to neglect certain people may have become the
primary factor in causing this problem among others.
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The Way the Problem was Solved
Though the specific steps taken to resolve the problems differed in certain
particulars, they were four important similarities
1. Establishing Priorities
In Moses’ case it was Jethro, his father-in-law who helped him to see and
analyse the problem. He advised Moses to give primary attention to serving as a
mediator between the people and God [Ex18: 19], and be the one who taught the
people the word of God [vs20].
When the apostles became aware of the problem in the church, they
communicated to the multitude of Christians that they could not be burdened with
the details of waiting on tables, but must continue to give primary attention to the
teaching of the Word and to prayer. They were not negating the importance of
these details, but they knew they would be unable to carry out their primary
objectives and be personally involved in meeting the physical needs of the
people as well.
2. Delegating Responsibility to Qualified Men
Moses chose able men, men who were God fearing, honest and hated unjust
gain [Ex18: 21]. Like wise the apostles instructed people to choose men of good
reputation, filled by the Holy Spirit and wise [Acts6: 3]. It is important to note high
spiritual standards set for selecting men to fulfil the responsibility of meeting the
physical and social needs of the people. These standards high in both situations
were a secret to the effectiveness of the step of solving the problem. Moses and
the apostles needed men they could trust. Men who were dishonest, selfish, un-
spiritual and tactless would only have accentuated the problems.
3. Organising To Meet The Need
Moses chose men and set them over the people, leaders of thousands, of
hundreds, of fifties and of tens [18: 25]. This was the best strategy for the
occasion. This organisational plan was a fitting structure for a nation on the
move, and no doubt this arrangement was linked on the natural divisions of the
people and tribes and families etc.
The apostles on the other hand, had people [no doubt from the Hellenistic
Jews] selected from among themselves seven men. This was a wise move, for
the people themselves knew those who would meet the qualifications that the
apostles had prescribed. Moreover, if the people selected these people, they
would be no accusation of a prejudicial on the part of the twelve [note that all
seven chosen had Greek names]. The structure was appropriate for the situation.
4. Setting Up Flexible Structures
When the Israelites settled in the land the organisational structures changed just
as in the same manner persecution drove the Christians out of Jerusalem and
some of the men serving tables became evangelists! When the situation
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changed, it created new needs and called for new forms and structures,
particularly as permanently located churches were established in various
communities. They did not remain stuck in the old forms.
The Significance of the Results
The results of the organisational; steps taken to resolve the situations in both Ex
18 and Acts 6 were far reaching. Moses and the apostles were able to carry out
their primary tasks and the people’s needs were met and satisfied. Moses’
physical and psychological needs were also met and there was peace in the
community. For the apostles the word of God kept on spreading and the number
of disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem and a great number of priests were
becoming obedient to the faith [Acts6: 7].
PRINCIPLES OF BIBLICAL ADMINISTRATION AND ORGANISATION
As Christian leaders functioning in the 21st century we are faced with multitude of
problems. The rapidly changing world has added more complexities we are to
deal with more than any other time before. But, on the other hand we must
realise that God’s people have always encountered problems and challenges in
the past and in many instances the root of these problems are almost the same.
All problems, however new or old, need administrative action and organisational
structures to solve them of which the Bible has a few. Obviously, because of lack
of conformity, these patterns and structures cannot be classified as normative.
The few examples presented in scripture provide us with the guidelines and
principles for developing patterns and structures which can help us carry out
biblical directives and reach New Testament objectives.
PRINCIPLES OF ADMINISTRATION
1. Face the reality of Problems
Do not ignore problems because if you do so they will not run away, rather,
they get worse. More so, if we attempt to sweep them under the carpet they will
emerge one day in double measure. Do not hide your head in the sand because
when we have the courage but when we develop enough courage to look up they
will be bigger and more foreboding than ever. If we imagine there are not there
people to whom we minister will painfully remind us that they exist.
It does not take a creative mind to imagine what could have happened in
Israel if Moses had ignored Jethro’s advice or if the apostles had ignored the
murmuring of the Hellenistic widows. Imagine what would have happened if the
early church had ignored the problem of law and grace. Many times the problems
we face once presented themselves to us and we thought they were minor and
we ignored them. We are always reminded of their origin.
When people’s needs go unmet because of our selfishness or unwillingness
to face problems, we will leave with our decisions. Some rationalise their
problems putting blame on others for their unwillingness to face them.
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The reality is that today, as in the New Testament, churches are facing
problems. Most of these problems emanate from three areas, some are purely
organisational, some theological and some cultural.
2. Diagnose and Develop a Proper Perspective of the Problem Before
Seeking Prescription
This is a process that can be instantaneous or may take time. In Acts6 it did
not take time to pinpoint the nature of the problem and to arrive at the solution.
For leaders in Acts15 they soon realised the problem was a theological one. It
took time to have a complete perspective on the whole issue. It involved calling
for a meeting of all stake holders, a process of reports, debate, and discussions.
It involved both historical and biblical research as well as an analysis of what
God was doing on the contemporary scene. It was the result of this process that
led to a perspective and an organisational and administrative answer – a letter
written and its deliverance to the churches.
Moses never realised that he had a problem until helped by Jethro. One of
the problems of being a leader is that we sometimes get close to a situation that
“we can’t see the forest for trees”. This was Moses’ difficulty. He knew he had a
lot of work to do and that he was working with a group of carnal people but failed
to have “the big picture” that would facilitate his responsibilities. This is where we
need others to help us see and solve problems.
A great danger that faces some Christians is to be threatened by advice.
Some view being given advice as a reflection on their competency and so they
proceed to try and solve the problem alone. Unfortunately, if the problem is
beyond them, they will end up in failure, far more humiliated than if admitting they
needed help. Actually to seek advice as a sign of strength and not weakness.
This does not mean we need to execute every bit of advice we get from others.
Rather it means listening, sorting ideas carefully and selecting a course of action
in dependence upon the Spirit of God.
It has been established world wide that the making of decisions in any
sector of administration is based on information. An ill-informed administrator
always makes wrong decisions. Therefore gather as much information as
possible, be well informed and updated, consider and weigh information you
have before taking any decision and reduce levels of uncertainty. There can be
no proper prescription without proper diagnosis.
3. Establish Priorities
This is one of the reasons why we cannot solve our organisational and
administrative problems. At times we do not run away from our problems but we
want to try and solve them by ourselves. This was Moses’ problem until he took
his father-in-law’s advice. He was in the process of physical and psychological
deterioration caused by undue stress. He could not do everything; fortunately he
recognised this fact and did something about it.
The apostles too were aware of this principle and they quickly established
their priorities and made them known to the people. This did not mean serving
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tables was unimportant – far from it – but it did mean that they had certain
responsibilities that they had to fulfil. They could not do both.
Today church leaders are bombarded with many demands on their time as
today’s complex pressures have complicated people’s lives thereby creating
greater needs. People demand more attention from their leaders and it is
absolutely essential for spiritual leaders in the church to establish priorities. If
they do not establish priorities, they will end up neglecting their primary calling to
shepherd and to teach the flock of God.
4. Delegate Responsibility to Qualified People
This principle follows the establishment of priorities. It was demonstrated by
Moses and by the apostles. This has been the secret of every leader’s success.
Peter Drucker, an executive researcher, concluded that a significant mark of
every successful leader, whether he is president of a country or company, is that
he knows how to use “available strengths – the strength of associates, the
strength of supervisors, and one’s own strength.” DL Moody once said, “I would
rather put a thousand men to work than do the work of a thousand men”. This is
decentralisation of ministry and power as opposed to it being centralised in a few
individual[s].
Delegation involves transfer of work, authority, responsibility, and making
others accountable. Its benefits are improvement of understanding between
levels, of leader – follower relationships, increase in job satisfaction and morale,
erases job pressure from leaders, increases chances of promotion to new
recruits and creates opportunities for leadership development. Never try to be
jack of all trades. Many servants of God create problems for themselves because
of wanting to do all things by themselves.
The bible clearly emphasises that the delegation of responsibilities must
be to spiritually qualified people. You must choose or loose! This is what Moses
and the apostles did. They looked for men who were honest and full of faith, men
who were wise and discerning and experienced. They knew that to appoint men
of weakness rather than men of strength would be devastating to the whole
operation and create new problems. It is men of quality who can handle
organisational problems.
This is what is known as staffing. The selection of spiritually and
psychologically qualified people for leadership positions in the church is one of
the most administrative principles in the New Testament. This is why most of the
qualifications of elders and deacons in 1Tim3 and Tit1 relate to the man’s
reputation, ethics, morality, temperament, habits, spirituality and psychological
maturity.
Many churches today are guilty of filling positions with people – but not
qualified people. The mistake often is to make judgement based on skills
[sometimes falsely classified as spiritual gifts], but if these skills are practiced in a
context of carnality it can be devastating.
5. Maintain a Proper Balance between Divine and Human Factors
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The temptation always is to go to extremes in administrative issues. On one side
there are people who rationalise indecision and inaction on the basis of God’s
sovereign will and grace which can easily become a “cop out” for irresponsibility
and laziness. On the other side we may take matters into our own hands and
ignore the will of God, his power, wisdom and guidance. Both extremes are
wrong. We must strike a balance between the divine and the human elements.
God uses people, so we must also understand the human element in our
administration and consider history and culture of the church in developing
foundations for purposeful church administration. On the other hand relationship
to God and to his Word is central to our being. There is need to pray and act.
Nehemiah is one example of the one who prayed and acted or acted and prayed.
We must seek guidance from God as well as use mind and energy that God has
given us. There must be and planning [Prov16: 1] and a committing of those
plans to God [Prov16: 3].
6. Choose an Approach in consideration of Everyone’s Feelings and
Attitudes
Before taking specific steps to solving his problem Moses explained to the
people that he was not able to bear the burden alone under the heavy
responsibility [Deut1: 9]. At the appropriate time Nehemiah called for the people
to gather and he explained strategy to rebuild the walls [2: 17]. The apostles in
Jerusalem summoned the congregation and explained the situation [Acts6: 2],
and in Acts15 the whole church was involved in solving the problem of “law and
grace”.
Basic to applying this principle is COMMUNICATION. Organisational and
administrative problems cannot be satisfactorily solved without proper
communication. In all the above situations there was always communication with
as many people as possible. This calls for AGMs. The purposes of AGMs are to
communicate with the church because the church problems can never be solved
in private board meetings. It is important to allow people to give feedback of how
the problems affect them because shutting them off cannot help solve problems.
Meeting with all people also helps in that they make the church leadership be
aware of how others who are not in leadership feel about the church. When good
communication exists, it helps to create a solid form of understanding within the
church and feedback is automatic.
Reporting and communication in the church helps in the administration. Job
descriptions must be spelled out clearly and there must be a sense of
responsibility to the whole church by the leadership with information and
decisions. That is why the church must get financial reports, attend general
meetings.
In as much a church is not a democracy, it is also not a dictatorship
privileged to leadership. Church is a theocracy whose leadership practice a
facilitatory role. Sometimes leaders find it difficult to communicate because there
is a long tradition that glorifies authoritarian pronouncements…”thus saith the
lord”. A fact which is clear in all the four mentioned examples of administration is
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group involvement in the decision-making process. There was always group
participation and consensus. Moses asked each tribe to select leaders to
represent and rule [Deut1: 13] while the apostles charged to choose seven men
to serve the tables [Acts6: 1-3], and the whole church was involved in making the
final decision about law and grace [Acts15: 22]. Communication prepares for
dangers, discourages misinformation, lessens fear and suspicion, reduces
grievances and allows people the pride of being well informed!
Many problems have been created in the modern church by ignoring this
most biblical principle. We are only asking for trouble if we attempt to railroad
things through and operate as a dictator. Even the apostles – direct
representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ – did not use their apostolic authority to
bypass this principle. They allowed brainstorming and collective solutions.
Naturally there are many problems which need not be brought to the whole
congregation for debate and discussion, but again our biblical examples gives us
significant guidelines in applying the principles of congregational involvement.
Minor details were solved by people selected by the group. So watch for the
following:
❖ Involve the people that are directly related to and affected by the problem
❖ Communicate the nature of the problem to this group
❖ Involve the group in the selecting of qualified men to represent them in
helping to solve the problem
❖ Secure the group’s approval of the final solution to the problem
7. Seek for Solutions under the Leadership of the Holy Spirit
Never allow yourself to be locked in administrative routines that may have
worked before, remember that in the Bible there was no one way of solving
problems. Situations were different, circumstances varied, and so did the nature
of problems and solutions. One thing clear about the study of the word of God is
that principles are normative but patterns are not.
PRINCIPLES OF ORGANISATION
1. Organise to Apply and Reach New Testament Principles and Purposes
Organisational structures in the bible are always presented as a means to an
end. They were never ends in themselves. The first principle is always to develop
structures for the church which will help us reach New Testament objectives. If
structures do not serve biblical purposes then they are fighting against them
2. Organise to meet Needs
The church did not just organise for the sake of doing so, it rather organised to
when needs arose. The first and most all-inclusive and continuous need faced by
the church was to carry out the Great Commission. They were under obligation to
evangelise and disciple and they organised to do so. George Peters writes that
“wherever there are people there is function and wherever there is function there
is form”.
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3. Keep organisation simple
Organisation must be simple if it is to be functional because complicated
organisational patterns frequently become ends in themselves. The church is
becoming institutional instead of being organisational with lots of restrictions. In
an institution the organisation becomes more important than the people that
make it People begin to function like cogs in a machine and they become
prisoners of their procedures, they are afraid to ask questions as the atmosphere
becomes threatening and communication breaks down because of lots of red
tape.
4. Keep organisation flexible
Organisational patterns that develop rigidity and hardening of the categories are
in danger of being treated as authoritative and absolute. This is wrong. We are
not free to make unchangeable what God intended to be changeable. In a rapidly
changing environment like ours, an age of total upheaval like ours, to make non-
absolute absolute guarantees both isolation and death of the institutional
organised church [Dr Francis Schaeffer]. Biblical leaders were never locked up in
organisational structures.
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