"Church Administration under a spirit filled man" by Pastor Oketola

Pastor E.O. Oketola



Text: Acts. 20:28;Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood




Definitions


The Meaning of Administration

Administration is not the psychological manipulation of people to achieve statistical and mechanical ends. But  its  the execution of the prerequisite skills, methodologies and planning towards the achievement of the stated organizational goals.





Types of Administration

1.     Church

2.     Business

3.     Public etc



The Concept of Church Administration



A church's success or failure hinges on properly administering the organizational aspects of the ministry through the understanding of the meaning, values and its functions.



The pastor as the highest person on helm of affair, He should not play the role of boss or commander by exercising power over the people. But as the "executive" of the religious organization, in this sense, he runs the church by skillful and power of influence through the Holy Spirit.



The 21st-century church is now a corporation that have a spiritual concern for all aspects that include; managing the youth organizations, men and women associations, handling marital issues, rehabilitation of poor members, organizing vocational training to the jobless, ministry to the inmates, anger management in the church, ministering to the sick, economic issues etc.

All of these facets require qualified personnel to run them; qualified personnel require human resources and managerial skill with the application of divine wisdom through the Holy Spirit.

A church administrator must has a well-rounded educational, business and theological background because his duties involves; human resource management, risk management, budgeting, purchasing, land acquisition and building programs etc.

Church administration involves the accomplishment of gospel goals which is one of the Biblical realities. Church administration must never be perceived as "secular," in contrast to the "spiritual" ministries of the pastor. Rather it is the spiritual oversight of the church, with a view to leading God's people to "grow up in Christ" in the very performance of the church's ministry.

The administration of the New Testament church was characterized by trust in God and love for each other. There was functional awareness of the church as a Spirit-filled community, and the ever-present "functional" approach. Administration is not a fixed, static method of doing things, but is closely related to ministering, or serving.



The Administrator

Hartzell Spence sets forth the essential qualifications of the minister who is a good administrator in the following way: To be sincerely pious, narrow to the point of narrow-minded in his private life, a master politician with both his parish and the higher church organization, and a financial performer. He works with assurance, enthusiasm, and value to every activity. His readiness to serve will inspire service, and his goal will give meaning and direction to the people.



1.     Church Administration is theologically Oriented – Church administration suffers primarily from two abuses, namely, a misunderstanding of its essential nature and a perversion of its potential values. Some pastors become frustrated because they perceive administration to be mere mechanical procedures and methods which is not.

2.     Church Administration and the Minister - There is a need for the pastor to relate his own attitudes to the administrative function of his ministry with personal oversight worship, evangelism, missions, teaching, stewardship of giving, indeed, the total stewardship of the whole of life.

In order that the pastor may properly relate in this comprehensive sphere, we will suggest these features vital to successful administration.

1.      Bringing Creativity to His Task – Fresh insight and the adventurous spirit are important personal ingredients. Individual initiative is a quality without which creativeness cannot long live. Dimock (1945) declares that “no one can organize others until he has successfully organized himself”. The pastor should have a definite sense of time stewardship, as Sangster (1952).

2.      A Creative Study and Planning – worthy program demand just as good sermonizing and planned worship requires planning. In the process of creative planning, the pastor and other leaders of the local church should keep a wise balance between the use of their own ideas and the helpful ideas.



Key roles and functions of a successful administrator:

1.     The good administrator protects the ministry – He or she should protect the church by making sure there is financial accountability.

2.     The administrator represents the church to the general public

3.     To checkmate all areas of risk and liability that may prone the church to trouble.

4.     The church administrator is constantly observing the congregation for any problems or unusual actions that may create a disturbance.

5.     The administrator interviews and screens new employees that wishes to work under the coffer of the church.

6.     Deals in conflict resolution when there is an issue between members and non members of his church.

The administrator may not have all the educational credentials or many years of experience; however, he must be people-oriented, loves the church and is a loyal, committed, servant-leader as a true church administrator.

Needful Skills

God has appointed some people and talented with gifts of administration according to – 1 Cor. 12:28. Yet, every minister must be equipped with the relevant skills in administrating their local assemblies. Here, the Holy Spirit plays an essential role in taking the raw materials of gospel potential and turning them into the sweet fruit of gospel impact. I mean God uses the unlearned, unsocial entities to confuse the wisdom of the world.

1.      Excellent communication skills to run an efficient organization. Many churches have experienced devastating events, all due to a lack of people-to-people communication.

2.      Devotion of proportionate time to administration – Yet, ministers realize that administration is important but allocate little time to it.

3.      Application of the principle of delegation of duties – Lesson can be learned from the business executive concerning the delegating of responsibility, as suggested by Jethro, recorded in Exodus chapter 18:.

4.      Understanding of the nature of the church and its ministry – For the pastor's ministry is the church's ministry. Therefore, the church is first of all a spiritual fellowship of redeemed persons Newman, (1952).



Challenges

1.     Pastor may face people with divergent view on church issues

2.     The administrator will see and hear things that may not encouraging but he must keep to himself or herself, as well as in prayer.





Admonition

1.     Ministers should give his people leadership that is pastoral in spirit and concern.

2.     He should make the Word of God, the manual and highest authority in the church.

3.     So train your people with every skill; equip them with the truth of the gospel; help them to always depend on the Spirit of God.

4.     The proper pastoral leadership must serve to make the welfare of the members imperative.

5.     The administrator must be spiritually mature and walk in integrity and honesty. The Bible says, "The integrity of the upright will guide them" (Prov. 11:3, NKJV







 Pastor E.O. Oketola
 CAC Ona-Igbala,
 Alapere DCC
 Lagos.

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