Management Skills Needed by Pastors

Steve Timmis co-founded The Crowded House in Sheffield, UK, in the early 2000s. It became influential for its “missional community” model—small, tightly knit house churches aimed at gospel-centered life and outreach. He was also the Chief  Executive Officer of ‘Acts 29’ after Mark Driscoll’s exit.  However his authoritarian leadership, micromanagement of others decisions led to widespread discouragement and he was first removed from the leadership of ‘Acts 29’.  People felt manipulated and unsafe and any questioning of Mark led to marginalisation or exclusion.  The Crowded House then underwent major changes.

This case illustrates how good theology and innovation don’t guarantee good leadership. Without humility, accountability, and emotional intelligence, a gospel-centered vision can become spiritually oppressive.

Minister/elders, like any leaders, benefit from developing strong management skills to effectively lead their congregations and manage church operations, including areas such as finance, communication, and volunteer coordination.  It is a concern that much ministerial training is concerned with theology and relatively little on management issues.  It is of interest that Oakhill Theological College have introduced a course to help leaders handle the management challenges of their role.  This course is being run in conjunction with Living Leadership, an organisation that helps address the need for Christian management training.

Here is an outline on why these management skills are important.  This is a further reason why it is not wise for ministry trainees to go straight from theological college to lead a church.  A period of being a ministry apprentice or a curate is a vital part of training.  Churches need not only better preachers but also better managers.

Leadership:

An ability to build good relationships is fundamental in any aspiring to be effective church leaders.

Vision and Strategy:  Minister/elders need to be able to articulate a clear vision for the church and develop strategies to achieve it and take people with them.

Delegation and Empowerment:  Effective leaders delegate tasks and empower others, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility within the church congregation.

Conflict Resolution:  Clergy often need to mediate disagreements and resolve conflicts within the church community.  This can be difficult especially when there is a tension between what is best for the church and your concern for an individual.  A wise leader understands that the benefit of the church must be the priority but will do all he can to lessen any damage.

Team Building:  Building a strong and supportive team of volunteers and staff is crucial for the smooth functioning of the church.  A major feature of a good leader is that people want to work closely with them and that difficult decisions are those of the leadership team.

Communication:  Clergy must be able to communicate effectively and warmly with their congregation, staff, and the wider community.  Distance and coldness definitely impairs effectiveness.

Organisational Skills:

Planning and Event Management:  Clergy often need to plan and manage events, services, and outreach activities.

Record Keeping:  Maintaining accurate records of membership, finances, and other church activities is essential.

Resource Management:  Effectively managing the church's resources, including finances, facilities, and volunteers, is crucial.

Financial Management:

Relatively few minister/elders will have all these skills. This why an ability to build close relationships with others with these skills is so important.

Budgeting and Financial Planning:  Clergy need to be able to manage the church's finances, including budgeting, fundraising, and financial reporting.

Stewardship:  Clergy should be able to promote responsible stewardship of church resources among the congregation.

Communication Skills:

Active Listening:  Clergy need to be able to listen attentively to the needs and concerns of their congregation. Those who make decisions without asking others their opinion will eventually lose support.

Empathy and Compassion:  Understanding and responding to the emotional needs of others is crucial in pastoral care. 

Public Speaking:  Clergy will need to deliver sermons, presentations, and other public addresses. The growth of a church will depend to a considerable extent on this skill to keep making these talks interesting and informative.

Community Engagement:

Building Relationships:  Leaders need to be able to build relationships with members of the congregation and the wider community. 

Outreach:  Clergy should be involved in church outreach efforts, both within the local community and beyond. 

Pastoral Care:

Counselling and Support:  Ministers often provide counselling and support to individuals and families in times of need.

Spiritual Guidance:  Ministers need to be able to offer spiritual guidance and support to their congregation.  For this reason experience of life in the real world is invaluable

Other Important Skills:

Technology Proficiency:  Ministers should be able to use technology effectively for communication, administration, and ministry. 

Conflict Resolution:  Clergy often need to mediate disagreements and resolve conflicts within the church community.

Adaptability:  The ability to adapt to changing circumstances and challenges is important for any leader.

This list is daunting and clearly there is no-one with all these skills.  This is why an ability to attract and work within a close team of other leaders as well as explaining the reason for decisions to the church memebership is vital for the long-term growth and sustainability of the church.

There is a high incidence of burn-out and disillusionment within church leaders often because they are not coping with all the stresses of the job.  By developing their management skills, church leaders can reduce stress and have more energy to focus on their ministry.

Diotrephes is a little-known but potent Biblical example of mismanagement inthe early church. In the short letter of 3 John, the apostle John warns about him by name:

“ I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us.  So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.” 3 John 9–10

Diotrephes “loves to be first”, His own thinking trumped the apostles teaching about Jesus and the gospel.  He rejected visiting missionaries, and even excommunicated those who opposed him.  He used his leadership position to control rather than shepherd.  John’s rebuke is strong:

“Do not imitate what is evil but what is good.” 3 John 9:11

Even in the earliest churches, ego-driven leadership threatened a gospel-centered community. This is one of Scripture’s clearest examples of toxic church management.