MANAGEMENT OF

CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS
COURSE CODE: MACM 607

CHRISTIAN SERVICE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

DEPARTMENT OF THEOLOGY
Table of Contents
MODULE ONE: CHRISTIAN RELIGION AS AN ORGANISATION....................................................................... 2
MODULE TWO: BIBLICAL PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT ........................................................................ 10
MODULE THREE: MANAGEMENT THEORIES............................................................................................... 22
MODULE FOUR: MANAGING CHURCH RESOURCES.................................................................................... 43
MODULE FIVE: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CHURCH ........................................................ 71
MODULE SIX: CONFLICT MANAGEMENT .................................................................................................... 83
MODULE EIGHT: TIME MANAGEMENT ....................................................................................................... 93

Course Overview

This course covers the theory, principles, and practice of Management with special reference to Christian
Religious and Faith-Based Organizations, and the challenges of managing Christian organizations within
the African socio-cultural milieu and one that is predominantly secular.

Course Objectives

The course is intended to:

1. Expose students to management concepts and principles

2. Equip students to be familiar with early management scholars and their thought
3. Enable students to manage Christian organizations effectively
4. Guide students to apply management principles in their stewardship
5. Equip students to evaluate and appraise firms in making better management decisions through case
studies.

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 MODULE ONE

CHRISTIAN RELIGION AS AN ORGANISATION

OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to:

• Write the Key Verse from memory

• Define Christian Religion as an Organisation
• Identify the Characteristics of the Christian Religion
• Define Faith-Based Organisation
• Distinguish between Christian Religious and Faith-based Organisations.

KEY VERSE:
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place (Acts 2: 1)

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 INTRODUCTION

The church can be considered both a spiritual and physical organisation that exists to address the spiritual
and physical needs of the people of God (congregation). As an organisation, its responsibility stretches
beyond the needs of the congregation to the rest of humanity.

DEFINITION OF CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS ORGANISATION

Before we provide the basic characteristics of the Christian Religion as an organisation, it is essential to
dive into the simple definition of religion by Durkheim (1915). Religion is a unified set of beliefs and
practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden – beliefs and practices which
unite into one single moral community called a Church (Durkheim, 1915). The definition highlights key
issues that are well captured in the teachings of churches. For instance, Methodism is marked by an
acceptance of the doctrines of historic Christianity; by an emphasis on those doctrines that indicate the
power of the Holy Spirit to confirm the faith of the believer and transform his personal life; by insistence
that the heart of religion lies in a personal relationship with God; by the simplicity of worship; by the
partnership of ordained ministers and laity in the worship and administration of the church; by a concern
for the underprivileged and the betterment of social conditions (Reuteler, 2013). Catechism of the Catholic
Church (2000) highlighted that believing in Jesus Christ and in the One who sent him for our salvation is
necessary for obtaining that salvation… Salvation comes from God alone; but because we receive the life
of faith through the Church, she is our mother: "We believe the Church as the mother of our new birth, and
not in the Church as if she were the author of our salvation." Because she is our mother, she is also our
teacher in the faith.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION AS AN ORGANISATION

• A religious organization is an organization that has a gathering for worship as its main
purpose

One of the key characteristics of an organisation is that it must have a purpose. Luke provided a window
into the Christian religion as an organisation that meets for worship as its main purpose when he wrote to
Theophilus.

All who believed were together and had all things in common;… Day by day, as they spent much time
together in the temple, they broke bread from house to house and ate their food with glad and generous
hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people (Acts 2: 44–47).

Paul also prescribed the core mission of the church as an organisation in his letter to the congregation at
Corinth. 1 Corinthians 14: 26:

When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation…

And in Colossians 3:16, Paul exhorted the congregation to:

teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns,
and spiritual songs to God;

In the First Letter to Timothy, the elders are encouraged to:

give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching. (1 Timothy 4: 13)

Over the years, Christians have put in much effort to gather and worship irrespective of the cost either to
their lives or properties, even though, Jesus did not give definite instructions about religious activity except
instructing His followers to share bread and wine in remembrance of him:

The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he
broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, he
took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you
drink it, in remembrance of me.’ (1 Corinthians 11: 23–25).

This is not to say that worship is the only religious activity undertaken by Christians– there are two
‘imperatives’ experienced by Christian religious organizations: (i) worship and (ii) proclamation – but it is
to say that worship is essential to the definition of a religious organization.

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 • A Christian Religious Organisation has structures – deliberately?

A religious organisation might have a purpose – to gather for worship; it might also experience an external
authority structure that requires it to live and proclaim the Kingdom of God. However, whether a
congregation is deliberately structured is an interesting question. The Apostles and the early Christians
gathered for worship, prayer, proclamation, and other activities inspired by Jesus and his resurrection. As
the generations passed, the structure evolved, somewhat differently in each place. Paul wrote in his letter
to the church of Corinth:

8
To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by
means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by that one
Spirit, 10 to another miraculous power, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to
another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All
these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
1st Corinthians 12: 8 –11

Paul helped the congregations of Corinth to recognise that different people performed different functions
but these were ‘gifts’ rather than offices. However, by the time of the later Letter to the Ephesians, the list
of gifts looked more like a list of office-holders:

11
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip
his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the
faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the
fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4: 11–13)

In Jerusalem ‘deacons’ were appointed to serve at tables (Acts 6: 1– 6), and ‘elders’ listed alongside the
apostles (Acts 15: 6). In the letters to Timothy, we find elders structured into an embryonic hierarchy, tasked
with passing on the teaching that they had received (1 Timothy 4: 6, 16–17) and subject to an appointment
process and a disciplinary code (1 Timothy 5: 17–22). An interesting passage regarding the deliberate
structure in the scriptures is in the third letter of John:

I have written something to the church; but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not
acknowledge our authority. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing in spreading false
charges against us. And not content with those charges, he refuses to welcome the friends and even
prevents those who want to do so and expels them from the church. (3 John 9–10)

Diotrephes appears to be an ‘overseer’ exerting his authority to define the boundaries of the congregation.
The letter might constitute a rejection of Diotrephes’ activities. The purpose of these offices is to assist the

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purpose of the church – worship, and proclamation of the gospel because every authority structure in the
church remains subject to the authority of God.

The Biblical Basis for the Structural Positions in the Church (Harvestime International Institute, (n.d.)).

Title References in the Bible Duties

Bishop I Timothy 3:1-7 Many consider a bishop to be similar to a pastor.
Philippians 1:1 He does have long-term care over a group of
Titus 1:5-9 believers.
I Peter 5:2-3
Deacon Acts 6:1-7 These verses indicate deacons have a ministry of
Philippians 1:1 serving and helping.
I Timothy 3:8-13
Deaconess I Timothy 3:11 Deaconesses are not specifically mentioned in the
Romans 16:1-2 Bible. Some churches have adopted this term for
the wives of deacons or other women who
minister in serving or help.
Elders I Timothy 5:17 These verses indicate elders provide leadership in
I Peter 5:1-4 church decisions, minister to the needs of
Titus 1:5 believers, and assist in the development and care
James 5:14 of local bodies of believers.
Acts 20:17,28-32
Acts 14:23; 15
Acts 16:4; 11:30

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 • The Christian religion is its congregations (social entity?)

An organisation is considered a social entity. Luke in Acts 2: 44 – 47 painted a clear picture of the church
as a social entity:

All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions
and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much
time together in the temple, they broke bread from house to house and ate their food with glad
and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.

From the beginning, gathering together was essential to the life of the Christians and the nature of the
congregation, and that gathering was for two connected purposes: the worship of God and the spiritual and
physical health of the congregation. So, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews encourages a congregation
to

provoke one another to love and do good deeds, not neglecting to meet together… (Hebrews 10: 25–26)

For more than 2,000 years, the congregation of believers gathered for these same purposes – worship and
spiritual and physical well-being of the people of God. Thus, Christians gather for Eucharist, for prayer, for
singing praise to God, for inspiration, for education, for the sharing of God’s gifts (physical as well as
spiritual), for mutual encouragement, and proclamation of the Kingdom of God’s nearness and future
coming.

As people from diverse backgrounds come together, our society’s institutions and its culture are heavily
influenced by what we might still call ‘Christian values’. The Church as a social institution plays a major
role in helping the members of society with their social needs e.g. conflict, poverty, social injustice,
education, health, and bonding the family members together. These aspects of the church are carried out by
some of the institutional arms of the church – Faith-based Organisations.

DEFINITION OF FAITH-BASED ORGANISATION

o Faith-based organizations (FBOs) are entities dedicated to specific religious identities, often
including a social or moral component (The World Bank, 18 October 2022).
o A faith-based organisation is an organization that does not have worship as its primary purpose but
is attached to a religious organisation and religious tradition (Torry, 2014). For instance, Castelli

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 and McCarthy (1997) divide faith-based groups into three sets: (1) congregations; (2) national
networks, which include national denominations, their social service arms (e.g., Catholic Charities,
Lutheran Social Services), and networks of related organizations (such as YMCA and YWCA);
and (3) freestanding religious organizations (which are incorporated separately from congregations
and national networks but have a religious basis).
o The origin of a faith-based organization will almost always be found among a group of believers
concerned about a social problem and wanting to make a difference (Torry, 2014).

Importance of Faith-Based Organisations

• Bring together resources to achieve desired goals and outcomes

• Produce goods and services efficiently
• Facilitate innovation
• Use modern manufacturing and information technologies
• Adapt to and influence a changing environment
• Create value for owners, customers, and employees
• Accommodate ongoing challenges of diversity, ethics, and the motivation and coordination of
employees

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Further Reading

Rush, M. (2003). Management: A Biblical Approach, 2nd edition. Colorado: Cook Communication
Ministries

Harvestime International Institute (n.d). Biblical Management Principles. http://www.harvestime.org

References

Boapeah, S.N. (2014). Principles of church management: Managing people, programmes, and possessions
in the local church. Kumasi: Faith Alive.

Rush, M. (2003). Management: A Biblical Approach, 2nd edition. Colorado: Cook Communication
Ministries

Harvestime International Institute (n.d). Biblical Management Principles. http://www.harvestime.org

Anumah, I. (2020). Conflict Management. Abuja: NOUN Press

Rahim, M. A. (2001). Managing Conflict in Organizations, 3rd Edition. Westport: Quorum Books

The World Bank, (18 October 2022). Faith-Based and Religious Organizations. Received from
https://www.worldbank.org/en/about/partners/brief/faith-based-organizations on 18 October 2022

Libreria Editrice Vaticana (2000). Catechism of the Catholic Church. United States Catholic Conference,
Inc. NE, Washington.

Reuteler, J. T. (2013). The Essentials of Methodism. Covenant Bible Studies. Aurora: Colorado

Torry, M. (2014). Managing Faith-Based and Mission Organizations. In: Managing Religion: The
Management of Christian Religious and Faith-Based Organizations. Palgrave Macmillan, London.
https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137439284_2

Torry, M. (2014). Managing Religion: The Management of Christian Religious and Faith-Based
Organizations, Volume I: Internal Relationships, Palgrave Macmillan: New York (Pages 1 – 21)

Schermerhorn, J. R., (2013). Management .12e. New York: J. Wiley & Sons.

Daft, R. L. (2020). Management. South-Western, Cengage Learning.

Daft, R. (2019). Organisation Theory and Design. New York: South-Western College.

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 MODULE TWO

BIBLICAL PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT

OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to:

• Write the Key Verse from memory

• Appreciate the Biblical Philosophy of Management
• Distinguish the difference between the Biblical and Humanistic Worldview of
Management
• Appreciate the Servant Leadership
• Identify the qualities of Christian Leadership

KEY VERSE:
He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved
because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know
all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.” (John 21:17)

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 Introduction

Management as a field of study emerged from the writings and experiences of scholars and

professionals from economics, psychology, sociology, physics, etc. For instance, the classical

approach to management was pioneered by scholars such as Frederick W. Taylor (Scientific

Management Theory – mechanical engineer), Henri Fayol (Administrative Principles – engineer),

and Max Weber (Bureaucratic Organisation – sociologist). The Neoclassical Theory of

Management has theorists such as Elton Mayo (The human relations movement – psychologist),

Abraham Maslow (Hierarchy of Needs – psychologist), and Douglas McGregor (Theory X and Y

– psychology). The majority of business schools approached the concept of management from

these secular management worldviews that are premised on humanistic and materialistic tenets.

Materialism (physicalism) in philosophy, is the view that all facts (including facts about the human

mind and will and the course of human history) are causally dependent upon physical processes,

or even reducible to them (Britannica, 20th December 2022). Humanism is an approach to life that

is based on reason and our common humanity, recognizing that moral values are properly founded

on human nature and experience alone (American Humanist Association, 20th December 2022).

The two philosophies contradict the fundamental essence of the human person because they reduce

the human person to just atoms, nature, and the ultimate in himself. Rush (2003) argued that this

popular approach to management is appealing to human’s fallen nature because it gives managers

and leaders the control to manipulate and exploit their subordinates. For example, Mary Parker

Follett defines management as the “art of getting things done through other people”. The wounded

nature of human beings will allow managers to treat their employees as just a means but not an

end. Hence, it is imperative to understand the biblical essence of the human person in order to

articulate the proper meaning of management.

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THE ESSENCE OF THE HUMAN PERSON

Joseph Ratzinger opined, “The Bible defines the human being in his essence (which precedes all

history and is never lost in history) with two distinctive features: (1) Man is created in the image

and likeness of God (Gen 1:26) and (2) All human beings are one because they come from a single

father, Adam, and a single mother, Eve, "the mother of all the living" (Gen 3:20)… Both aspects,

the divine dignity of the human race and the oneness of its origin and destiny, are definitively

sealed in the figure of the second Adam, Christ: the Son of God died for all, to unite everyone in

the definitive salvation of divine filiation. And so the common dignity of all men appears with

total clarity: ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not

male and female; for you are one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28)”’ (Ratzinger, 20th December 2022,

para 1 – 3). Because of man’s relationship with God, the human person, who is made in the image

and likeness of Christ and the Trinity, has a face: he is not just a number, but rather, firmly rooted

in love and truth. This Christian concept of human beings brings unity and diversity together in

man. In Christ, truth, love, reason, and relationship are incarnated through love. Christ is the

perfect image of God; He is formed as the perfect model for the human person who is created in

the “image and likeness” of God (Proniewski, 2018).

BIBLICAL PHILOSOPHY OF MANAGEMENT

The true essence of the human being outlined in the Bible calls for much to be desired in terms of

our understanding of the contrast between the secular philosophy of management and Biblical

management’s paradigm. Christians’ understanding of management must be premised on Biblical

Philosophy rather than humanistic and materialistic worldviews.

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 • What Biblical Philosophy of Management is Not?

One way of understanding who you are is to grasp the meaning of who you are not. The Old

Testament presents what management is not through the description of wicked kings who lorded

over their people and led them astray. The 2nd book of Kings offers us a foretaste of what

management or leadership is not.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five
years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the
detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt
the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an
Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and
worshiped them… But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray so that they did
more evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites. (2 Kings 21:1-18)

The story of King Manasseh who is considered the longest-serving king of all the kings of the
kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah revealed two main issues. First, management divorced
from the principles of God bring hardship and suffering to the subordinates. The leader used
oppression to control and manipulate the people to subdue them to his reign. Authoritarianism
leads to resentment among employees. People develop negative attitudes such as coming late,
carelessly performing tasks, and laziness. Second, such leadership also leads people astray. The
subjects follow the wicked ways of the management and exhibit rudeness toward other employees
or management and spread or create rumours.

The Bible also warned against leaders or managers who silently condone evil like Ahab, king of
Israel (1st Kings 21:1–16; 1st Kings 18:13; 1st Kings 22:1–28)

King Ahab of Israel, son of King Omri, was married to Jezebel. In his day, the Kingdom
of Israel degenerated further into idolatry, and many atrocities were committed.
Queen Jezebel hid behind Ahab’s power to commit evil in Israel:

In Ahab’s name, she devised a plan to successfully kill Naboth so that Ahab can usurp
his vineyard. 1 Kings 21:1–16.

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 She also proceeded to lay hands on the prophets of God and killed them. 1 Kings 18:13

More so, King Ahab persecuted Micaiah the prophet of God, committing him to prison
for prophesying that he, Ahab, would die in a war with the Syrians.

The behaviour of King Ahab highlights leadership styles that are alien to Biblical management:
Laissez-faire and autocratic. The Bible has made it clear that a leader who sits aloof and watches
evil happen is as guilty as those who perpetuate evil. Such attitude is condemned in the book of
Revelation 3:16, “So, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my
mouth”. Although, Jezebel facilitated the death of Naboth with the seal of the King, however, King
Ahab is equally as guilty as Jezebel for the murder of Naboth and other prophets of God. The King
pretentiously watched the death of Naboth and took possession of his property.

Autocratic leaders also applaud the humanistic definition of management because it appeals to
their fallen human nature. For instance, Mary Parker Follett’s definition of management “as the
art of getting things done through people” opens the floodgates for abuses, manipulations, and
controls. Rush (2003: 5) shows that the majority of employees interviewed concerning their
feelings towards the attitudes of the managers and how Mary Parker Follett’s definition of
management impacts their work relationship expressed the following sentiments:

a. Management sees people as tools to use to get a job done.

b. My boss is interested in my back, not my brain.
c. I’m paid to work, not to think.
d. I do the work, but the manager gets the credit.
e. They are not interested in me as a person, only in what I can do for them.

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 • What Biblical Philosophy of Management Is?

A new paradigm of management must align with the essence of the human being. Both the New

and Old Testaments present the Biblical Philosophy of Management that upholds the dignity of

the human person.

• Steward

In the bible, leaders are considered the steward of God’s creation. For instance, the creation

account in the book of Genesis demonstrates stewardship as the core of management.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth… So God created mankind
in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created
them… “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all
the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you, it shall be for food. Also, to
every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the
earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.
Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. (Genesis
1:1- 2, 27- 28)

The fact that God created the heavens and the earth means that our very lives are stewardship. We
must one day stand before our Creator and give an account of how we have spent the gift of life
we have been given. The human being was to be a steward and a manager of what God had created.
Management here is seen as a responsibility to take care of what has been entrusted unto us as the
children of God.

• Servant

The mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee brought them to Jesus and respectfully asked
for a favour. She wanted her sons to sit on both sides of the throne of Jesus. Jesus indicated that
anybody who wants to be a leader must be a servant. Christ demonstrated the distinction between
secular and biblical leadership in Matt 20: 20 – 28:

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling
before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?”

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 She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand
and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you
are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We
are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and
my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my
Father.” And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But
Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it
over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among
you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever
would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to
be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus Christ invited his disciples to share his Servant Leadership as compared to the Authoritarian

Management the world bestows on us. He presented a leadership philosophy that had eluded the

world and was in contrast to the worldview of a leader.

A paradigm that anchors on self-giving and caring for one another. It is the antithesis of worldly

leadership – leaders who manipulate, control and use others for their selfish interests. Such

management leads to unnecessary competition and destruction of one another. The disciples had

witnessed such positions in society so they had a legitimate reason for their reservations and

agitations. Jesus who knew the heart of the human being timely intervened and helped his disciples

to understand the true meaning of leadership. “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over

them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you.” Jesus

instructed his disciples to embrace the paradigm shift – servant leadership that He brought to the

world. He went further to demonstrate to His disciples the meaning of servant leadership in the

Gospel of John 13:6 – 10. Jesus washed the feet of His disciples to usher them into the new

management system that must brighten the world.

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 • Servant Leadership – A wounded shepherd shepherding wounded sheep

Jesus Christ assumes our human flesh to show us what it means to be a true human – compassion.

Peter trumpeted his loyalty and braveness before Jesus and the rest of his fellow disciples that he

would never betray Jesus. However, he was not able to keep his promise when the hour arrived.

Peter betrayed Jesus three consecutive times by insisting that he had nothing to do with Jesus.

Jesus out of the abundance of compassion allowed Peter to redeem himself in John 21:17:

He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved
because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know
all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.

The dialogue between Jesus and Peter in the passage is a reiteration of the message in Genesis 1:1-
2, 27- 28. Jesus restored the stewardship role that God gave Adam in the book of Genesis.
However, before assigning Peter the new responsibility, Jesus restores His relationship with Peter
by allowing Peter to publicly profess his love for Him three consecutive times. Jesus demonstrated
that He was the Chief Shepherd who gave up His life for His sheep. Jesus invited Peter and all his
disciples to take part in caring for his people. The text “feed my sheep” means more than just
giving them food. Managers or leaders are called to nurture others, care for the church, feed
believers and the lost with spiritual food, protect those in the church, and go out and seek the lost
“sheep” that are still out in the world.

OUR WORKING DEFINITION OF MANAGEMENT

"Management" is another word for "stewardship.” "Stewards,” or "managers,” are responsible for
something entrusted to them by someone else. Hence, from the biblical perspective, Management
is the process of accomplishing God's purposes and plans through the help of our fellow human
beings and the use of material, and spiritual resources entrusted to us. Based on our working
definition of management, we can examine the characteristics of Christian management and
leadership using the book of Nehemiah before we proceed to explore the secular theories regarding
management in Chapter three with our new paradigm.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP OR MANAGEMENT

The book of Nehemiah presents the characteristics of Christian leadership or management. It

demonstrates how much managers can accomplish when they align themselves with the will and
plan of God.

❖ Leadership is a response to God’s call (Vocation)

12
I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do
for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding (Nehemiah 2:12).

Nehemiah recognised right from the onset that leadership is a calling from God. The concept of
“Calling” is very fascinating because embedded in it is the ability to listen. The virtue of good
listening is essential in responding to the call of God. Good listening is stressed because without
such virtue a manager or a leader will get distracted. Leaders must hear God’s calling to lead and
respond to that call. Nehemiah understands his role as a leader as a calling from God.

❖ Leadership is caring for people and identifying with them

17
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been
burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace… The
God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding,” (Nehemiah 2:17, 20).

Three words are essential in the text … “We”, “Us”, and “His Servants”. Nehemiah identifies with
the people of God. He uses the inclusive pronoun “We”, and “Us” to demonstrate to the people
about togetherness and true caring. Nehemiah did not consider himself a leader but a servant of
the servants of God. Pope Gregory the first reechoed the servant of the servants of God to
demonstrate true humility. Managers are called to serve the people of God.

❖ Leadership is about defining the reality of the situation.

17
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been
burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace… The
God of heaven will give us success.” (Nehemiah 2:17, 20).

Nehemiah did not use fear to control or manipulate the people of God. He just assessed the
common situation faced by all of them. He demonstrated the virtue of honesty by describing the

18 | MANAGEMENT OF CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS

reality of the condition and exulting the people of God to have trust in God because He alone can
give them success but not him, Nehemiah. Peter Senge said, “Nothing is more limiting to a group
than the inability to talk about the truth.” Defining the reality of the situation must be premised on
honesty and truthfulness.

❖ Leadership is about seeking direction and the vision of God

12
I set out during the night with a few others… what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem…”
(Nehemiah 2:12)

There is only one vision. Nehemiah demonstrates the essence of always asking God to provide
direction and align with His Vision. He recognised that a true vision must come from God. It must
be a God-inspired and God-revealed vision. The vision is “what God has put into my heart” (2:12).
Only God’s vision entrusted to the leader can withstand the test of time and devastating situations.

❖ Leadership is about prayers.

4
When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before
the God of heaven. (Nehemiah 1:4)

Nehemiah understood that prayer is the weapon of a leader. As leaders, managers, and people of
God, we must position ourselves in the right place to hear God’s voice through prayers. Nehemiah
invites us to acknowledge that it is only God who can grant us success in our ministry.

11
Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your
servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him
favour in the presence of this man.” (Nehemiah 1:11)

❖ Leadership is about teamwork

18
I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said
to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. (Nehemiah
2:18)

Nehemiah gained the trust of the people. This permitted him to build a team that could make the
vision happen. People shared the responsibility to accomplish the goal. No one person, not even

19 | MANAGEMENT OF CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS

Nehemiah, could accomplish this vision alone. Nehemiah began with a few, then he expanded the
team to include virtually everyone.

❖ Leadership is about the appreciation of the division of labour

Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate… 2 The men of
Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zakkur son of Imri built next to them…3 The Fish Gate was rebuilt
by the sons of Hassenaah… 4 Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next
to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of
Baana also made repairs. 5 The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa… 12 Shallum son of
Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.
(Nehemiah 3:1- 32)

The talents of the people were named and used (chapter 3). Different people worked on different
sections of the wall. People were assigned to work closest to their homes.

❖ Leadership is about perseverance in God but not being discouraged by adversity.

As they rebuilt the wall, they were ridiculed and mocked. Their enemies did everything possible
to discourage them. They threatened to tell untrue stories about Nehemiah. Nehemiah listened but
persisted. Nehemiah knew he was “doing great work” (6:3) and could not come down from the
wall to debate with the enemies. Nehemiah persisted even when adversity came. God’s people
cannot give up when adversity comes.

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Further Reading

Rush, M. (2003). Management: A Biblical Approach, 2nd edition. Colorado: Cook Communication
Ministries

Harvestime International Institute (n.d). Biblical Management Principles. http://www.harvestime.org

References

Boapeah, S.N. (2014). Principles of church management: Managing people, programmes, and possessions
in the local church. Kumasi: Faith Alive.

Rush, M. (2003). Management: A Biblical Approach, 2nd edition. Colorado: Cook Communication
Ministries

Harvestime International Institute (n.d). Biblical Management Principles. http://www.harvestime.org

Anumah, I. (2020). Conflict Management. Abuja: NOUN Press

Rahim, M. A. (2001). Managing Conflict in Organizations, 3rd Edition. Westport: Quorum Books

The World Bank, (18 October 2022). Faith-Based and Religious Organizations. Received from
https://www.worldbank.org/en/about/partners/brief/faith-based-organizations on 18 October 2022

Libreria Editrice Vaticana (2000). Catechism of the Catholic Church. United States Catholic Conference,
Inc. NE, Washington.

Reuteler, J. T. (2013). The Essentials of Methodism. Covenant Bible Studies. Aurora: Colorado

Torry, M. (2014). Managing Faith-Based and Mission Organizations. In: Managing Religion: The
Management of Christian Religious and Faith-Based Organizations. Palgrave Macmillan, London.
https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137439284_2

Torry, M. (2014). Managing Religion: The Management of Christian Religious and Faith-Based
Organizations, Volume I: Internal Relationships, Palgrave Macmillan: New York (Pages 1 – 21)

Schermerhorn, J. R., (2013). Management .12e. New York: J. Wiley & Sons.

Daft, R. L. (2020). Management. South-Western, Cengage Learning.

Daft, R. (2019). Organisation Theory and Design. New York: South-Western College.

21 | MANAGEMENT OF CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS

 MODULE THREE

MANAGEMENT THEORIES

OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to:

• explain management theories

• apply appropriate management theories’ concepts in solving issues relating to Christian
Religious Organisation
• apply management theories’ concepts in solving issues relating to Faith-Based
Organisations

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 Introduction

Organizations are independent actors in society, and not simply aggregates of the individual activities of
their participants (Torry, 2014). At the core of the attributes of organisation are the people who constitute
organisations, the objectives that organisations pursue, and the resources required to meet those objectives.
Because people and scarce resources are involved, both psychology and economics will complement our
biblical philosophy of management and organisation because organizations are best viewed as independent
actors in society, we shall find sociology useful too (Torry, 2014, p.23). This will help us to address a
critical question, “To what extent the secular theory can enhance our understanding of religious and faith-
based organizations and of how they are and should be managed?” (Torry, 2014).

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DEFINITION OF A THEORY

A Theory is a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain
phenomena (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, June 29, 2019). A set of assumptions, propositions, or accepted
facts that attempt to provide a plausible or rational explanation of cause-and-effect (causal) relationships
among a group of observed phenomena (Business Dictionary, June 29, 2019). Therefore, management
Theory is a collection of ideas that set forth general rules on how to manage a business or organisation
(Business Dictionary, June 29, 2019). The evolution of management theories is drawn from economics,
psychology, sociology, etc.

CLASSICAL SCHOOLS OF MANAGEMENT

The Industrial Revolution in the late 19th century and early 20th century gave birth to one of the essential
schools of management thought, the classical management theory, to address issues relating to the factory
system. Managers were overwhelmed with the increasing number of employees and how to train them to
work effectively and efficiently for the benefit of the new industry. As a result, the classical management
theory developed from efforts to find the “one best way” to perform and manage tasks. Thus, how to find
a harmonious relationship between people in adjacent layers, ‘principal’ and ‘agent’?
Frederick Tylor succinctly summarised the relationship, “What the workmen want from their employers
beyond anything else is high wages, and what employers want from their workmen most of all is a low
labour cost of manufacture” (Torry, 2014, p.28). The fundamental responsibility of the classical approach
to management is trying to find the best way to get the most work done by examining how the work process
was accomplished and by scrutinizing the skills of the workforce. The classical approach to management
can be divided into three distinct areas, namely: Scientific Management, Administrative Principles, and
Bureaucratic Management (Organisation).

• SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT THEORY

The key proponents of scientific management theory include Frederick W. Taylor, Frank and Lilian
Gilbreth, and Henry L. Gantt. However, Frederick Taylor (1856-1915) is often called the “father of
scientific management.” Scientific management is defined as a subfield of the classical management
perspective that emphasised scientifically determined changes in management practices as the solution to
improving labour productivity.
In the year 1898, Bethlehem Steelworks in the United States was confronted with a critical issue related to
workers not working at maximum capacity. Taylor believed that for Bethlehem Steelworks to achieve

24 | MANAGEMENT OF CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS

higher workers’ outcomes, the organisation should study tasks and develop precise procedures. Taylor
calculated how much iron from rail cars Bethlehem Steel plant workers could be unloading if they were
using the correct movements, tools, and steps. The result was an amazing 47.5 tons per day instead of the
mere 12.5 tons each worker had been averaging. In addition, by redesigning the shovels the workers used,
Taylor was able to increase the length of work time and therefore decrease the number of people shovelling
from 500 to 140. Lastly, he developed an incentive system that paid workers more money for meeting the
new standard. Productivity at Bethlehem Steel shot up overnight. In this case, Taylor’s ‘scientific
management’ generated both increased profits and increased pay, because he had managed to align
management’s and workers’ interests.
Scholars such as Frank and Lilian Gilbreth, Henry L. Gantt, and Henry Ford also contributed to and
expounded scientific management. For instance, Frank Gilbreth closely defined basic movements and
calculated construction industry tasks by adding up the times taken by the necessary basic movements.
Lilian Gilbreth also calculated the optimum amounts of work and rest for efficient production, therefore
establishing a shorter working day, paid holidays, canteens, and improved heating and lighting. Henry Gantt
at the Midvale Steel Company further humanised Taylor’s methods by specifying tasks in less detail, thus
leaving room for individual and group initiative, and paying bonuses for increased production. Finally,
Henry Ford then took industrial production in an entirely Taylorite direction by almost completely
deskilling the worker by placing them on an assembly line and ensuring that they stayed there by shortening
their working day and paying them more than they could earn elsewhere (” (Torry, 2014, p.28).

Four Principles of Scientific Management

i. Develop a standard method for performing each job: replace working with "rule of thumb," or
simple habit and common sense, and instead use the scientific method to study work and determine
the most efficient way to perform specific tasks.
ii. Select workers with appropriate abilities for each work: rather than simply assign workers to
just any job, match workers to their jobs based on capability and motivation (wage incentives), and
train them to work at maximum efficiency.
iii. Monitor worker performance, and provide instructions and supervision to ensure that they are using
the most efficient ways of working.
iv. Support workers by planning their work and eliminating interruptions: allocate the work
between managers and workers so that managers spend their time planning and training, allowing
the workers to perform their tasks efficiently.

25 | MANAGEMENT OF CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS

Contribution of Scientific Management to Management Practices
i. It demonstrated the importance of compensation for performance.
ii. It initiated a careful study of tasks and jobs.
iii. It demonstrated the importance of personnel selection and training.

Criticism against Scientific Management

i. Exploitation of Workers
Taylor's Scientific Management put unnecessary pressure on the employees to perform the work faster.
Importance was given to productivity and profitability. This resulted in the exploitation of the employees.
Therefore, many employees joined trade unions. This also resulted in mistrust between management and
employees.
ii. The Problem of Unity of Command
Taylor used functional foremanship so the workers have to report to eight bosses. This breaks the principle
of unity of command, where the workers have to report to only one boss. A lack of unity of command can
create confusion and chaos in the organisation.
iii. Mechanical Approach
Taylor's approach was mechanical. He gave too much importance to efficiency. He did not consider the
human element. Taylor considered workers as robots, which could speed up the work at any cost.
iv. The Problem of Separation of Planning from Doing
Taylor said to separate planning from doing. In reality, we cannot separate planning from doing. The
planners should also be engaged in doing, then only they will be able to make realistic plans for the
organisation.
v. Individualistic Approach
Taylor's scientific management gives too much importance to individual performance and not to group
performance. However, the success of an organisation depends not only on the individual performance of
workers but also on the group performance of workers.
vi. Wrong Assumptions
Taylor assumed that workers are motivated only by financial gains. However, in reality, workers are
motivated not by financial incentives only but also by social needs and personal egos.
vii. Narrow Application
Taylor's scientific management has a narrow application. It can be applied only when the performance of
the workers can be measured quantitatively. It can be applied only to factories where the performance can
be measured quantitatively. It cannot be used in the service sector because in this sector the performance
of a person cannot be measured quantitatively.

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 • ADMINISTRATIVE PRINCIPLES
Administrative principles are a subfield of the classical management perspective that focuses on the total
organization rather than the individual worker, outlining the management functions of planning, organizing,
commanding, coordinating, and controlling (Daft, 2010, p.40). The Administrative Theory is based on the
concept of departmentalization, which means the different activities to be performed for achieving the
common purpose of the organization should be identified and classified into different groups or
departments, such that the task can be accomplished effectively.
Henri Fayol (1841-1925) was a French Engineer, Industrialist, and a Management Consultant. He
developed the Administrative Principles in 1916 in his book, “Administration Industrielle et Générale”.
He is considered the "Father of Modern Management". Henri Fayol started the functional approach to
management. He believed that more emphasis should be laid on organisational management and the human
and behavioural factors in management. He outlined the 14 most important principles of management.
Essentially, these explained how managers should organise and interact with staff. The other experts who
contributed to the Administrative Management are Mary Parker Follett, Luther Gulick, Lyndall Urwick,
James Mooney, Alan Reiley, Oliver Sheldon, Ernest Dale, etc.

Fayol Fourteen Principles

i. Division of Work: Managerial work and technical work are amenable to specialisation to
produce more and better work with the same amount of effort. Thus, specialisation can help
employees to increase their output because they become increasingly skilled and efficient.
ii. Authority and Responsibility: Managers must have the authority to give orders, but they must
also keep in mind that with authority comes responsibility. He included both formal and
informal authority resulting from special expertise.
iii. Discipline: Discipline must be upheld in organizations, but methods for doing so can vary.
iv. Unity of Command: Employees should have only one direct supervisor. Thus, each
subordinate receives orders from one – and only one – superior.
v. Unity of Direction: Teams with the same objective should be working under the direction of
one manager using one plan. Thus, similar activities in an organisation should be grouped under
one manager. This will ensure that action is properly coordinated.
vi. Subordination of Individual Interests to the General Interest: The interests of one
employee should not be allowed to become more important than those of the group. The
organization’s interest takes precedence over the individual interest. This includes managers.
vii. Remuneration of Personnel: Employee satisfaction depends on fair remuneration for
everyone. Remuneration includes financial and non-financial compensation.

27 | MANAGEMENT OF CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS

 viii. Centralization: The degree to which authority rests at the very top. This principle refers to
how close employees are to the decision-making process. It is important to aim for an
appropriate balance.
ix. Scalar Chain: Employees should be aware of where they stand in the organization's hierarchy
or chain of command. A chain of authority extends from the top to the bottom of the
organization and should include every employee. It is imperative to educate employees to be
aware of where they stand in the organisation's hierarchy or chain of command.
x. Order: The workplace facilities must be clean, tidy, and safe for employees. Each employee
is put where they have the most value and everything should have its place.
xi. Equity: Managers should be fair to staff at all times, both maintaining discipline as necessary
and acting with kindness where appropriate. They must treat all employees fairly with justice
and respect.
xii. Stability of Tenure of Personnel: Managers should strive to minimise employee turnover.
Personnel planning should be a priority and long-term employment is important. The workers
should have the assurance of employment continuity.
xiii. Initiative: Employees should be given the necessary level of freedom to create and carry out
plans. Management should encourage innovation.
xiv. Esprit de Corps: Organizations should strive to promote team spirit and unity; share
enthusiasm or devotion to the organisation.

According to Henri Fayol, there are five functions of management, viz., Planning, Organising,
Commanding (Directing), Coordinating, and Controlling. He argued that a manager requires the following
qualities and skills to perform his or her responsibility – physical qualities, mental qualities, moral qualities,
general education, special knowledge, and work experience.

Criticism of Administrative Management Theory

Henri Fayol's management principles and functions are used even today for managing organisations.
However, his Administrative Management Theory is criticised on the following grounds:
i. Management Oriented Theory
The administrative management theory is management oriented. It does not give much attention to the
problems of the workers.
ii. Lack of Importance to Informal Organisation
The administrative management theory does not give any importance to informal organisations or groups.
It gives importance only to the formal structure.

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 iii. Concepts Borrowed from Military Science
Some of the concepts of administrative management theory were borrowed from military science. They
tried to apply these concepts to social and business organisations. For example, Henri Fayol gave
importance to "commanding" and not "directing" the workers.
iv. Mechanical Approach
The administrative management theory has a mechanical approach. It does not deal with some of the
important aspects of management such as motivation, communication, and leading.

Similarities between scientific and administrative theories of management

i. Both Scientific and Administrative management shared a common goal – to increase the efficiency
of the organisation.
ii. Work divided into specialised tasks is easy enough to learn and to be performed efficiently (a
division of labour).
iii. Managers were responsible for assigning tasks to employees and for guiding them to achieve
organisational goals (unity of direction).
iv. Payment for work was related to one’s efficiency and ability to meet the set targets (remuneration).
v. Managers and workers shared a common goal that was the foundation for cooperation between
them (esprit de corps).
vi. Managers were responsible for the employee’s work and the efficiency of the organisation.
vii. Managers were obliged to treat employees fairly.

Differences between scientific and administrative theories of management

i. Taylor wanted to achieve increased organisational efficiency by modifying how workers carry out
their tasks, but Fayol on the contrary by modifying the way the organization is managed.
ii. Taylor was trying to strip the workers from any creativity and force them to follow instructions
handed out to them by multiple managers. On the other hand, Fayol introduced centralization, the
unity of command as well as clear lines of authority and communication while preserving some
employee initiative.
iii. Fayol was also trying to ensure the stable operation of the organisation by introducing the concepts
of securing resources, subordination of individual interests to the general interest, discipline, and
stability of tenure. In comparison, Taylor completely neglected those areas.

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 • BUREAUCRATIC ORGANISATION (THEORY)
Max Weber (1864–1920), a German theorist, introduced most of the concepts of bureaucratic organizations.
Weber observed that employees were loyal to a single individual rather than to the organisation or its
mission. Bureaucracy is an administrative system designed to accomplish large-scale administrative tasks
by systematically coordinating the work of many individuals. It is a subfield of the classical management
perspective that emphasises management on an impersonal, rational basis through elements such as clearly
defined authority and responsibility, formal recordkeeping, and separation of management and ownership
(Daft, 2010, p.39). Weber observed three types of power in organisations: traditional, charismatic, and
rational-legal or bureaucratic.

i. Traditional Power
Traditional power indicates the presence of a dominant personality. This leader is someone who depends
on established tradition or order. While this leader is a dominant personality, the prevailing order in society
gives him the mandate to rule. This type of leadership, however, is reflective of everyday routine and
conduct.
ii. Charismatic Power
It points to an individual who possesses certain traits that make a leader extraordinary. This type of leader
is not only capable but possesses the superior power of charisma to rally diverse and conflict-prone people
behind him. His power comes from the massive trust and almost unbreakable faith people put in him.
iii. Rational-legal or bureaucratic Power
Rational-legal authority is grounded in clearly defined laws. The obedience of people is not based on the
capacity of any leader but on the legitimacy and competence that procedures and laws bestow upon persons
in authority. Contemporary society depends on this type of rationalisation, as the complexities of its
problems require the emergence of a bureaucracy that embodies order and systematization.

Features (Characteristics) Of Weber’s Bureaucracy

Weber outlined the following features of bureaucracy:

i. Administrative Class
Bureaucratic organisations generally have administrative classes responsible for maintaining the
coordinative activities of the members. The main features of this class are as follows:
o People are paid and are full-time employees
o They receive salary and other perquisites normally based on their positions
o Their tenure in the organisation is determined by the rules and regulations of the organization

30 | MANAGEMENT OF CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS

 o They do not have any proprietary interest in the organization
o They are selected for employment based on their competence.

ii. Hierarchy
The basic feature of a bureaucratic organisation is that there is a hierarchy of positions in the organisation.
Hierarchy is a system of ranking various positions on descending scale from top to bottom of the
organisation. In bureaucratic organisation, offices follow the principle of hierarchy that is each lower office
is subject to control and supervision by the higher office. This hierarchy serves as lines of communication
and delegation of authority. It implies that communication coming down or going up must pass through
each position. Similarly, a subordinate will get authority from his immediate superior.

iii. Division of Work

The work of the organisation is divided based on specialisation to take the advantage of division of labour.
Each office in the bureaucratic organisation has a specific sphere of competence. The sphere of competence
involves:
o a sphere of obligations to perform functions that have been marked off as part of a systematic
division of labour.
o the provision of the incumbent with the necessary authority to carry out these functions; the
necessary means of compulsion are clearly defined, and their use is subject to definite conditions.
The division of labour tries to ensure that each office has a clearly-defined area of competence
within the organisation and each official knows the areas in which he/she operates and the areas in
which he/she must abstain from the action so that he does not overstep the boundary between his
role and those of others. Further, the division of labour also tries to ensure that no work is left
uncovered.

iv. Official Rules

A basic and most emphasised feature of the bureaucratic organisation is that the administrative process is
continuous and governed by official rules. A rational approach to organisation calls for a system of
maintaining rules to ensure twin requirements of uniformity and coordination of efforts by individual
members in the organisation. These rules are more or less stable and more or less exhaustive. When there
is no rule on any aspect of organisational operation, the matter is referred upward for a decision which
subsequently becomes a precedent for a future decision on a similar matter. Rules provide the benefits of
stability, continuity, and predictability and each official knows precisely the outcome of his behaviour in a
particular matter.

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 v. Impersonal Relationships
A notable feature of bureaucracy is that relationships among individuals are governed by the system of
official authority and rules. Official positions are free from personal involvement, emotions, and sentiments.
Thus, decisions are governed by rational factors rather than personal factors. This impersonality concept is
used in dealing with organisational relations as well as relations between the organisation and outsiders.

vi. Official Record

A bureaucratic organisation is characterised by the maintenance of proper official records. The decisions
and activities of the organisation are formally recorded and preserved for future reference. This is made
possible by extensive use of the filling system in the organisation. An official record is almost regarded as
an encyclopaedia of various activities performed by the people in the establishment.

Benefits of Bureaucracy
The following are the advantages of Bureaucracy
i. The rules and procedures decided for every work lead to consistency in employee behaviour. Since
employees are bound to follow the rules, the management process becomes easy.
ii. The duties and responsibilities of each job are clearly defined so there is no question of overlapping
or conflicting job duties.
iii. The selection process and promotion procedures are based on merit and expertise. It assists in
putting the right people in the right jobs. There is optimum utilisation of human resources.
iv. The division of labour assists workers in becoming experts in their jobs. The performance of
employees improves considerably.
v. The enterprise does not suffer when some persons leave it. If one person leaves then some other
occupies that place and the work does not suffer.

Disadvantages of Bureaucracy
The following are the disadvantages of Bureaucracy:
i. This system suffers from too much red tape and paperwork.
ii. The employees do not develop belongingness to the organisation.
iii. The excessive reliance on rules and regulations and adherence to these policies inhibit the initiative
and growth of the employees. They are treated like machines and not like individuals. There is a
neglect of the human factor.
iv. The employees become so used to the system, they resist any change and introduction of new
techniques of operations.

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THE EMERGENCE OF THE NEOCLASSICAL THEORY OF MANAGEMENT
The neoclassical theory was an attempt at incorporating the behavioural sciences into management thought
to solve the problems caused by classical theory practices. The premise of this inclusion was based on the
idea that the role of management is to use employees to get things done in organizations. Rather than
focusing on production, structure, or technology, the neoclassical theory was concerned with the employee.
Neoclassical theorists concentrated on answering questions related to the best way to motivate, structure,
and support employees within the organization.

• HAWTHORNE STUDIES
The human relations movement was a direct result of Elton Mayo and his assistant, Fritz J. Roethlisberger's
Hawthorne studies that were designed to find ways to increase worker productivity at Western Electric's
Hawthorne Factory by assessing working conditions related to things such as lighting levels, rest periods,
and the length of a work day. Those participating in the experiments were watched closely by the
researchers. The team used a scientific management perspective to study the influence of economic
incentives and physical conditions of the workplace on the output of workers. During the experiment, the
productivity levels of those participating in the experiment increased but not directly due to the conditions
that Mayo and Roethlisberger were imposing on them. This motivated the researchers to conclude that
unforeseen psychological factors interfered with their experiments. Elton Mayo concluded that the needs
of workers were often based on sentiment (belonging to a group and thus having a sense of value) and that
this could lead to conflicts with managers, who mainly focused on cost reduction and efficiency. He came
to the following conclusions:

i. Individual employees must be seen as members of a group.

ii. Salary and good working conditions are less important for employees as compared to a sense of
belonging to a group.
iii. Informal groups in the workplace have a strong influence on the behaviour of employees in said
group.
iv. Managers must take social needs, such as belonging to an (informal) group seriously.
v. The need for recognition, security, and a sense of belonging is more important in determining
workers’ morale and productivity than the physical conditions under which he works.
vi. Informal groups within the work area exercise strong social controls over the work habits and
attitudes of the individual worker.

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Two main studies developed from their experiments, namely: social setting and human relations, and
employee attitude and group processes.

• Social Setting and Human Relations

Elton Mayo, a Harvard researcher led a team of researchers to design another experiment free of the
psychological effects that interfered with the earlier studies. The researchers found that the new social
setting created for workers in the test room made them want to do a good job because of the pleasant social
interactions facilitated by the new workplace setting. Thus, good “human relations” in the test room seemed
to result in higher productivity.

• Employee Attitudes and Group Processes

The result from the experiment broadened the interest of the Hawthorne research team to include employee
attitudes, interpersonal relations, and group dynamics. They conducted a study with a total sample of 21,
000 employees to learn what they liked and disliked about their work environment. The researchers
concluded that things like work conditions or wages could be sources of satisfaction for some workers and
of dissatisfaction for others. In addition, the researchers concluded that groups could have strong negative,
as well as positive, influences on individual productivity. The researchers discovered that individual would
restrict their output to avoid the displeasure of the group, even if it meant sacrificing pay that could
otherwise be earned by increasing output.

• MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

Abraham Maslow was a practicing psychologist. He observed that his patients’ problems usually stemmed
from their inability to satisfy their needs. This influenced him to ask a series of questions such as what
motivates people, what is their motive to do their work well and how can they be encouraged to perform
even better? To get a better understanding of this process, the Psychologist Abraham Maslow developed a
Hierarchy of Needs model in 1934, in which he described five different levels of gratification of needs. The
hierarchy of needs is known as the Maslow Pyramid or theory of human behaviour. The three basic
assumptions of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs include:
i. Human needs are never completely satisfied.
ii. Human behaviour is purposeful and is motivated by the need for satisfaction.
iii. Needs can be classified according to a hierarchical structure of importance, from the lowest to
the highest.

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 Figure 1: Maslow’s hierarchy of Needs

According to Abraham Maslow, it is not possible to skip a level of the Hierarchy of Needs. The lowest level
of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is the foundation of the pyramid. This is where the needs pattern begins.
These basic needs apply to everyone. The higher the level, the more difficult it becomes to satisfy the needs.

Maslow’s hierarchy of Needs

i. Physiological needs - Maslow grouped all physical needs necessary for maintaining basic human
well‐being, such as food, drink, and physical well-being into this category. After the need is
satisfied, however, it is no longer a motivator.
ii. Safety needs - These needs include the need for basic security, stability, protection, and freedom
from fear of the events of day-to-day life. A normal state exists for an individual to have all these
needs generally satisfied. Otherwise, they become primary motivators.
iii. Belonging and love needs - After the physical and safety needs are satisfied and are no longer
motivators, the need for belonging and love emerges as primary motivators. The craving to fulfil
this need influences human beings to establish meaningful relationships with significant others.

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 iv. Esteem needs - An individual must develop self‐confidence and wants to achieve status, reputation,
fame, and glory. Need for esteem in the eyes of others; the need for respect, prestige, recognition,
personal sense of competence, and mastery.
v. Self‐actualization needs - Assuming that all the previous needs in the hierarchy are satisfied, an
individual feels a need to find himself. The highest level is the need for self-fulfillment; to grow
and use abilities to the fullest and most creative extent. The individual can define him/herself.

Critical comments
i. There are situations in which it is not possible to substantiate the idea that these needs take place
in a hierarchical order because human beings are dynamic but not static as Maslow tries to portray.
ii. Furthermore, the various needs can merge and they can vary from situation to situation.
iii. As a third critical comment, it could be said that Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is rather static.
iv. Finally, Clayton Alderfer states in his ERG (existence, relatedness, and growth) theory that people
can regress to lower-level needs even though these needs have already been fulfilled.

• THEORY X AND THEORY Y

Douglas McGregor (1906–1964) was heavily influenced by both the Hawthorne studies and Maslow. He
formulated his Theory X and Theory Y. He believed that two basic kinds of managers exist.
i. Theory X Manager
The Theory X Manager has a negative view of employees and assumes the following;
o People are passive and must be directed and extrinsically motivated to serve the organisational
needs.
o The average human dislikes work and will avoid it if possible, so most people must be coerced,
controlled, directed, or threatened with punishment to get them to put forth adequate effort to
achieve organizational objectives.
o The average human being prefers to be directed and wishes to avoid responsibility. He has relatively
little ambition and wants security above all else.
ii. Theory Y Manager
The Theory Y Manager assumes the following;
o people are already intrinsically motivated and need proper working conditions
o people enjoy meaningful work
o physical and mental effort in work is natural

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 o the average human being learns to accept and seek responsibility
o people will exercise self-direction and self-control to achieve objectives to which they are
committed and believe in exercising a relatively high level of imagination, ingenuity, and creativity
in the solution of organizational problems

Five Important Limitations of Theory X and Theory Y:

i. Theory X's style of management fosters a very hostile and distrustful atmosphere: An authoritarian
organization requires many managers just because they need to constantly control every single
employee, and the method of control usually involves a fair amount of threat and coercion.
ii. Theory Y's style of management is tough to uphold in reality: The core belief of Theory Y is that
with the right support and the right environment, self-directed employees will be able to perform
their jobs well. However, because every individual is different from others, creating an environment
that fits all does not sound very practical in the current era of organizations.
iii. Theory X and Theory Y are very hard to be used with each other: Just because we think that
utilising different theories to accommodate different types of employees does not mean that it
would be beneficial to the companies. In the end, the human labour of the company might be
improved, but at the cost of creating monetary losses as well as inefficient allocation of resources.
iv. Theory X and Theory Y make employment harder: The theory that should be used is the one that
can effectively manage all employees within the organization. However, this in turn causes a
problem during the employment process, because it is likely that a company will reject an applicant
solely because he/she is not consistent with the theory that the company uses.
v. Theory X and Theory Y work on assumptions: Organisations should be careful, and not rely too
heavily on Theory X and Theory Y because there are a lot of assumptions. The workforce is
changing nowadays, and the workplace is a dynamic mix of employees from different backgrounds,
races, and genders.

CONTINGENCY THEORY
The contingency theory rejects the idea that there is one way to manage a company. It suggests managers
must evaluate each situation and make decisions unique to the situation. This approach requires managers
to stay alert and avoid relying on rules, policies, and tradition as their only guides for their choices. Dynamic
managers who understand and use contingency theory operate in a state of alertness and vigilance that can
demand all their faculties.

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Features of Contingency Theory:
i. Management is situational in nature.
The technique of management depends on the complexity of the situation. It is the ‘if’ and ‘then’ approach
to management, ‘If’ represents the independent variable, and ‘then’ represents the dependent management
variable or the technique to be adopted in that situation. ‘If’ workers have strong physiological needs, ‘then’
financial motivators should be adopted, and ‘If’ they have strong higher-order needs, ‘then’ non-financial
motivators should be adopted.
ii. Management principles are not universal in nature as there is no best style of management.
Management is situational and managerial actions depend upon the environmental circumstances. It helps
in understanding complex organisations as it focuses on the multivariate nature of organisations. It helps
an organisation to operate under different environmental conditions. Rather than having a specific solution
to solve problems, it provides a framework where every solution depends upon environmental conditions.
The same problem can have different solutions at different points in time and different problems can have
the same solution at the same point in time.
iii. It provides insight into an organisation’s adaptability to both internal and external environments. It
is a matter of fitting the internal environment to its external environment.

Evaluation of Contingency Theory:

This theory has proved useful for practicing managers:
i. It is an integration of different schools of thought; classical, behavioural, and systems approaches.
It integrates the principles of different schools of thought and applies them contingent upon the
needs of the situation.
ii. It is pragmatic in nature as a solution to every problem is found after analysing the situation.
iii. It follows the technique of multivariate analysis. It thinks of all possible variables or factors that
affect the situation and adopts the best.
iv. It is adaptive in nature. It does not presume a pre-designed structure of the organisation but adopts
a structure that helps the organisation adapt to the environment.
v. It helps to design the organisation structure and plan the information decision systems. A small-
sized organisation may be centralised and a large-sized organisation may be decentralised in
structure.
vi. It helps to devise motivational and leadership approaches to motivate the workers. The autocratic
style may be adopted to deal with unskilled workers and the participative style to deal with skilled
workers. The contingency approach to management is considered a leading branch of management
thought today.

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Limitations of Contingency Theory:
Despite the best that contingency theory offers to management thought, it is not free from criticism. The
critics assert that:
i. It does not follow the concept of ‘universality of principles’ which often applies to specific
management situations.
ii. It is argued that what contingency theory asserts was asserted by Fayol also. He also talked about
the flexibility of management principles. Therefore, the theory has added nothing new to
management thought.
iii. As there is no definite solution to a problem, managers think of alternatives to arrive at the right
choice. This is costly in terms of time and money. It also does not provide a theoretical foundation
upon which management principles will be based.
iv. Managers cannot determine all the factors relevant to the decision- making situation. Because of
constraints of time, money, and ability, managers can neither collect complete information about
the environment nor analyse it completely.

• SYSTEMS THEORY
A system is a set of interrelated parts that function as a whole to achieve a common purpose. A system
functions by acquiring inputs from the external environment, transforming them in some way, and
discharging outputs back to the environment. It consists of five components: inputs, a transformation
process, outputs, feedback, and the environment.

Figure 1: Organizations as open systems interacting with their environments (Schermerhorn, 2013; p.12)

39 | MANAGEMENT OF CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS

 i. Inputs are the material, human, financial, or information resources used to produce goods and
services.
ii. The transformation process is the use of production technology to change the inputs into outputs.
iii. Outputs include the organization’s products and services.
iv. Feedback is knowledge of the results that influence the selection of inputs during the next cycle of
the process.
v. The environment surrounding the organization includes social, political, and economic forces.
Some ideas in systems theory significantly affected management thinking. They include open and closed
systems, entropy, synergy, and subsystem interdependencies

i. Open and close systems

Open systems must interact with the environment to survive; closed systems need not. From the classical
and management science perspectives, organizations were frequently thought of as closed systems. From
the management science perspective, closed system assumptions – the absence of external disturbances are
sometimes used to simplify problems for quantitative analysis. In reality, however, all organizations are
open systems, and the cost of ignoring the environment may be a failure.

ii. Entropy
Entropy is a universal property of systems and refers to their tendency to run down and die. If a system
does not receive fresh inputs and energy from its environment, it will eventually cease to exist.
Organizations must monitor their environments, adjust to changes, and continuously bring in new inputs to
survive and prosper. Managers try to design the organisation/environment interface to reduce entropy.

iii. Synergy
Synergy means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. When an organisation is formed,
something new comes into the world. Management, coordination, and production that did not exist before
are now present. Organisational units working together can accomplish more than those same units working
alone. For instance, the sales department depends on production and vice versa.

iv. Subsystems
Subsystems depend on one another as parts of a system. Changes in one part of the organisation affect other
parts. The organisation must be managed as a coordinated whole. Managers who understand subsystem
interdependence are reluctant to make changes that do not recognise subsystem impact on the organization

40 | MANAGEMENT OF CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS

as a whole. For example, consider Toyota’s highly successful application of the “just-in-time” inventory
control system, which aims to keep inventory at its lowest. Managers knew that the best way to make the
system work was to let employees on the factory floor control the flow of materials. Thus, the change in
production required that the company also make changes in culture and structure. Toyota decentralised
decision-making so that employees doing the work were empowered to make choices about how to
accomplish it. Cultural values were shifted to encourage every employee to think creatively about
improving his or her particular piece of the organisation and to see problems as opportunities for learning
and improving.

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Further Reading

Rush, M. (2003). Management: A Biblical Approach, 2nd edition. Colorado: Cook Communication
Ministries

Daft, R. L. (2020). Management. South-Western, Cengage Learning.

References

Boapeah, S.N. (2014). Principles of church management: Managing people, programmes, and possessions
in the local church. Kumasi: Faith Alive.

Rush, M. (2003). Management: A Biblical Approach, 2nd edition. Colorado: Cook Communication
Ministries

Harvestime International Institute (n.d). Biblical Management Principles. http://www.harvestime.org

Anumah, I. (2020). Conflict Management. Abuja: NOUN Press

Rahim, M. A. (2001). Managing Conflict in Organizations, 3rd Edition. Westport: Quorum Books

The World Bank, (18 October 2022). Faith-Based and Religious Organizations. Received from
https://www.worldbank.org/en/about/partners/brief/faith-based-organizations on 18 October 2022

Libreria Editrice Vaticana (2000). Catechism of the Catholic Church. United States Catholic Conference,
Inc. NE, Washington.

Reuteler, J. T. (2013). The Essentials of Methodism. Covenant Bible Studies. Aurora: Colorado

Torry, M. (2014). Managing Faith-Based and Mission Organizations. In: Managing Religion: The
Management of Christian Religious and Faith-Based Organizations. Palgrave Macmillan, London.
https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137439284_2

Torry, M. (2014). Managing Religion: The Management of Christian Religious and Faith-Based
Organizations, Volume I: Internal Relationships, Palgrave Macmillan: New York (Pages 1 – 21)

Schermerhorn, J. R., (2013). Management .12e. New York: J. Wiley & Sons.

Daft, R. L. (2020). Management. South-Western, Cengage Learning.

Daft, R. (2019). Organisation Theory and Design. New York: South-Western College.

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 MODULE FOUR

MANAGING CHURCH RESOURCES

OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to:

• Write the Key Verse from memory

• Identify Church Resources
• Appreciate the essence of managing God’s people
• Appreciate the essence of managing spiritual and material resources

KEY VERSE:
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said
to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that
I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. (John 21:17)

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 Introduction

In the book of Genesis, God instructed Adam to be a steward of creation – “I have given you every

herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed;

to you, it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to

everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”

Genesis 1:1- 2, 27- 28. Jesus expanded the stewardship role of mankind to include taking care of

the children of God in John 21:17: Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.” As managers of a Christian

organisation, we have been entrusted to shepherd the sacred resource that Jesus gave His life for –

human beings, and other resources – The Gospel and Spiritual Gifts, Material Resources of

Ministry, Financial Resources, Church Programmes, and Church Relationships.

MANAGING THE PEOPLE OF GOD

In the Gospel of Matthew 22:37 - 39, Jesus summarised the Ten Commandments into two: 37 Jesus

replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your

mind… 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Jesus emphasised the essence

of the second commandment in John 13:34, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I

have loved you, so you must love one another. The text highlights how managers or leaders in an

organisation should treat and deal with the members of the establishment who are the most variable

resources in both secular and religious organisations. Economists define four factors of production:

land, labour, capital, and entrepreneurship. How these factors are combined determines the success

or failure of the outcome. A critical assessment of the factors reveals that two out of the four factors

– labour and entrepreneurship refer to human beings. Without human elements in a company, all

other resources lose their value.

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The resource-based view theory provided a framework to identify the resource that offers a

sustained competitive advantage to an organisation. The VRIO framework classifies resources that

are valuable, rare, costly to imitate, and non-substitutable, and the company is organized to

configure these resources to achieve its long-term goal. The only resource that meets such criteria

in the organisation is human resources. For instance, human resources have both tangible and

intangible elements. Tangible assets are physical things that you can easily perceive with your

senses such as land, buildings, machinery, equipment, and capital whiles Intangible assets are non-

physical things, such as intellectual property, creativity, skills, knowledge, goodwill, brand

reputation, etc. Physical resources rarely offer a competitive advantage - as they can generally be

acquired by competitors. Intangible resources are difficult to imitate and generally offer the main

source of sustainable competitive advantage. Managers or leaders in a religious organisation have

the responsibility to identify and serve three main human resources in the local church – church

staff, congregation, and pastors or ministers (Boapeah 2014).

a. Shepherding the Church Staff

Most churches engage in social responsibilities such as setting up schools, hospitals, orphanage

homes, etc. to provide for the physical needs of society. The local ministers tend to combine the

management of such institutions with their ministry. Handling church staff either those directly

working in the church or those in faith-based organisations sometimes becomes challenging. The

fundamental distinction between Religious and secular organisations is our understanding of the

essence of the human person. The secular world reduces the human person to just atoms, nature,

and the ultimate in himself. This parochial view of the human person affords the secular managers

opportunity to exploit the thing elements of employees. However, the Christian concept of the

human person brings unity and diversity together in man. In Christ, truth, love, reason, and

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relationship are incarnated through love. Christ is the perfect model for the human person who is

created in the “image and likeness” of God (Proniewski, 2018). This conceptualisation must be the

guiding principle of Christian managers in dealing with employees. God created human beings in

His image and endowed us with His creative ability. Rush (2004) presented this nicely in the

concept of the two basic categories of management activities – management of ideas and

management of things.

• Management of Ideas – Unleashing the Creativity of God’s people

In Genesis Chapter 1 verse 26, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:

and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the

cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” God

conceived the whole creation as an idea and brought everything into existence out of nothing. God

who is the source of all ideas blessed human beings with unlimited ideas. Genesis 1:28, “And God

blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and

subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every

living thing that moveth upon the earth.” In the course of human history, mankind has fulfilled

and responded to the command of God. Everything under the sun started as an idea in someone’s

mind. All man-made things we can think of were conceived by somebody or a group of people as

an idea before their executions.

Christian managers or leaders who have passion and interest in the organisation's success and

progress must make the management of ideas their top priority (Rush, 2004). Ministers entrusted

with the management of the church staff most often downplay the creative nature of the employees

and considered only themselves (ministers) as the sole source of ideas and creativity. However,

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the minister should appreciate that every employee on the payroll – cleaners, security, secretary,

etc. was created in the image of God. Hence, God has endowed each person with unlimited

creativity. God granted human beings with a special attribute – a rational being. They possess

decision-making power and creative ingenuity. Research at the brain centre in the United State

reported that the human mind is probably infinite. The study is the affirmation of Gen 11: 6, “The

Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing

they plan to do will be impossible for them.” God revealed the unlimited potential of human

creativity if only human beings can speak one language – LOVE. Hence, Christian managers must

lead the whole organisation to speak one language which is LOVE. Love builds trust and fosters

functional relationships. According to Boapeah (2014), a functional relationship is a task of

ensuring that functions or responsibilities performed by different persons, groups, or committees

in the local church are brought together in a harmonious way to achieve a common goal (p.31).

Boapeah (2014) provided the biblical foundation of the functional relationship and made four

categorisations, namely: functional distinction of each member, functional limitation of each

member, functional support for each member, and functional interdependence of all members (read

1 Corinthians 12: 1 – 27; Roman 12:3-8).

• Managing Employee Relations

To be an effective manager and ensure employee relations are positive, managers must be

adequately trained in how to deal with their employees, both on a collective and individual basis.

Employee relations training for managers is vital in the workplace. These are some ways that

managers can ensure they build and maintain a positive culture within their business:

47 | MANAGEMENT OF CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS

 i. Speak to your team

Church staff are not just there to do their work and leave; they are individuals and should be treated

as such. The problem with many managers is that they do not take the time to get to know their

employees. This does not mean you need to delve too far into their personal life. Simply asking

them how their weekend was or how their family is can go a long way to helping to develop a

positive relationship with your employees. You might find you have things in common that can

help with building rapport with individuals in your team. Building rapport is important for healthy

relationships in the workplace.

ii. Open communication

One of the characteristics of employee relations is open communication. Your employees should

feel that they can come to you with any issues they have and that you will deal with them promptly

and sensitively. For example, if an employee raised concerns about an insensitive joke another

colleague made, the worst thing you could do is brush it off. You must take every issue seriously

and deal with it so that it doesn’t happen again. Employees should not be made to feel

uncomfortable in the workplace and even if it is something that might not offend most people, one

person’s feelings should be taken just as seriously as a group.

iii. Honesty

To manage collective employee relations effectively, you must ensure that you are open and

honest. This is where organisations often fall short. For example, if the church is seriously

struggling financially, tell your workers. Do not wait until you need to make redundancies.

Honesty is always the best policy and even though it could cause unrest, your employees will

48 | MANAGEMENT OF CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS

always appreciate that you have been upfront with them. It is particularly important for churches,

where it is more apparent if there are issues.

iv. Ask for feedback

Employees, both on a collective and individual basis, like to feel that they are part of a team and

the organisation. You can improve employee relations by asking them for feedback on how the

church is running and any general improvements they think could be made. This is beneficial for

improving employee relations and can also be useful for improving the business.

• Policies and Procedures for Employees

It is vital to have employee relations policies and procedures in place to manage employee relations

effectively. Churches often do not think about the consequences of failing to manage employees

effectively and having policies and procedures in place. However, even for small church

employees issues can occur and these issues can often become more common when the church

grows. It is vital that you positively deal with them to ensure a happy workplace. These include:

i. Grievance

If an employee has serious issues in the workplace, they can raise a grievance. You should have a

process in place so they know how to raise the grievance, and how you will deal with it. This

should be documented in your policies and procedures.

ii. Absenteeism

An absenteeism policy should be in place, detailing how the employee should inform you of an

absence and the repercussions for poor attendance.

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 iii. Discipline

There may be a point, even within the church, where you need to discipline an employee. Your

policy should detail the disciplinary process, including all the steps which will be taken and the

possible outcomes.

iv. Dismissal

You should also have a dismissal procedure within your policies, detailing what will happen to the

employee in the event of a dismissal, including a notice period, etc.

v. Redundancy

Employees should know what will happen to them in the event of a redundancy. The redundancy

process must be outlined in your policies and procedures.

b. Shepherding the Congregation

1 Corinthians 12:12, “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members

of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.” The letter to Corinthians

presented a powerful image of the church. Although the church as the body of Christ is one, we

cannot ignore the individual differences among the people of God. As a human institution, it is

expected to witness different groups (cliques) who try to advance their agenda to the detriment of

the overall mission of the congregation. Paul in his writing to the church of Corinth tried to address

such issues, “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all

of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that

you be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Corinthians 1:10). Similar text can be found in

(Romans 12:16, 2 Timothy 4:3, Galatians 5:19-20). Paul addressing the issue of cliques

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demonstrates that ministers or managers of the congregation should anticipate the occurrence of

such a faction. It is their responsibility to manage and coordinate all the parts for the proper

functioning of the body. Usually, three indispensable groups are found in the church and the

minister must prudently meet them at their levels. Boapeah (2014) identifies the power center and

passive members. I decided to name the third force – the followers.

i. The Power Centre (Opinion Leaders)

I was in a church one Sunday and the church secretary invited a group of people to speak about

their association with the local church with the intention to start a center for the local congregation.

The group took the microphone and spoke nicely about their association and the contribution they

are giving to their respective churches. After their speech, the local pastor took the microphone

and issued a warning, “If you start a centre here and the members create any confusion in my

church, I will dissolve it. I collapsed the centre in my previous church because they were very

troublesome.” I call this power play: Pastor’s Power versus Power Centre. There is always the

temptation for human beings to label those we find difficult to control with name tags and possibly

eliminate them. It happens not only in secular organisations but Christians too. Within the secular

company, sometimes, the management finds a way to work with the opinion leaders and tap into

their reservoir of resources because they have no choice. However, the phenomenon is very

different in the church setting as demonstrated in the situation aforementioned. The pastor who

probably is in the good books of higher authority used his power to dissolve the association

thinking that the Power Centre will disappear.

The power centre in the local church refers to people of influence that are present in the church.

The sources of their influence include their wealth, businesses, education, church position, politics,

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profession, etc. (Boapeah, 2014). Peter can be considered the first power centre among the

disciples of Christ. After Peter has professed the true nature of Christ in Matthew 16:16, “You are

the Christ, the Son of the living God.” He then revealed his rebellious nature to disrupt the ministry

of Christ in Matthew 16:22, But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such

things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”. Jesus’s relationship

with Peter is a typical example of how to handle the power centre in the congregation. Jesus

demonstrated true love and compassion for Peter to help him understand the meaning of his calling.

In verse 23, “But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling

block to Me. For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” The members

of the power centre have no intention to destroy the church or undermine the minister but they are

rather misplaced in their priority. Like Peter, they need to be redirected to the true mission of the

congregation. In John 18:10 – 11, “Then Simon Peter drew his sword and struck the servant of the

high priest, cutting off his right ear… “Put your sword back in its sheath!” Jesus said to Peter.

“Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me?” Jesus engaged Peter in a dialogue to redirect

his energy back to the ministry.

Like Jesus, the minister has the responsibility to identify these groups of people and mobilise them

for the work of God. 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, Ephesians 4:7-13, and Romans 12:3-8 talk about the

different gifts in the church and how God has distributed to each member of the church. God has

a purpose of planting the members of the power centre in the local church. The same purpose that

made Him call Peter and lead him to the truth. “They seized Peter and John, and because it was

evening, they put them in custody until the next day. But many who heard the message believed,

and the number of men grew to about five thousand.” Acts 4:4. Peter who rebuked Jesus for

professing His death now stood on the street to proclaim the risen Lord and get arrested. The

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minister needs to develop true compassion and love for the members whom he or she considered

as the rebellious group. Open and honest dialogue with the group will help the minister tap into

their abundance of resources for the church ministry. When they are managed well, some of them

can serve in the church in diverse capacities such as committee members, fundraising members,

counsellors, trainers, teachers, and legal advisors.

ii. The Followers (Friends of Pastors and Ministers)

Another but most common group of members in the congregations are the followers. I sometimes

call them abusers. The followers are the members of the church who are willing to offer their time

and resources without questioning any decisions from the pastor. In the old testament, Ruth the

Moabite demonstrated such traits, “But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back

from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people

and your God my God’” (Ruth 1:16). Ruth followed her mother-in-law Naomi to her homeland in

Israel. Noami, a truly devout Jew who knew her ministry led Ruth righteously to the land of Israel

where she met Boaz. They would become the great-grandparents of King David and eventually

propagate the lineage of the Messiah. Ruth never doubted nor questioned Naomi’s actions. Noami

never took advantage of her in-law for any selfish benefit. She rather sought the welfare of Ruth

day and night. In Acts 16: 14 -15, “One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira

named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to

respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited

us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my

house.” And she persuaded us.” Lydia is considered one of the followers in the church. Some of

them are well devoted to the extent that they sometimes want to offer everything they have for the

ministry. The temptation is that some pastors and ministers who are not devoted to their calling

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sometimes turn to abuse them. The followers' love for the gospel and the ministry of the

congregation makes it difficult for them to ask questions. In our world today, the hardship and

financial burden on pastors sometimes influence some of them to abuse such innocent souls. 1

Peter 5:1- 4 warned against such attitude, “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder

and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds

of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because

you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not

lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief

Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. Pastors and

ministers have the responsibility to protect and lead God’s people to the truth.

On the other hand, some followers also deliberately abuse innocent pastors and ministers. The

followers devote their time and energy to the church not because of service but rather for their

selfish interests. They tend to occupy the time of pastors and ministers unnecessarily. Some even

go to the extent of making unreasonable demands such as financial and material assistance from

pastors. As a minister of the gospel, you must be vigilant as 1 Peter 5:8 said, “Be of sober spirit,

be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to

devour.” Most pastors and ministers become prey to these followers and bring scandals into the

congregation.

iii. Passive Members (the untapped resources)

Last but not least group is the passive members. Passivity is a characteristic of someone who holds

back and lets others act. The Bible gives examples of those who exhibited both good and bad

passivity. Passivity is appropriate when we are being submissive to the will of God. Jesus

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demonstrated this kind of passivity on the night He was arrested. Rather than allow His disciples

to fight for Him, He willingly submitted to the abuse of His captors. In the church, passive

members are those who usually will not show much interest in church activities. They take the

back seat and are rarely seen accepting responsibilities with all kinds of excuses – genuine or

otherwise (Boapeah, 2014).

In Romans 14:1, “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable

matters.” The minister or pastor has the responsibility to attend to the passive members and nurture

their faith. One way of nurturing them is to develop an interest in their activities and Christian

lives. Visiting such people is the starting point in identifying what holds them back. Some of them

must be given advance notice before such a visit because of their shy nature in order not to meet

them in their awkward moment. The minister must also gradually engage and assign them some

responsibility in the church. This type of responsibility must be minimal in order not to overwhelm

them and crush the effort (Boapeah, 2014).

c. Shepherding Pastors and Ministers

Almost two weeks ago I watched a shot clip on Facebook regarding a lady who was lamenting

about the church of Pentecost’s academic requirements for pastors. The lady was of the view that

the pastors and leaders of the church prefer to recruit only their children which is the reason for

adding academic qualifications to the requirement because they can afford to educate their wards

in good schools. She cited an example of a devoted elder whom the church disqualified from

becoming a pastor because of academic qualifications.

After watching the video, I reflected on it to reconcile what the lady was lamenting about and the

academic qualification most of the churches have added to their requirements. Linking this to

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shepherding pastors and ministers, I tried to find quotations that set a basic standard for pastors

and ministers. In a letter of Paul to Timothy, Paul wrote:

Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble

task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-

controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent

but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well

and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of

full respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take

care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become

conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good

reputation with outsiders so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap (1

Timothy 3:1-7).

The 21st Century world is different from the world Paul and the disciples found themselves in.

Even during the time of Paul, the apostle recognised the fact that teaching is one of the fundamental

responsibilities of Pastors and Ministers. He included it to encourage the ministers of the gospel

not to stop learning. The ability to manage pastors and ministers is critical in ministering to the

people of God because the churches in Africa face challenges of pluralism and materialism which

are associated with the process of modernisation and globalisation. Thomas Aquinas said, “Gratia

non tollit naturam, sed perficit” which is translated as “'Grace does not destroy nature, but perfects

it”. The church must have a system of policies and procedures in place to manage the people

entrusted to minister to the people of God. The majority of churches have a system in place to

admit people to the ministry. However, some of the churches are not able to develop continuous

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formation programmes beyond ordinations for their pastors and ministers. Figure 1 presents the

pastor development programme that will be helpful for the church.

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 Figure 1: PASTOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Initial Ministry Formation

Pre-Pastor and Pastor Follow-up

Seminary Follow-up
Ordination Workshop or Education or Support
Introduce Retreat Training
Prepare people
foundational
who will be Usually 3 – 7 • Theological
leadership and
appointed pastor days programme studies • Self-
theological
to have a great lays all the • Leadership Care
principles for
start in their “first foundational •
future role as • Finance
90 days”. elements for
pastor • Human Shepherd’s
priests to
Relation Staff: One-
become effective
• Strategic On-One Pastor
pastors and
Planning Coaching/
leaders.
• Operation Advising

Continuous Ministry Formation

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Continuous Ministry Formation

Pastor Workshop or Retreat

• Monthly, Quarterly, or Biannual Retreat

• Seminars

Theological Studies

• Academic studies

• Non-academic studies

Human Resources

• Performance appraisal systems

• Organization design

• Delegation

• Parish Business Administrator relationship

• Interpersonal Relationships

Leadership Skills Development

• Communications

• Team building

• Change management

• Problem-solving

• Time management skills

• Personal Coaching

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Financial Management

• Budgeting

• Interpreting financial statements

• Stewardship and fundraising

• Best practices

Operations

• General Parish Operations

• Operational Efficiency and Execution

• Change Management

• Teamwork and Communications

• Infrastructure

Strategic Planning

• Parish vision and strategy

• Board /Council organization

• Communication structures

• Transition management

Follow-up Support

• Self-Care

• Shepherd’s Staff: One-On-One Pastor Coaching/ Advising

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 1. Managing Other Resources

All believers are stewards of certain resources given by God. Aside from the sacred resource – human
resources, ministers and pastors must ensure to manage other resources entrusted to them by God through
the church. Within secular organisations, scholars usually identify resources such as physical,
informational, financial, and technological. Managers need to effectively manage these resources to achieve
a sustained competitive advantage. In the context of religious organisations, our resources may look similar
to the secular, but there is the need to provide the appropriate names to truly reflect the ministry. Some of
the vital resources entrusted to the church include spiritual gifts and church programmes, material resources
of ministry, church finances, church documents, and church external relations (Boapeah, 2014; Rush, 2004).

• Managing Spiritual Gifts and Church Programmes

Each believer has at least one spiritual gift for which she or he is responsible as a steward. A leader is also
responsible to help others develop their spiritual gifts. Paul in his first letter to Corinth highlights different
gifts in the church.

To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means
of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another
miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in
different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:8-10).

The ministers have the responsibility to help members identify and nurture their gifts. Through church
programmes, members can develop their gifts for spiritual growth. Effective church programmes must flow
from the vision and mission of the church.

i. Mission and Vision of the Church

It is clear that Christ Himself set the purpose of the church – worship and proclamation of the gospel. In
Matthew 28:19 – 20, Jesus commanded His disciples:

19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am
with you always, to the very end of the age.”

In the Gospel of John and the letter to Romans, we got a glimpse of what we want to become:

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For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish
but have eternal life (John 3:16)

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. Romans 6:8

The church helps us to appreciate and take part in the mission and vision of the congregation. The pastor
or minister has the responsibility to translate the vision and mission into specific goals for church members.

ii. Goal Setting in the Church

Boapeah (2014) defines a goal as a desirable and pre-determined end that a person, group, or organisation
seeks to reach or achieve. The fundamental success of every ministry depends on the goal the congregation
set. Goal setting must flow from the vision and mission of the church. The pastor and the congregation
should factor in the following elements in their goal-setting:

✓ Their past, present, and future situations

✓ The people in charge of programme formulation, implementation, and evaluation
✓ The time within which the goal is expected to be achieved.

These three elements are termed situation, source, and scope (Boapeah, 2014).

iii. Translating Church Goals into Programme of Activities

The minister and the congregation should translate the goals of the church into the programme of activities.
The logical framework (logframe) will assist the church in effectively managing church programmes. A
logframe is a table that lists your program activities, short-term outputs, medium-term outcomes, and long-
term goal. It shows the logic of how the activities will lead to the outputs, which in turn lead to the outcomes,
and ultimately the goal. The Logframe has the following key elements: inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes,
and impact.

✓ Inputs: The financial, human & material resources required to implement the operation.
✓ Activities: Actions taken or work performed through which inputs are mobilised to produce
specific outputs.
✓ Outputs: The products, capital goods, and services which result from the church's operation
✓ Outcomes: The medium-term results of an operation’s outputs.
✓ Impact (Overall Goal): The positive & negative, intended or unintended long-term results
produced by church operation, either directly or indirectly.

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 iv. Implementation of Church Programme of Activities

A detailed plan, based on a solid understanding of church needs, will enable the congregation to make the
implementation process run smoothly, avoid costly mistakes and wasted effort, and ensure the program’s
success. More than a to-do list, the plan should incorporate the program’s goals, the tasks that will lead to
the accomplishment of the goals, a timeline for implementation, and the assignment of staff. Five flexible
steps can be grouped into five broad categories:

• Program planning
• Managing relations
• Service delivery
• Staffing
• Programme Evaluation

v. Managing Material Resources of the Ministry

Material resources include things such as church buildings, property, and equipment. The minister and the
congregation should ensure that every property, building, and equipment acquired in the name of the church
must be registered in the church’s name. The most tempting issue is people volunteering to register church
properties in their names under the pretext of keeping them in trust for the church. The material resources
include:

✓ Movable properties – vehicles, tools, equipment, etc.

✓ Immovable properties – lands, buildings, farms, etc.
✓ Equipment – audio-visual aids, computers, musical instruments, telephones, etc.

The acquisition of such properties entails economic, social, technical, and legal expertise (Boapeah, 2014).
The church should entrust such responsibility to professionals to handle it. The services of experienced
members or professionals such as lawyers, engineers, and accountants must be sought. It is advisable to set
up an estate committer to deal with such responsibilities with the oversight responsibility from the church
elders and paster (Boapeah, 2014).

The following key issues must be adhered to:

✓ collection of official receipts for purchases of properties

✓ regular maintenance of church-immovable properties
✓ inventory of both movable and immovable properties

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 ✓ regular repair and maintenance of equipment

vi. Managing Church Finances

Every believer is a steward of his/her finances, but leaders who control the money of a church or Christian
organization are also stewards of these funds. One of the challenging resources to manage in the church is
the financial resource. Most pastors and congregations usually enter the zone of mistrust and disagreement
because of perceptions. Ministers must guard against such disagreement. Sources of disagreement include:

✓ Lack of trust
✓ Improper record keeping
✓ Lack of communication
✓ Overdependence
✓ Unnecessary demands
✓ Mismanagement

No matter our perception of money, the church, and the congregation needs it for the following reasons:

✓ For the acquisition of goods and services

✓ For human survival and wellbeing
✓ Meeting personal and family needs
✓ Meeting church needs

Within the context of ministry and our Christian life, money, although, is an inanimate object but its sources
of acquiring and usage help to identify the integrity of a person. Money if not handled properly can serve
as a source of false security and enslave the minister.

Basic Principles of Money

✓ Be a faithful steward
✓ Be content with what you have
✓ Work to earn a living
✓ Plan your finance
✓ Learn to save
✓ Avoid wastage
✓ Learn to support God’s ministry

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vii. Managing Church Documents

There are several reasons why churches need to manage their records properly. Without proper organisation
the sheer volume of records can easily become overwhelming. Many areas of church activity are subject to
external regulation; for example, in areas of marriage ceremonies, finance, the acquisition of lands,
buildings, and other movable objects such as cars. Hence, it is essential to maintain proper records. Good
record keeping, particularly in these areas, demonstrates the Church’s wider accountability to Society about
its activities and reflects the true complexity and diversity of the Church’s activities. The Church also has
theological reasons for managing its records as a testimony of its various activities as part of its continuing
witness to Christians, those of other faiths, and those of none. The main purpose of managing church records
is to ensure that: “the right information is with the right people at the right time.” Records can be stored in
different forms in the church – electronic and paper.

• Managing Electronic Records

Whilst information technology has made church administration much easier electronic records need to be
subject to the same rules of management, particularly regarding retention and destruction as traditional
paper records. Churches must routinely tackle the preservation of electronic records which are of permanent
historical value. It is not recommended to store such records on magnetic media but only in hard copy
format in the absence of a supported electronic archive or document management system. Magnetic media
can be corrupted and it is better to capture the permanent copy early on in the life of the document (it is
recommended that this is done as soon as the final document has been completed). Even records stored on
CD/R or DVD media can be subject to corruption although this is a better option than many. Basic rules of
storing electronic records:

✓ Naming Files and folders

✓ Within shared drives create individual folders for each activity or function
✓ Use version control to track the number of changes and earlier copies (Version 1, Version 2)
✓ If you often have to produce the same type of documents it makes sense to have standard templates
that new versions can be copied from
✓ Security and Access – it is vital that you properly control access to and use of your records
✓ Retention and Deletion – have a clear policy on what you keep and for how long
✓ Back Ups - It is essential to make regular back-ups of files on your computer through the use of an
external hard drive

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 ✓ E-mails – always use the “subject” box to give a proper title to the email that describes what it is
about.
✓ Master Copies – The master copy of any document or file should be kept by the creator or the main
contributor to its creation
• Managing Paper Records

Although the advent of technology is compelling many churches to do away with paper records, however,
certain records may always be kept in their paper format. It is useful to give some thought to the length of
time in which a record will need to be retained. For instance, If a record is likely to be retained permanently
(for example, it is of historical or legal value) it may be appropriate to use archival quality paper, avoid the
use of post-it notes on the text, use brass paper clips or brass staples for securing papers, not to use self-
adhesive tape to “mend” papers and not to use Tippex on documents. All these precautions will extend the
life of the record. Some of the best practices for storing paper documents include:

✓ Avoid using brown paper, envelopes, or newspaper for wrapping up records. Coloured or recycled
paper is not suitable for records that are likely to be retained as permanent archives, and good
quality pen ink should be used in preference to pencil or ballpoint pen.
✓ Avoid metals that can rust in all clips, pins, staples, tags, and containers. Many metals corrode and
cause damage to documents. Brass, plastic, and other non-rusting paper clips can be obtained.
✓ When tying bundles use white tape rather than string, and string rather than rubber bands, which
perish and damage paper. Wrap bundles in strong white paper before tying. Keep documents free
from dust, grease, and other foreign substances.
✓ Registers and other vital documents should be stored in a safe which should be located in a secure,
cool, and dry place. Avoid basements and attics for this purpose as these are likely to suffer from
dampness or high temperatures.
✓ Make sure that the records are packed in boxes rather than plastic bags. Plastic bags prevent air
circulation and can also give off gases harmful to paper.
✓ Do not place documents at floor level or where leaking water pipes could cause damage. If the area
is prone to floods, store well above the known highest flood level.
✓ Check all electrical circuits have been tested during the last two years. Keep a carbon dioxide fire
extinguisher nearby. Use a liquid fire extinguisher only as the last resort.
✓ To avoid blots and smudges which can obscure the original text, make sure that no one who uses
core records for research purposes uses anything but a soft-leaded pencil. It is also important that
no one using core records for research purposes eats, drinks, or smokes whilst anywhere near your
records and that any notebook, laptop, or writing paper is not put on top of the records.

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 ❖ Data Protection

The purpose of the data protection legislation is to prevent wrong decisions about people being based on
inaccurate data and unauthorised use of personal information. Ghana Data Protection Act, 2012 gives
individuals the right to know what information is held about them and provides a framework to ensure that
personal information is handled properly. All churches collect personal information and are subject to the
2012 Act. Churches are subject to the data protection principles and must manage all personal data against
these principles:

✓ Personal data shall be obtained and processed fairly and lawfully.

✓ Personal data shall be obtained only for specified and lawful purposes and shall not be used for any
other purpose.
✓ Personal data should be adequate, and relevant and not be more than is necessary to complete the
task for which it was collected for. However, keeping records for historical and research purposes
are a legitimate reason for keeping records.
✓ Personal data shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up-to-date.
✓ Personal data should not be kept for longer than is necessary for the completion of the task it was
collected for.
✓ Personal data shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects under the Data
Protection legislation.
✓ Personal data should be kept securely and safely with appropriate technical and organisational
measures being taken against unauthorised or illegal processing, accidental loss, or destruction of
personal data.
✓ Personal data shall not be transferred to a country unless that country ensures an adequate level of
protection of the rights of data subjects.

viii. Managing Church External Relations

The church as an organisation is connected to its environment. Both internal and external environments are
crucial for the ministry. We have extensively dived into the management of the internal environment.
Managing the external environment is much more complex as society is trying to force religious activities
into private life. What is your opinion concerning the separation of church and state? It is an interesting
question because the church serves the people of God who are active participants of the state. The state
needs the church and the church must perform its role in shaping the moral discourse of the state and its
members. The minister or pastor and the congregation have the responsibility to manage the relationship

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with various stakeholders – political powers, opinion leaders, chiefs, media, interest groups, etc. This
relationship must be manifested through the active engagement between the church and society on social
and moral issues that affect humanity.

• The social teaching of the church

The church has the responsibility to engage the state on issues that touch the core of society such as the
dignity of the human person. The history of the social teaching of the church goes back centuries and
provides a compelling challenge for living responsibly and building a just society. It is rooted in Scripture.
For instance, in the gospel of John 8:1-11, Jesus engaged the Pharisees who brought a woman who had
been caught in the act of adultery. The following are several of the key themes that the church should engage
society:

a. Life and Dignity of the Human Person

The church must engage society concerning the sacredness of human life, and that the dignity of the human
person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief must be the foundation of all the principles
of the church’s social teaching. The church needs to lead society to recognise that every person is precious,
that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens
or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.

b. Call to Family, Community, and Participation

The essence of the human person demonstrates that human beings are not only sacred but also social. How
the society organises itself in economics and politics, in law and policy directly affects human dignity and
the capacity of individuals to grow in the community. Marriage and the family are the central social
institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. Society has the responsibility to seek
the common good and well-being of all, especially poor and vulnerable people.

c. Rights and Responsibilities

Human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only if human rights are
protected and respected. Therefore, every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things
required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities to one another,
to our families, and to the larger society.

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 d. The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers

The church should engage society to appreciate that economy must serve people, not the other way around.
Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s creation. If the
dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be respected – the right to productive
work, decent and fair wages, the organization and joining of unions, private property, and to economic
initiative.

e. Solidarity

Pope Paul VI said, “If you want peace, work for justice.” At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit
of justice and peace. We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and
ideological differences. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be. Loving our
neighbour has global dimensions in a shrinking world. The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers. Our love for
all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict.

f. Care for God’s Creation

We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is a requirement of
the Christian faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in a relationship with all
of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot
be ignored.

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Further Reading

Rush, M. (2003). Management: A Biblical Approach, 2nd edition. Colorado: Cook Communication
Ministries

Rush, M. (2003). Management: A Biblical Approach, 2nd edition. Colorado: Cook Communication
Ministries

Harvestime International Institute (n.d). Biblical Management Principles. http://www.harvestime.org

References

Boapeah, S.N. (2014). Principles of church management: Managing people, programmes, and possessions
in the local church. Kumasi: Faith Alive.

Rush, M. (2003). Management: A Biblical Approach, 2nd edition. Colorado: Cook Communication
Ministries

Harvestime International Institute (n.d). Biblical Management Principles. http://www.harvestime.org

Anumah, I. (2020). Conflict Management. Abuja: NOUN Press

Rahim, M. A. (2001). Managing Conflict in Organizations, 3rd Edition. Westport: Quorum Books

The World Bank, (18 October 2022). Faith-Based and Religious Organizations. Received from
https://www.worldbank.org/en/about/partners/brief/faith-based-organizations on 18 October 2022

Libreria Editrice Vaticana (2000). Catechism of the Catholic Church. United States Catholic Conference,
Inc. NE, Washington.

Reuteler, J. T. (2013). The Essentials of Methodism. Covenant Bible Studies. Aurora: Colorado

Torry, M. (2014). Managing Faith-Based and Mission Organizations. In: Managing Religion: The
Management of Christian Religious and Faith-Based Organizations. Palgrave Macmillan, London.
https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137439284_2

Torry, M. (2014). Managing Religion: The Management of Christian Religious and Faith-Based
Organizations, Volume I: Internal Relationships, Palgrave Macmillan: New York (Pages 1 – 21)

Schermerhorn, J. R., (2013). Management .12e. New York: J. Wiley & Sons.

Daft, R. L. (2020). Management. South-Western, Cengage Learning.

Daft, R. (2019). Organisation Theory and Design. New York: South-Western College.

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 MODULE FIVE

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CHURCH

OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to:

• Write the Key Verse from memory

• Identify the principles of recruitment and selection
• Explain the purpose of training leaders and followers.
• Explain why training others is an important responsibility
• Identify eight principles of training used by Jesus.
• Give a Biblical example of a leadership training model.

KEY VERSE:
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am
with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

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 Introduction

The hallmark of an effective leader is the ability to hand over what is entrusted to him or her to the
next generation. Thus, the continuity of a ministry or a business is essential in both secular and
religious organisation. In the book of Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus was confident instructing his
disciples to go out there to make new disciples because he saw they had passed the apprenticeship
test. Unlike the tone in Matthew 10:16, Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves:
be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. The instruction in Matthew 28:18-20
revealed a master sending fully-fledged leaders who have passed through mentorship training.
Right from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, He called followers because the assignment entrusted
to Him by His Father needs followers to continue it. This demonstrates that Leaders must have
followers and followers must have leaders. Jesus did not just select followers and train them. In
this chapter, will learn how to select and train leaders and followers following Jesus’ method the
future of the Church depends on them.

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 PRINCIPLES OF RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

In the church, everyone is a follower because Jesus is our ultimate leader. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1 exults
the church of Corinth, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Paul demonstrated the true
meaning of being a member of God’s people. We are called to follow and learn from the True Leader
whether we are given the opportunity to be in a position of leaders now or in the near future. Jesus Christ
at the beginning of his ministry recognised the importance of personnel recruitment and selection. This
responsibility can make or break an organisation either secular or religious. For this reason, our Lord Jesus
gave set a good canon for the church in its selection process.

• DEPEND ON GOD: MAKE IT A MATTER OF PRAYER

In the Gospel of Matthew 4:1-2, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for the sole purpose of
communion with His Father through forty days of fasting and prayers. The destructor went there to cut His
ministry short but He defeated the devil and proceeded to call His first disciple in Matthew 4:18-22. After
Jesus had received numerous applicants and wanted to select a few and put them in charge of the ministry,
He engaged Himself in prayer again in Luke 6:12-13, “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside
to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and
chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles”.

Jesus’s disciples also followed in His footsteps anytime they need to embark on personnel selection for a
specific ministry. Once Jesus had ascended into heaven, the disciples gathered to choose a replacement for
Judas Iscariot. Peter said to those who were gathered in Acts 1:21-27:

21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the
Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was
taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” 23 So they
nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they
prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to
take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots,
and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

The church must commune with God through prayers before engaging in any form of personnel
selection either hiring a cleaner, or secretary or electing church officers.

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 • TAKE THE INITIATIVE

After Jesus engaged Himself with prayer and fasting for forty days, the next thing He did was put the prayer
into action:

18
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and his
brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow
me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed
him. Matthew 4:18-22

The text demonstrates that Jesus never sat down and expected the disciples to come to Him. He took the
initiative to position Himself in a strategic position. He knew the kind of candidates He was looking for.
Applicants who have the pre-requisite to carry out the fishers of men ministry. The best location to get
those applicants was “beside the Sea of Galilee.” People will not flock to you to become followers or
leaders. You must take the initiative to call them.

• LOOK AT POTENTIAL - SELECT THOSE WHO MEET BASIC REQUIREMENTS

It has been said that if the original 12 disciples were reviewed by a church mission board in the present
time, they would be turned down for missionary service. But the fundamental question is why Jesus called
those we sometimes considered “common men”? Jesus did not select disciples for the ministry because of
what they were, but because of what they could become. Critically examining the nature of Jesus’s ministry
and the task ahead will show you that he selected the best potential candidates for the job. Jesus looked
beyond the problems to their potential. In the Gospel of Matthew 4:19, Jesus summarised the task ahead to
Peter and his brother Andrew, “19Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
The summary of the job description is somebody who can be a fisher of man.

Based on the job descriptions, Jesus selected:

• fishing entrepreneurs (Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the
lake, for they were fishermen; James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat
with their father Zebedee);
• honest man (When Jesus saw Nathanael or Bartholomew approaching, he said of him, “Here truly
is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.) John 1:43-51
• the proclaimer or the announcer (Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one
Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the
son of Joseph.”) John 1:43-51

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 • tax expect (As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax
collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.) Matthew
9:9

Paul told Timothy to select faithful men and commit to them the things he had been taught. These faithful
men were to have the ability to teach others. The basic requirements are faithfulness and the ability to teach
others. If a man is not faithful, he will not fulfil his responsibility of spiritual reproduction. If he is faithful
but does not know how to teach others, then he will also fail.

When you select men and women as disciples, they must be available. They must be willing to make
discipleship the priority of their lives. Faithful men are motivated by spiritual vision. When Jesus gave Peter
and Andrew the vision of catching men and women, it motivated them to leave their nets.

• MAKE THE BENEFITS AND COSTS CLEAR

Most pastors and ministers of today are confused because the church did not allow them to understand the
nature of their job from the beginning. Jesus allows the disciples to understand the job and the cost involves
before selecting them.

In the Gospel of Matthew 16:24, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must
deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Jesus presented the challenges associated with
discipleship to his follows and allows them to make informed decisions.

He helped the disciples to set their priorities - The Kingdom of God must become their main priority. Jesus
made known the benefits of discipleship to His followers in Luke 22:28–30

28
You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father
conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

• RETENTION AND LETTING GO

The ministry of recruitment, selection, and retention is not without disappointment but God has a purpose
for everything. In the eyes of men, it may seem disenchantment but in God’s bigger plan, everything is
designed for a purpose. Jesus experienced such disappointment during his ministry. For instance, in Mark
10:20-22:

“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One
thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in

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heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this, the man’s face fell. He went away sad because he had great
wealth.”

Jesus Christ acknowledged his truthful nature and possibly how great he could have become a loyal disciple.
But out of love, Jesus allows him to go without any resistance. As leaders and ministers of the gospel,
sometimes, letting go is painful, especially seeing a young and charismatic person decide to leave the
ministry and pursue different dreams. In the gospel of John, Jesus experienced a bitter turnover in His
ministry:

65
And he said, therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of
my Father. 66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Then said
Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we
go? thou hast the words of eternal life. (John 6:65-68)

Jesus demonstrated to the ministers of the gospel that the battle is not our battle and we do not need to
become front warriors to stop others who want to leave for other professions or ministries. Sometimes,
leaders become bitter to the point of destroying the person or group of persons who want to leave the church
or ministry. Aside from those who left the ministry, Jesus also turned some down and gave a strict criteria
in selecting workers for the vineyard. In the gospel of Luke:

59
He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60
Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61
Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
62
Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of
God.” (Luke 9:59-62)

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 TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

THE PURPOSE OF TRAINING

The fundamental reason that makes the church train leaders and followers are to fulfill the commission
given by Jesus:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am
with you always, even unto the end of the world. (Matthew 28:19-20)

The church trains leaders and followers for the purpose of going to all nations, teaching the Gospel,
baptising, and then guiding converts to spiritual maturity through further teaching. People must hear the
Gospel in order to respond, repent from sin, and be born again – "evangelism":
Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. (Matthew 28:19)
A convert is a believer in Jesus who has been born again by faith and has become part of the Kingdom of
God. But a new convert must be trained to be a follower. New converts are to be instructed in all Jesus
taught:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world. (Matthew 28:20)

Jesus plans that we lead converts into discipleship. The word "disciple" means a "learner, a pupil, someone
who learns by following.” As he does this, he becomes a leader. As this process is repeated, new followers
and leaders are continuously raised to extend the Gospel of the Kingdom.
How does the church lead people from being converts to becoming disciples (followers) and then leaders?
The church must train them. Winning new converts is important, but only by training them as followers and
leaders will they be able to reproduce spiritually. Jesus demonstrated this as He selected followers and
trained them to become leaders. To assure the completion of His mission, Jesus made training followers
and leaders a priority. The church must provide holistic formation to the minister of the gospel. The
formation needs to address four key dimensions of the ministry: human formation, intellectual formation,
spiritual formation, and pastoral formation.

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DIMENSIONS OF FORMATION FOR PASTORS’ AND MINISTERS’ DEVELOPMENT

• Human Formation

Future pastors and ministers need to cultivate all the virtues that lead to human flourishing. Just as Christ’s
humanity is a bridge between ourselves and God, so a minister's humanity must be an effective bridge that
leads all to Christ. The goal is to become a well-rounded man or woman of communion, a man or woman
who fosters true unity and peace among all those he serves.

• Intellectual Formation

The primary responsibility to preach the Gospel requires a future pastor and minister to undergo a
substantial program of study. In this exploration of Divine Revelation and church ministry, God is known
more fully and can be shared more effectively with the world. The church should pursue this goal through
a Theology Program to form well-educated men and women who will continue to seek knowledge of the
mysteries of God throughout their life and encourage others to do the same.

• Spiritual Formation

The people of God grow according to their God-given natural human efforts. God gives His grace, which
makes human beings His friends. The future pastor and minister must deepen his or her relationship with
Christ in a unique way through the power of the Holy Spirit. He or she conforms to Christ’s example of
self-gift so that he or she can make his or her life a total gift to the Church. The heart of ministry life is the
teachings of Christ, especially the daily worship and prayer. The man or woman who seeks to be an
instrument of God’s grace for others must, in every way, seek to receive it himself or herself.

• Pastoral Formation

All that is received in the formation must be integrated and oriented toward true pastoral charity. In this
way, a future pastor or minister will effectively minister to those whom he/she is called to serve. This is not
simply about technique but about giving one’s entire life to the responsibilities of pastorship. This formation
must be directed toward effective church ministry. Throughout formation, ministers must engage in all
facets of ministry life so they are ready to be the servant that every church community deserves.

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PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Jesus did not just call His disciples but he took them through rigorous training for about three years. He
used various strategies to train and prepare His disciples for the task ahead. After selecting His disciples,
Jesus demonstrated eight important principles in training them:

• ASSOCIATION
When Jesus called His disciples, He called them to "be with Him.” He shared His life intimately with His
disciples. He spent time with them in both formal ministry situations and informal circumstances. You
cannot train followers and leaders through committee meetings or Sunday worship services alone. There
must be a close association with those whom you train. You must share your life with them. You must come
to know them, their problems, their spiritual level, etc.
• CONSECRATION
Out of association with Jesus, consecration developed. Jesus called His disciples to consecrate to a Person,
not a denomination or organisation. Such consecration to God called for absolute obedience to His Word
and purposes. (John 4:34; 5:30; 15:10; 17:4; and Luke 22:42).
• VISION
Jesus motivated His followers by giving them spiritual vision. He called them to a task greater than the
routine of everyday living. He called them to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). He gave them a vision of
worldwide spiritual harvest (John 4:35). He challenged them with the revelation of the Kingdom of God
(Matthew 13). Without vision, people perish (Proverbs 29:18). They have no direction and no motivation.
As you train others you must communicate the spiritual vision to motivate the mission. The vision is
worldwide conquest with the Gospel of the Kingdom. Never be distracted by a lesser cause.
• INSTRUCTION
Jesus spent a great part of His time teaching His disciples. His instruction always related to the vision He
had given them. If you are to train disciples following the methods of Jesus, then you
must teach what Jesus taught. This is part of the command of the Great Commission (Matthew
28:20). Emphasis should be on the teachings of Jesus and what was revealed as these teachings were put
into practice in the first Church. This means the focus of teaching should be on the Gospels and the Epistles
of the New Testament. (Harvestime International Institute curriculum provides such training. Harvestime
also offers a course entitled "Teaching Tactics" which trains you to teach using the methods of Jesus.) As
you teach what Jesus taught, you teach the entire revelation of God's Word because it is based on the Old
Testament. Jesus said:

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 ...These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled,
which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning me... Thus it is
written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from
the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among
all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:44,46-47)

• DEMONSTRATION
Jesus did not teach through verbal instruction alone. He demonstrated what He taught. Jesus taught healing
and demonstrated it by healing the sick. He taught the authority of the believer over Satan and demonstrated
it by casting out demons. He taught concern for the poor and illustrated it by feeding the multitudes. The
disciples were not only students, they were eyewitnesses to the demonstration of God's power. They later
said they were teaching "That which we have seen and heard" as "eyewitnesses" (I John 1:1). Jesus taught
by example. He demonstrated what He said by how He lived and ministered. He said:
For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. (John 13:15)
The demonstration of God's power makes people listen to your message:
And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the
miracles which he did. (Acts 8:6)
Paul spoke not only of the truth of the Gospel (Galatians 2:5) but of the power of the Gospel (Romans 1:16).
He declared and demonstrated the Gospel (I Corinthians 2:1,4).

• PARTICIPATION
Mere knowledge is not enough. To be effective, knowledge must be applied. There comes a time for action.
The disciples not only listened to the teachings of Jesus and observed the demonstrations, but they also
participated. Teaching a subject is not enough to assure learning. Teaching alone is like trying to learn to
do surgery by reading a book. Disciples must have experience in what they are learning. They must gain
experience in how to share the Gospel, how to pray for the sick, how to cast out demons, etc. Jesus provided
such opportunities for His disciples. Read Mark 6:7-13 and Luke 9:1-6. Jesus sent His disciples out to
experience what they had been taught. Those you train become doers of the Word and not hearers only.

• SUPERVISION
When the disciples of Jesus returned from their ministry trip, Jesus evaluated their efforts (Luke 9:10).
Throughout the entire training process, Jesus supervised His disciples. They were not left alone in their
struggles. He was there to correct, rebuke, and encourage them. You cannot assume that the work will be
done merely because you have shown a willing worker how to do it and sent him out with glowing

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expectations. You must supervise. As the worker faces frustration and obstacles, you must teach him how
to meet these challenges. Supervision is sometimes called "follow-up.” Paul supervised or "followed up"
on his disciples:
And after he had spent some time there, he departed and went over all the countries of Galatia, and
Phyrgia in order, to strengthen all the disciples. (Acts 18:23)

Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must
through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of
God. (Acts 14:22)

• DELEGATION:
The final stage of the discipleship process was when Jesus delegated His followers to become disciple-
makers themselves. He gave them the task of spiritual multiplication throughout the nations of the world.

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Further Reading

Rush, M. (2003). Management: A Biblical Approach, 2nd edition. Colorado: Cook Communication
Ministries

Rush, M. (2003). Management: A Biblical Approach, 2nd edition. Colorado: Cook Communication
Ministries

Harvestime International Institute (n.d). Biblical Management Principles. http://www.harvestime.org

References

Boapeah, S.N. (2014). Principles of church management: Managing people, programmes, and possessions
in the local church. Kumasi: Faith Alive.

Rush, M. (2003). Management: A Biblical Approach, 2nd edition. Colorado: Cook Communication
Ministries

Harvestime International Institute (n.d). Biblical Management Principles. http://www.harvestime.org

Anumah, I. (2020). Conflict Management. Abuja: NOUN Press

Rahim, M. A. (2001). Managing Conflict in Organizations, 3rd Edition. Westport: Quorum Books

The World Bank, (18 October 2022). Faith-Based and Religious Organizations. Received from
https://www.worldbank.org/en/about/partners/brief/faith-based-organizations on 18 October 2022

Libreria Editrice Vaticana (2000). Catechism of the Catholic Church. United States Catholic Conference,
Inc. NE, Washington.

Reuteler, J. T. (2013). The Essentials of Methodism. Covenant Bible Studies. Aurora: Colorado

Torry, M. (2014). Managing Faith-Based and Mission Organizations. In: Managing Religion: The
Management of Christian Religious and Faith-Based Organizations. Palgrave Macmillan, London.
https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137439284_2

Torry, M. (2014). Managing Religion: The Management of Christian Religious and Faith-Based
Organizations, Volume I: Internal Relationships, Palgrave Macmillan: New York (Pages 1 – 21)

Schermerhorn, J. R., (2013). Management .12e. New York: J. Wiley & Sons.

Daft, R. L. (2020). Management. South-Western, Cengage Learning.

Daft, R. (2019). Organisation Theory and Design. New York: South-Western College.

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 MODULE SIX

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to:

• Write the Key Verse from memory

• Define organisational conflict
• Identify the source of organisational conflict
• Assess the negative and positive effects of conflict/disagreement
• Summarize guidelines for dealing with conflict.

KEY VERSE:
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they
listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along,
so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” 17 If they still
refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as
you would a pagan or a tax collector (Matthew 18:15-17).

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 Introduction

Leaders have greater responsibility in terms of providing discipline and solving conflicts. Every minister
or pastor who works with and ministers to God’s people bears in mind that the two tasks are indispensable.
Discipline is the correction of those who are wrong. A conflict is a fight or quarrel. A good leader must
correct and be able to solve problems among his followers. The fundamental question is whether the
minister is a part of the conflict. I remember a conflict between a minister and his assistant. The minister
appointed a cook and the assistant pastor complained about the behaviour and attitude of the cook towards
him. This generated a conflict between the minister, the assistant, and even some members of the church
executives.

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DEFINITION OF ORGANISATIONAL CONFLICT

Rush (2014) defined conflict as open and hostile opposition occurring as a result of a different viewpoint.
Conflict is an action, which prevents, obstructs, interferes with, injures, or renders ineffective another action
with which it is incompatible (Deutsch, 1973:1). Disagreement and conflict are two different phenomena.
Disagreement is devoid of hostility but once hostility enters the scene then conflict is present. Friends can
disagree on their political and religious views. Scholars also disagree with intellectual gymnastics. But once
the opposing parties start to antagonize one another through any form of violent means then we can
conclude that the issue has escalated to a level of conflict.

ELEMENTS OF CONFLICT

Baron (1990) identified the following conflict elements:

• Conflict includes opposing interests between individuals or groups in a zero-sum situation;

• Such opposed interests must be recognized for conflict to exist;
• Conflict involves beliefs, by each side, that the other will thwart (or has already thwarted) its
interests;
• Conflict is a process; it develops out of existing relationships between individuals or groups and
reflects their past interactions and the contexts in which these took place; and
• Actions by one or both sides do produce thwarting of others’ goals.

APPROACHES TO CONFLICT

Conflict can be negative (destructive) which leads to an unhealthy relationship or positive (constructive)
which leads to a healthy relationship. Dokun (2005) pointed out that conflict is often rooted in people’s
beliefs and perceptions about goals as opposed to objective facts. He opined that there are two main
approaches to conflict – unhealthy and helpful approaches.

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 Unhealthy Approach Helpful Approach
Perceives conflict as always being a disruption of Perceives conflicts as often being an outgrowth of
order, a negative experience, an error or mistake in diversity which may hold possibilities for
Relationship improving the relationship
A battle between incompatible self-interests, Perceives conflict as one part of a relationship, a
desires, power, or goals part which may involve needs, interests, values,
perceptions, power, feeling, etc
An isolated event we allow to define the entire Perceives conflict as occurrences that punctuate a
relationship relationship and which can help clarify the
relationship
Always a struggle between right versus wrong or A confrontation between the difference in certain
good versus evil aspects of a relationship but other aspects are still
there to build on

TYPES OF CONFLICT

Scholars approach the type of conflict from diverse perspectives. Conflict can be classified based
on where the conflict happens and the kind of effect the conflicts produce.

CONFLICTS BASED ON LOCATION INCLUDE:

a. Intrapersonal Conflict: This occurs within a person as he decides on the use of time,
choice of partner, moral issues, goals and aspirations, etc. This is capable of producing
anxiety and tension within the person going through this kind of conflict.
b. Interpersonal Conflict: This is a conflict that occurs between two or more individuals. It
may result from differences in opinion, motives, and actions. This kind of conflict is what
is seen when two people are disagreeing among themselves. Cain and Abel (Gen. 4:1–16),
Abram and Lot (Gen. 13:8–18), Jacob and Esau (Gen. 25–27; 32–33), Jacob and Laban
(Gen. 29–31), Saul and David (1 Sam. 18–31), Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38–42), Jesus’
disciples (Mark 9:33–37; Luke 22:24–27)
c. Intragroup Conflict: This may occur between individuals within a group. This is similar
to interpersonal conflicts except that it occurs within a particular group. This kind of

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 conflict can be seen when for example two members of the choir are disagreeing about
something which has to do with the choir.
d. Intergroup Conflict: This is a conflict that occurs between groups of people such as
solidarity groups, activity groups, and church denominations. This kind of conflict occurs
when for example members of the choir are in disagreement with members of the Ushering
team or one country is at war with another country. In Acts 6:1 “In those days when the
number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against
the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of
food.”

CONFLICTS BASED ON THE EFFECTS PRODUCED INCLUDE:

a. Functional or Constructive Conflict: This kind of conflict improves the quality of

decisions, and stimulates creativity and innovation through which problems can be aired
and tensions released. This kind of conflict is also referred to as positive conflict because
it is a conflict that helps the people involve to improve their relationship for good. An
example of this kind of conflict is when people argue from different points of view on the
same matter with an open mind, they end up arriving at a new position which is an
improvement on their previous myopic views. This kind of conflict helps you understand
the sensitivity of the other person on a particular issue, which will help you avoid conflicts
in such matters in the future. This was the kind of conflict that was between the Gentile
Christians and the Jewish Christians in Acts 15.
b. Dysfunctional or Destructive Conflict: This type of conflict leads to retarded
communication, reduction in group cohesiveness, and subordination of goals to the
primacy of in-fighting among members. This kind of conflict produces bitterness, envy,
anger, and unforgiveness. This type of conflict is usually protracted with no immediate and
permanent solution in sight.

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SOURCES OF CONFLICT

Many different things, ideas, or situations initiate conflict. Some of the major causes of conflict
include:

• Value conflicts
They are caused by parties having different criteria to evaluate ideas, or by different
lifestyles, ideologies, or religions. It can also be within yourself; you’re not living
according to your values or when your values and perspectives are threatened by fear of
the unknown or from lack of fulfilment.
• Relationship conflicts
They are caused by strong emotions, misperceptions, miscommunications, and regular,
negative interactions.
• Data conflicts
They are caused by a lack of information, different interpretations of data, and different
views on what is relevant. There is poor communication, for example when church
members experience continuing surprises and do not even understand reasons for decisions
taken, especially on things concerning them. This kind of atmosphere will generate
conflict.
• Interest conflicts
Interest conflicts are caused by competition over substantive interests, procedural interests,
or psychological interests.
• Structural conflicts
They are caused by destructive patterns of behaviour, unequal control and ownership of
resources, unequal power and authority, time constraints, and geographical/environmental
factors that hinder cooperation. When the amount of resources available for interested
parties is insufficient, there is usually disagreement about who does what, and who gets
what; this tends to produce stress among interested parties which will then lead to conflict.
• Avoidance
When we engage in avoidance, it only weakens already fragile relationships. People
usually tend to agree with us not just because they are our friends, but mostly because they
see the conflict and possible solutions from our perspective. After all, they heard the story

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 from us. Once a person has the support of a friend, she may feel justified in her behaviour
and not try to put as much energy into solving the conflict. One particularly damaging form
of conflict avoidance is to send someone else to deliver a message or confront another on
our behalf, the individual not spoken to directly will be hurt that such a tactic was taken.

BIBLICAL FOUNDATION FOR CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Scholars emphasise conflict management as opposed to the resolution of conflict. The difference is more
than semantic (Robbins, 1978; Boulding, 1968). Conflict resolution implies the reduction, elimination, or
termination of conflict. A large number of studies on negotiation, bargaining, mediation, and arbitration fall
into the conflict resolution category. Conflict management does not necessarily imply avoidance, reduction,
or termination of conflict. It involves designing effective strategies to minimize the dysfunctions of conflict
and enhancing the constructive functions of conflict to enhance the learning and effectiveness of an
organization.

Understanding Church Conflict

Conflict in our churches is a reality. Someone said that a church without conflict is probably a church that
is dead. Although we tend to be shaken by conflict, in itself conflict is not the real issue. Rather, the issue
is whether and how the church responds to conflict in a way that honours God. One of the major conflicts
in the church was recorded in the book of Acts 6:1:

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them
complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily
distribution of food.

The disciples need to deal with this intergroup conflict in order to avoid major escalation. The
majority of the conflict experienced in churches is the product of changing times rather than
creative leadership. Remarkable changes have occurred in the pressures that pastors bear compared
to the pressures they experienced when their word was seldom questioned and their authority
prevailed. Pastors need not be surprised when they find their authority and plans challenged, and
they are caught up in a whole storm of protest. It's happening in every institution in our society,
including the church.
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The Bible reveals the true reason behind conflicts between believers and in the Church and
Christian ministries:

But if you harbour bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny
the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual,
demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every
evil practice. (James 3:14-16)

You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not
worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? (I Corinthians 3:3)

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle
within you? (James 4:1)

Preventing Conflict

The best way to handle conflict is to prevent it before it occurs. Here are some ways to prevent conflict:

• Raise up spiritually mature believers (James 3:14-16; 4:1; I Corinthians 3:3).

• Keep people well informed. Confusion and lack of information create problems. Build strong
bridges of communication between those involved with you in the work of the ministry. Good
leaders in the Bible (like Moses, Nehemiah, Ezra, etc.) were good communicators.
• Whenever you are doing work for God, there will always be problems. Let people know you expect
problems, that you are not surprised when they arise, and that you know you will be able to solve
them through the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Think ahead. By careful planning, you can deal with many problems before they become conflicts.
• Build strong relationships. Say only good about others, and train those who work with you in
ministry to speak well of others.
• Give sincere appreciation and credit to those who work with you in ministry.
• If you make a mistake, be big enough to admit and correct it.
• Be clear in your purpose and plans of ministry. If everyone knows what you are doing and why
there is less opportunity for misunderstanding and conflict
• When it is necessary to set rules, establish clear rules and communicate them immediately to others.

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 • Be available to your co-workers so you will be aware of problems when they arise. Without your
attention, simple problems can turn into big conflicts.
• Operate the ministry on Biblical principles, the greatest of which is love.

Dealing with Conflict

When a problem or conflict does arise, follow these guidelines:

• Pray for wisdom to deal with the problem.

• Make yourself available to deal with it. You cannot handle problems if you are never around.
• Determine the real problem. The conflict is not the real problem. What caused the conflict is the
problem. To determine the problem you must ask questions, observe, and continue to pray for
revelation. Listen to all sides of the problem and all people involved. Do not act without a clear
understanding of all the facts. Always keep in mind the real source of problems (James 3:14-16;
4:1; I Corinthians 3:3).
• Let people who are directly affected by the problem suggest solutions. Be willing to listen to all
suggestions. Pray together about a solution. In serious conflicts, fasting is also recommended.
• If the conflict is a personal problem between two people, bring them together following the
principles of (Matthew 18:15-17).
• Deal with conflicts with a proper attitude. Be forgiving, seeking to restore rather than sever
relationships. Be loving. Do not threaten or become angry. Do not allow people to yell or say bad
things about each other.
Use tact. Tact is the ability to deal with difficult situations with wisdom and love without offending
people. It involves being sensitive to others, being understanding, and using words that restore and
heal rather than divide and wound. Be flexible. Do not be selfishly set on having your way. Be open
to different ideas and ways of solving problems.
• Deal with one conflict or problem at a time. Do not confuse the issue by discussing other related
problems.
• When you have a clear understanding of the problem causing the conflict, act immediately to
correct it. Remember that a solution should always advance the Kingdom of God. Turn conflicts
into cooperation, as in the example of Paul and Barnabas.
• Explain why you are handling the conflict the way you are. For example, in the church conflict
described in Acts 15, the leaders explained their decision in detail in writing to those involved.

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 • Thank God for the problem and what you learned from the experience. When you give thanks in
"everything,” it releases the divine energy and power of God to work on your behalf.

Further Reading

Rush, M. (2003). Management: A Biblical Approach, 2nd edition. Colorado: Cook Communication
Ministries

Anumah, I. (2020). Conflict Management. Abuja: NOUN Press

Rahim, M. A. (2001). Managing Conflict in Organizations, 3rd Edition. Westport: Quorum Books

References

Boapeah, S.N. (2014). Principles of church management: Managing people, programmes, and possessions
in the local church. Kumasi: Faith Alive.

Rush, M. (2003). Management: A Biblical Approach, 2nd edition. Colorado: Cook Communication
Ministries

Harvestime International Institute (n.d). Biblical Management Principles. http://www.harvestime.org

Anumah, I. (2020). Conflict Management. Abuja: NOUN Press

Rahim, M. A. (2001). Managing Conflict in Organizations, 3rd Edition. Westport: Quorum Books

The World Bank, (18 October 2022). Faith-Based and Religious Organizations. Received from
https://www.worldbank.org/en/about/partners/brief/faith-based-organizations on 18 October 2022

Libreria Editrice Vaticana (2000). Catechism of the Catholic Church. United States Catholic Conference,
Inc. NE, Washington.

Reuteler, J. T. (2013). The Essentials of Methodism. Covenant Bible Studies. Aurora: Colorado

Torry, M. (2014). Managing Faith-Based and Mission Organizations. In: Managing Religion: The
Management of Christian Religious and Faith-Based Organizations. Palgrave Macmillan, London.
https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137439284_2

Torry, M. (2014). Managing Religion: The Management of Christian Religious and Faith-Based
Organizations, Volume I: Internal Relationships, Palgrave Macmillan: New York (Pages 1 – 21)

Schermerhorn, J. R., (2013). Management .12e. New York: J. Wiley & Sons.

Daft, R. L. (2020). Management. South-Western, Cengage Learning.

Daft, R. (2019). Organisation Theory and Design. New York: South-Western College.

92 | MANAGEMENT OF CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS

 MODULE EIGHT

TIME MANAGEMENT

OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to:

• Write the Key Verse from memory

• Define time management
• State the importance of time management
• Appreciate time management techniques

KEY VERSE:

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God
had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work
(Gen 2:1-3)

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 Introduction

One of the controversial concepts in the human race is the concept of Time. Philosophers have
offered diverse arguments to explain the phenomenon. Some are of the view that time is a human
construction, therefore, subjective in nature. For instance, Kant explicitly states that time (and
space) define the human world and do not pertain to the thing-in-itself. ‘Time is not something
which exists of itself’ (Kant, 1933). ‘Time is, therefore, a purely subjective condition of our
(human) intuition . . . and in itself, apart from the subject, is nothing’ (Kant, 1933). Apart from the
human subject, time is nothing. Others are of the view that time has an element of eternity. For
example, in the Timeaeus, Plato refers to the sensible world as a world of becoming which is
visible, temporal, and tangible, and to the intelligible world as a world of Being that is unchanging
(though living), self-existent and fully present, and Parmenides argues for a timeless nature of
being that lies behind the flow of time. Saint Augustine also argued that ‘eternity, in which there
is neither past nor future, determines both past and future time’ (Saint Augustine, 1961). Time is
thus nothing but a moving image of eternity.

As Christians, we are not to manage our time the same way the world manages theirs. We must
make sure that we seek God in everything that we do. We are to organize our time and plan wisely
for the future. There are time management apps that we can download on our phones that we
should all take advantage of. If you’re old school a simple notepad or calendar will help.

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Definition of Time Management

Time management is the process of planning and controlling how much time to spend on specific activities.
Good time management enables an individual to complete more in a shorter period of time, lowers stress,
and leads to career success.

Importance of Time Management

The ability to manage your time effectively is important. Good time management leads to improved
efficiency and productivity, less stress, and more success in life. Here are some benefits of managing time
effectively:

• Stress relief

Making and following a task schedule reduces anxiety. As you check off items on your “to-do” list, you
can see that you are making tangible progress. This helps you avoid feeling stressed out with worry about
whether you’re getting things done.

• More time

Good time management gives you extra time to spend in your daily life. People who can time-manage
effectively enjoy having more time to spend on hobbies or other personal pursuits.

• More opportunities

Managing time well leads to more opportunities and less time wasted on trivial activities. Good time
management skills are key qualities that employers look for. The ability to prioritize and schedule work is
extremely desirable for any organization.

• Ability to realize goals

Individuals who practice good time management are able to better achieve goals and objectives, and do so
in a shorter length of time.

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Obstacles to Time Management

• Procrastination
• Poor personal planning and scheduling
• Interruptions by people without appointments
• Poor delegation
• Poor use of social media and telephone
• Poor handling of emails
• Lac of concern for time management
• Lack of clear priorities

Strategies for Effective Time Management

• Set goals correctly

Set goals that are achievable and measurable. Use the SMART method when setting goals. In essence, make
sure the goals you set are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.

• Prioritize wisely

Prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency. For example, look at your daily tasks and determine
which are:

i. Important and urgent: Do these tasks right away.

ii. Important but not urgent: Decide when to do these tasks.
iii. Urgent but not important: Delegate these tasks if possible.
iv. Not urgent and not important: Set these aside to do later.

• Set a time limit to complete a task

Setting time constraints for completing tasks helps you be more focused and efficient. Making the small
extra effort to decide how much time you need to allot for each task can also help you recognize potential
problems before they arise. That way you can make plans for dealing with them. For example, assume you
need to write up five reviews in time for a meeting. However, you realize that you’ll only be able to get
four of them done in the time remaining before the meeting. If you become aware of this fact well in
advance, you may be able to easily delegate writing up one of the reviews to someone else. However, if

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you had not bothered to do a time check on your tasks beforehand, you might have ended up not realizing
your time problem until just an hour before the meeting. At that point, it might be considerably more
difficult to find someone to delegate one of the reviews to, and more difficult for them to fit the task into
their day, too.

• Take a break between tasks

When doing a lot of tasks without a break, it is harder to stay focused and motivated. Allow some downtime
between tasks to clear your head and refresh yourself. Consider grabbing a brief nap, going for a short walk,
or meditating.

• Organize yourself

Utilize your calendar for more long-term time management. Write down the deadlines for projects, or for
tasks that are part of completing the overall project. Think about which days might be best to dedicate to
specific tasks. For example, you might need to plan a meeting to discuss cash flow on a day when you know
the company CFO is available.

• Remove non-essential tasks/activities

It is important to remove excess activities or tasks. Determine what is significant and what deserves your
time. Removing non-essential tasks/activities frees up more of your time to be spent on genuinely important
things.

• Plan ahead

Make sure you start every day with a clear idea of what you need to do – what needs to get done THAT
DAY. Consider making it a habit to, at the end of each workday, go ahead and write out your “to-do” list
for the next workday. Time management inventory will help you plan.

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 Time Management Inventory

What I plan to do tomorrow Time What I did

7:00 am
8:00
9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00 noon
1:00 pm
2:00
3:00
4:00
5:00
6:00

Implications of Poor Time Management

Let’s also consider the consequences of poor time management.

• Poor workflow

The inability to plan and stick to goals means poor efficiency. For example, if there are several important
tasks to complete, an effective plan would be to complete related tasks together or sequentially. However,
if you do not plan, you could end up having to jump back and forth or backtrack, in doing your work. That
translates to reduced efficiency and lower productivity.

• Wasted time

Poor time management results in wasted time. For example, by talking to friends on social media while
doing an assignment, you are distracting yourself and wasting time.

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 • Loss of control

By not knowing what the next task is, you suffer from a loss of control of your life. That can contribute to
higher stress levels and anxiety.

• Poor quality of work

Poor time management typically makes the quality of your work suffer. For example, having to rush to
complete tasks at the last minute usually compromises quality.

• Poor reputation

If clients or your employer cannot rely on you to complete tasks in a timely manner, their expectations and
perceptions of you are adversely affected. If a client cannot rely on you to get something done on time, they
will likely take their business elsewhere.

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Further Reading

Boapeah, S.N. (2014). Principles of church management: Managing people, programmes, and possessions
in the local church. Kumasi: Faith Alive.

Rush, M. (2003). Management: A Biblical Approach, 2nd edition. Colorado: Cook Communication
Ministries

References

Boapeah, S.N. (2014). Principles of church management: Managing people, programmes, and possessions
in the local church. Kumasi: Faith Alive.

Rush, M. (2003). Management: A Biblical Approach, 2nd edition. Colorado: Cook Communication
Ministries

Harvestime International Institute (n.d). Biblical Management Principles. http://www.harvestime.org

Anumah, I. (2020). Conflict Management. Abuja: NOUN Press

Rahim, M. A. (2001). Managing Conflict in Organizations, 3rd Edition. Westport: Quorum Books

The World Bank, (18 October 2022). Faith-Based and Religious Organizations. Received from
https://www.worldbank.org/en/about/partners/brief/faith-based-organizations on 18 October 2022

Libreria Editrice Vaticana (2000). Catechism of the Catholic Church. United States Catholic Conference,
Inc. NE, Washington.

Reuteler, J. T. (2013). The Essentials of Methodism. Covenant Bible Studies. Aurora: Colorado

Torry, M. (2014). Managing Faith-Based and Mission Organizations. In: Managing Religion: The
Management of Christian Religious and Faith-Based Organizations. Palgrave Macmillan, London.
https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137439284_2

Torry, M. (2014). Managing Religion: The Management of Christian Religious and Faith-Based
Organizations, Volume I: Internal Relationships, Palgrave Macmillan: New York (Pages 1 – 21)

Schermerhorn, J. R., (2013). Management .12e. New York: J. Wiley & Sons.

Daft, R. L. (2020). Management. South-Western, Cengage Learning.

Daft, R. (2019). Organisation Theory and Design. New York: South-Western College.

100 | MANAGEMENT OF CHRISTIAN ORGANISATIONS