Managerial problems plague many of our Seventh-day Adventist churches. We have all heard of the proverbial manager who was fired because he was doing the work himself rather than organizing his laborers to do it. Yet some pastors still chair the church's finance committee rather than ask a successful lay business person to do this. Other pastors insist on chairing all church board meetings and nominating committees, even though they may be less acquainted with the problems and strengths of the church than a competent lay pastor or elder who has long been a member of that local church.
What about the managerial style of the pastor who publicly praises the lay activities leader for successfully con ducting a missionary magazine campaign but ignores the deacon who fixed a burst water pipe? Has he not inadvertently told the deacon that his work isn't very important? The truth is, of course, that fixing broken water pipes and promoting spiritual journals are both important.
Lay persons can become discouraged when they see unprofessional relation ships between pastors. If a conference official discusses from the pulpit of his local church the possibility of his holding a series of evangelistic meetings in that church without first consulting the local pastor and church board, laymen are confused, wondering who is in charge. They question whether such an individual understands protocol and professional ethics or the basic principles of church management.
Laymen are also apt to question the managerial understanding of a pastor who, having accepted a call to another district, raises the issue of building a new church at the final board meeting of his pastorate there.
How shall the pastor most productively manage the human resources available to him in his church? As this list of administrative blunders demonstrates, much of the pastor's work involves managing human resources, and improper management can hinder the work of the church. This brief study cannot cover the entire scope of effective pastoral management, but will focus on some helpful suggestions in two areas.
First, realize that you cannot manage others well unless you have learned first to manage yourself. The initial step in self-management is self-examination. Insight can come from thoughtful questions sincerely asked and answered. Some primary questions to ask yourself are:
1. Do I realize how much one hour of my time is worth?
2. Do I know what I want to accomplish today, this week, this month, this year?
3. Is my day's schedule clearly in mind when I begin the workday?
4. Have I delegated as much work as possible to subordinates?
5. Do I use the telephone as a timesaver or a time devourer?
6. Do I devote too much time to things I like to do and neglect important tasks I dislike doing?
7. Do I answer all communications promptly?
8. Do I allow paper work to take up an inordinate amount of my working day?
9. Do I encourage a steady flow of communication between myself and my lay leaders?
10. Do I express appreciation for exceptional performance by my lay leaders?
11. If my lay leaders fall short, do I show them what to do to improve?
12. Do I give orders or make suggestions?
13. Do I understand that the growth of my lay leaders increases my own effectiveness as a manager for God?
14. Do I understand that my own spiritual, professional, and managerial growth are vital to the growth of my church?
15. Do I understand how to motivate each lay leader by appealing to his sense of satisfaction in a job well done, his desire to excel, his desire to please God, et cetera?
16. Do lay leaders feel free to approach me?
17. Do I inspire confidence in the laity?
18. Am I decisive?
19. Do I search for pertinent facts before making a decision?
20. Do I draw on the experience of others before reaching a decision?
21. Do I willingly accept the responsibility for my decisions, both wise and unwise?
22. Do I become irritated when a church member opposes my views?
23. Do I use ridicule as a method of criticism?
24. When was the last time I read a book on managing human resources?
25. What is my weakest point as a manager of laymen? What have I done in the last month to correct it?
26. Am I tactful when I must disagree with laymen?
27. Do I see myself as a team captain or a dictator?
As Socrates emphasized, all men, especially leaders, should frequently examine themselves. This is particularly good advice for the pastor who has the awesome responsibility of directing the activities of lay leaders into effective service for God. When you discover personal managerial weaknesses, by the grace of God, attempt to improve your managerial skills and thus become of greater value to God's church.
After recognizing the importance of managing himself, the pastor's next step is to develop skills in managing his laity.
A church might be defined as 90 percent people and 10 percent bricks and mortar. Never forget that church activities center around people. Managerial decisions are made by people. Most planning focuses on the needs and abilities of people. The most valuable earthly asset any church has is its people. Research shows that the average executive spends three fourths of his working time dealing with people. So the crucial question for the pastor is: "How well do I handle people, especially those who are on my lay leadership team? Do I take them for granted? Do I recognize the unique potential and contribution of each? Do I inspire them? Do I make them feel valuable?"
The answers that you give the following questions should provide you with a meaningful profile of your people-handling ability:
1. Do I review the education and experience of each lay person before placing him in a leadership position?
2. Do I generate an informal atmosphere when discussing any matter with a lay person?
3. Do I play favorites with members?
4. Do I sometimes place members in positions that will stretch their skills and encourage growth?
5. Do I invite members to discuss with me their concerns and complaints?
6. Do I generate a high level of morale among my laity?
7. Do I ever criticize a member in front of a third person?
8. Do I ever lose my temper while discussing a matter with a member?
9. Do I balance criticism with hon est praise?
10. Am I ever guilty of using sarcasm?
11. Do I put the most emphasis upon what went wrong, not who is at fault?
12. Do I assume that because I know something, my members do also?
13. Am I sincerely optimistic?
14. Are my instructions always clear?
15. Do I encourage questions when I am explaining something new?
16. Are my members afraid that making a recommendation for change will antagonize me?
17. Do I frequently seek out informed lay members for advice?
18. Can I say No without arousing a member's anger?
19. Have I ever implied by word or action that a lay person is stupid?
20. Do I set a good example for my members?
21. Am I grooming lay assistants to take over responsibilities when the proper time comes?
22. Do I sometimes defer to lay expertise even though I don't entirely agree with a decision?
23. Do I give members reasonable deadlines in which to do their work?
24. Am I a "glory gloater," or do I share success with my lay associates?
25. Does each lay person clearly understand what he is responsible for?
26. Do I underwork or overwork certain members?
27. Do I have a sense of humor when a member makes a blunder?
28. Do I periodically evaluate progress in a given job with the person involved?
29. How do I reward outstanding lay service?
30. Do I know where to get help when members have leadership problems?
31. Do my members respect me?
32. Would I hire myself as a pastor if I were looking for a leader who could manage laity so as to bring out their best efforts for the Lord?
If our churches are indeed experiencing managerial problems, how can we help pastors develop and sharpen the necessary skills to manage people effectively and successfully? The church might pursue several possible avenues. The theology departments of our colleges and universities could offer more courses in pastoral management and perhaps require a minimum number of semester or quarter hours in this field.
Local conferences could provide management seminars for pastors as a part of their continuing in-service education. These seminars could be held by local conference lay activities leaders, who first could be trained themselves in seminars conducted by college and university professors, successful and seasoned pastors, and union and General Conference personnel.
Perhaps our greatest need is simply to realize that we are managers of human resources and that much of our success as pastors will depend on how well we can motivate and direct our church's most valuable asset—people.
