Pastors Can Become Administrators

Though every pastor or ministry leader must manage and administer details,  it is common knowledge that the pastoral role can morph into too much administration, because that offers safety and is comfortable, for many.

 THOUGHTS ABOUT AVOIDING SLIDING INTO AN ADMINISTRATIVE ROLE

+  Teach and insist on the strategy  of a  Point Person (a staff member, by definition, who seeks to expand and give excellence to an area of ministry) and Ministry Manager (by definition, a volunteer who helps to carry the details and administration for a ministry area, reporting to the Point Person) for all the ministries of the church.

The senior pastor will by default become the Point Person for any ministry in the church not assigned to a Point Person on staff.

+  Not that we do not need good administrators!   But pastors are called to pastor, and that means vision for the area,  people relationships, discipleship, mentoring in ministry.

+  “Give away titles and responsibilities freely” – Marlene Wilson, in her book on volunteers.

+  Help them  use an administrative assistant well, not because they are “above that kind of work,” but because the pastoral part is their calling.  Consider the earthly issue of pay related to this.   A salaried pastor would be misusing that pay when doing what a per-hour person or volunteer could be doing.

+  Must have a discipleship group of 4-6 men (women if she is a woman).   This breeds a pastor’s heart.   It is even important to have a goal of sharing ministry details and people work with the ones in this discipleship group.   We multiply ministry.

“I do, we do, you do.”

+  Realize that there is a safe harbor in an office doing paper work for someone who finds the hard work of people problems exasperating.   The computer offers so many things to view before a decision is made, and distractions galore.   Even checking out what can be read, or what other churches are doing in an area, can take way too long and be way too easy.

Going after people or dreaming ministry dreams – these are hard work.

And administrators see their work as 8:00 or 9:00 to 5:00 rather than having some early appointments and some evening and weekend times when people are available.

+  There should be accountability and reporting on some of this:

appointments to meet and challenge….discipleship group….prayer with people in need….thank-you notes…administrative or Ministry Manager areas assigned to others…