The Business of the Church

I function as a business director at a Christian ministry organization.  I stand in a confusing middle world between the business world and the ministry role.  Constantly, priorities must be made and interests balanced...accountability versus flexibility, tax law versus grace, and more.  This is a place that I feel is my calling right now - not to be a ministry person with a gift for administration, but an administrator with a gift and passion for ministry.  Given this, it might surprise you if I say that

THE CHURCH IS NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE A BUSINESS!

Now that I have that statement off my chest, I can breathe much easier.  It seems so common for churches and ministries to cross over an imaginary boundary where they begin to function like businesses.  This should not be!  Under no circumstances (legal issues aside) should secrets be kept in churches!  Under no circumstances should people (staff, member, or otherwise) be treated as an object!  Under no circumstances should the "business" side of the ministry be allowed to take precedence over the ministry itself!  These are things that serve for-profit businesses well.  They have no place in the Church.

I've seen all of these things happen too frequently.  Pastors who keep secrets from the congregation or avoid divulging very significant information until the opportune time, and people who have become mistreated in the pursuit of a mission statement or a bottom line.  I've seen a desire for saving electricity cause ministry events to be regularly shut down prematurely.  There are many pastors who become CEOs, managing the staff and business and losing the shepherding in the process.  I've sadly had to watch a pastor ask for forgiveness from the altar for making the church an "organization" rather than an "organism."  Praise God that he was humble enough to say such a thing in front of the entire congregation!

None of this should be read to imply that the business is not important.  It is beyond important - it is critical.  I believe that a ministry that fails to keep its house in order loses favor in the sight of both God and men.  Unwise business decisions will sink the best ministries, and a poorly-laid foundation of policies, procedures, and support systems will topple incredibly fruitful programs.  However, we on the "business" side should never allow ourselves to think that our work is the end.  We are the means to the end.  Our job is to set missionaries and ministers up to succeed, not to ourselves succeed.  Sometimes that means we'll have to bend over backward, go above and beyond, and even grit our teeth and not say anything.  If we can do this, we'll see great ministry in our organizations, and after all that's why we all took the pay cut to go this route in the first place!