GROWING A

CHURCH BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR

by

Rosemary A. Dexter

Administrative Assistant First United Methodist Church of Chula Vista

710 Third Avenue Chula Vista, California 92010

(619)422-2525

A project paper for The National Institute in Church Finance and Administration

Candler School of Theology Emory University Atlanta, Georgia

August, 1989

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Introduction

The purpose of this project is to explore what church business

administration is and the reasons why churches may find themselves

in more effective mission with a business administrator on staff.

The project concludes with the story of how the First United

Methodist Church of Chula Vista began and continues to be in the

process of intentionally growing its own business administrator.

The following illustrations are offered as a means of focusing on a

particular method of obtaining the services of a church business

administrator.

Three churches in the rapidly growing metropolis of

"Anywhere, USA", have come sharply up against a welcome but

exasperating problem: They are large churches. They seat an

average of 500 worshippers each Sunday; annual budgets run

between $300,000-$500,000; their congregations are composed of

1000-1200 members and 800-1000 constituents (folks who

participate in church related activities two to four times per six

month periods). The pastors and lay ministers of these three

churches are involved in a multitude of missions to people in

"Anywhere", people who seem to come with ever increasing

iii

frequency looking for help and hope in their troubled lives. Each of

the churches serves somewhere between 800-900 persons outside of

their own congregations.

The pastors of First Church, Main St. Church, and Central

Church in "Anywhere" are growing weary. The total number of

persons served in mission by each church each year runs from 2600-

3100. Each pastor has multiple staff, large facilities, complex

budgets, and the responsibilities that go along with administering

what amounts to sophisticated businesses. How do they manage?

Pastor Abraham at First Church knows he's floundering. He's

ready to hire a business administrator to handle the financial,

personnel, property, and office management so that he'll have the

time and energy to put into the teaching he has felt called to do.

What he's discovering is the scarcity of business administrators

who have any experience in church management. Pastor A is shocked

at the salaries prospective applicants are requesting, and applicants

react with stunned silence when they hear the range of pay being

offered. Prospects are not good.

Pastor Barbara at Main St. Church is also confronted with more

than she can handle. She is an excellent preacher and manages to

find the time to prepare her sermons. Her heart, though, is in

iv

visitation, and the few hospital calls she can squeeze in only make

her realize how much more she needs to be ministering in this area.

Pastor 8 has a competent office staff, and in the last three years

has turned over quite a lot of responsibility for office management

and finances. In another seven to ten years, Main St. Church may find

that the position of business administrator has evolved--if

authority evolves along with responsibility, if Pastor 8 remains at

the church long enough, and if someone in the office is willing to

continue assuming increasing responsibility.

Pastor Charles is eager to launch a ministry directed toward

the homeless teenagers who roam the streets around the buildings

housing Central Church. His compassionate way with young people,

the high regard in which he is held by civic leaders in "Anywhere",

and the willingness of the congregation to participate in the

mission, make it impossible for him to continue to deny this calling.

He is simply overwhelmed by the details involved in keeping the

church running smoothly along with his functions as shepherd,

preacher, and visionary. Pastor C also has a competent support

staff. His secretary has asked what more she can do to relieve him

of administrative duties. The thought has occurred to both of them

that a business administrator would be a positive addition to the

staff. The pastor's secretary is eager to expand her skills, find new

abilities, and assume more responsibility. Pastor C has decided

v

what functions he would like a business administrator to fill, and

together they set about to intentionally grow a church business

administrator for Central Church.

Of the three methods these large churches used to fill what

each pastor saw as an unmet need, it is this writer's opinion that

the last is the best way to arrive at the desired goal. It seems

logical to embark on an intentional plan to increase the abilities

and skills, the responsibilities and authority, and the effectiveness

of a person whose competencies, compassion, and commitment have

already been proven. Otherwise, a church might be taking pot-luck in

a pool where numbers are scarce, or "making do" over years while a

position evolves that may or may not be exactly what is needed.

vi

Growing A Church Business Administrator

What is church business administration, and what does it have

to do with mission? Taking a look at the words separately will help

define the whole and bring an understanding of the theological

framework around which this career in the church is built.

Children love to recite the familiar finger nursery rhyme:

"Here is the church,

And here is the steeple.

Open the door,

See all the people!"

Above all, the church is the people. The buildings, some with

steeples and some without, are simply the vessel from which the

life of the church, its people, can gather and then go out in mission

to do the work of God.

The business of the church is to be in mission. Jesus Christ,

who calls us to love one another, also requires us to go ... do ... and be

the people of God. Our mission, then, is to effectively reach people

in a myriad of ways in what Kennon Callahan so succinctly calls

their "human hurts and hopes". The key work here may be

1

"effectively." Callahan says church leaders need to use their best

wisdom, judgement, vision, common sense and prayer in deciding the

best way to implement its missional objectives., Much of that

common sense and wisdom comes from what has long been

accumulated in the management of secular businesses. A church, as

it organizes to achieve its goals, needs to be ever mindful and

sensitive to the needs of· people. Lyle Schaller says, "It is a truism

that the more sensitive an organization is to the needs of people, the

more complex will be its operation."2

A complex organization requires skillful administration in

order to do its work effectively. The word "administration" is "ad +

ministry." Administration is ministry. Paul lists it as one of the

gifts of the Spirit in I Corinthians:

"And God has appointed in the church first apostles,

second prophets, then teachers, then workers of

miracles, then healers,. helpers, ad mini stra tors,

speakers in various kinds of tongues." (I Cor. 12:28 RSV)

To many Christians, administration may seem one of the more

mundane, less "spectacular" gifts, more secular than sacred.

Biblical references reveal its holy character.

1 Callahan, Kennon L., Twelve Keys to an Effective Church , The Leaders' Guide, (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1987), pg. 55.

2Schaller, Lyle and Charles A. Tidwell, Creative Church Administration, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1975), pg. 14.

2

The Greek word kubernesis , used in the listing of spiritual

gifts in I Corinthians, means helmsman , a person who guides a ship.

The helmsman, or ship "administrator", had the knowledge required

to navigate the ship and the leadership skills needed to enable the

crew to bring the voyage to its desired destination. The gift of

administration results in order and direction. In Proverbs 11 :14 we

read, "Where no wise administration exists, the people will

flounder." A fascinating story of Moses being given administrative

insights by his father-in-law, Jethro, is found in Exodus 18:13-27.

Ships, churches, societies--none can exist for long without those

who have the spiritual gift of administration. Those persons help

others work together and provide the structure and the means to

continue effective progress.

Church business administration is not simply something that

is done so that the real mission of the church can move on. In the

foreward to Luecke and Southard's book Pastoral Administration ,

Martin Marty says "administration can be and is an expression of

ministry that is part of the whole healing, saving, judging, and

enabling process."3 Charles Tidwell sees administration as

ministry as well: "A good administrator is not primarily a doer of

things but a developer of people. An administrator develops people

3 Luecke, David S. and Samuel Southard, Pastoral Administration, (Waco: Word Books Publishers, 1986), pg. 8.

3

by helping them to succeed at doing their assignments. This itself

is a major part of ministry."4

Administration is not simply the function of managing

finances, office, personnel, and property. It needs to be people

oriented, not task oriented. The focus must be on the people who are

giving and receiving the funds of the church, the efficient

management of office and property so that peo pIe can be more

effectively in mission with people, and the type of leadership that

enables those who work in the church to be the whole persons God

means for them to be. When a church business administrator sees

ministry in the light of the persons whose lives will be touched by

his or her leadership, the administrator truly shares in the mission

of the church as perceived by that particular body of God's people.

As implied above, a church business administrator works

mainly in the areas of financial, office, personnel, and property

managements The areas of business administration in a church are

much the same as in secular organizations. The principle contextual

difference is that church business administration must be firmly

grounded in a Christ-centered approach; people and mission are the

main focus, not the return on capital investment. At the same time,

4 Tidwell, Charles A., Church Administration, (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1985}, pg. 210.

5 See Appendix A 4

a church must run in a businesslike manner. Good administrative

practices develop confidence in the congregation about the use of

their gifts of time, talent, and financial offerings, and leave the

people free to expend their energies in reaching out in Christian love

to their communities and to the world.

Assuming that a congregation shares a vision, is committed to

its mission, and recognizes the need for effective administration in

business matters, how would a specific congregation come to

realize that it was ready for a professional church business

administrator?

An article from the journal of the 1963 meeting of the

National Association of Church Business Administrators states that

it is time for a review of internal administration and business

practices and procedures when a church's membership reaches 1 ,000

and its annual budget goes over $100,000 (remember, that was in

1963!). Essentially, what it implies is that a large membership and

budget indicate a church with a lot of activity, multiple staff, funds

being raised and spent, a busy office, buildings to maintain, and

many lay persons in mission to be coordinated.

Richard Ensman, who heads a consulting firm for pastors and

church administrators, is even more precise. He suggests the

5

following indicators to help churches make the decision on whether

or not a church business administrator would be a prudent, effective

addition to a staff.

1. The church's budget is greater than $500,000 per year.

(Yes, this is 1989 ... ) These amounts of money require books kept

according to professional accounting standards. Assets must be

managed wisely, and the best value obtained for dollars spent.

2. Per capita annual offerings are less that $250. Less than

that amount (or of average giving in local churches in the area)

suggests some major work to be done in stewardship. One of the

first steps is giving the congregation a feeling of confidence in how

the funds they already give are being handled.

3. The congregation has untapped fund-raising potential.

Almost every church has experts in its membership with experience

in the intricacies of grant-writing, trusts, bequests and wills;

knowledge of local businesses with special interests that touch

targeted areas of mission; skills in special fund raising activities -

- all require coordination of efforts.

4. More than 75% of the physical plant was constructed over

40 years ago. An older building is more expensive to maintain and

use than a new one. Careful attention must be paid to its upkeep.

5. The church holds liquid assets with a market value greater

than $200,000. Hilbert Berger and John Frame, both speakers on

6

stewardship at the National Institute of Church Finance and

Administration, counsel that the most prudent course of action when

receiving assets such as stocks or bonds, is to sell them

immediately and invest in a good mutual fund. Even a conscientious

administrator can get in trouble playing the market.

6. The church employs 15-25 full and part time staff

members. A large staff requires more complex payroll systems,

probably different job classifications with different salary and

benefit schedules, a multitude of job descriptions, and effective

hiring and evaluation procedures.

7. The church sponsors and operates community outreach

programs. Working through the intricacies of government

regulations takes expertise. So do the funding requirements and

business complexities of day care centers, senior services, food

programs, and other community related missional services provided

by many churches.

8. The church's annual accounts receivable exceeds $100,000.

Whether from tuition, counseling service fees, program fees, or

whatever source, good administration of the accounts receivable is

critical.

9. The church purchases more than $50,000 of soft goods and

services each year. These are tangible items consumed and used as

well as services received from sources outside church employees.

At the $50,000 mark, professional management (which may include

7

competitive bidding and inventory systems) becomes cost-

effective. 6

If three or four of these indicators apply, Ensman suggests the

employment of a church business administrator would probably be a

wise investment move for a church. The question to ask is, "Who is

doing the work now that is generated by the presence of any of the

above indicators?" Usually, and too often regrettably, it is the

senior pastor.

During the session on Personnel Administration at the

Institute, Kennon Callahan spoke on the matching of competencies to

opportunities; or, what happens when a pastor must attend to

administrative functions for which he or she is not the best

qualified person?

Again, in I Corinthians 12, we find the Church with all its

members being compared to the human body and its members--each

having its own function, and each necessary to the vitality of the

whole. George Peck says so beautifully, "One key feature of the body

is that the members have different gifts. We do not all do the same

things well; no one of us does all things well. We need one another.

This mutual need is born out of our life together in which our

6 Ensman, Richard G., Jr., "Church Business Administrators··Do You Need One?", Your Church, May/June, 1989, pp. 8-11.

8

complementary tasks are necessary for the accomplishing of a wide

variety of tasks."7

•We need preachers who can communicate the Gospel,

oftentimes in competition with the communicators in the mass

media. •We need counselors who can deal with hurting people and

who are qualified to guide those who are personally troubled or

distressed. •We need visitors who excel in· the art of conversation

and who are warm and caring to those they pastor. •We need public

relations experts capable of projecting the church's mission and

purpose beyond the walls of their physical structures. •We need

teachers capable of inspiring and enabling persons to grow in

"wisdom and in stature," and •we need administrators to oversee the

business and financial operations of the church and allow clergy and

program people to do what they do best.S

Callahan's idea is that when people are required or asked to

perform tasks for which they have no matching competence, four

things happen. First, they may do damage or harm in that specific

area. If they do not have the education, training, or experience to

guide them, errors may be made that will be detrimental to the life

of the church.

7 Peck, George and John S. Hoffman, editors, The Laity in Ministry, (Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1984), pg. 164.

8 Knudsen, Raymond B., New Models for Church Administration, (Chicago: Association Press, 1979), pp. 77-78.

9

Secondly, gifts they do have will atrophy, just like unused

muscles. Administration can often mean dealing with things when

pastors generally have the gift to deal with people. "They enter

ministry in order to make a difference in the personal world. Many

rebel against an overly technological, overly bureaucratized,

supremely managed world. They want to stand at the side of people

who need some creative schedule interrupting, some warm personal

touches, and a chance to belong to something in today's world that is

malleable, that ordinary people can change. • 9

Third, areas in which these persons are gifted, where they

have matching competencies, will be neglected. The pastors in the

Introduction to this paper were not working in places where their

gifts would have made a great difference, because too much energy

and time was being spent inefficiently in work outside of their

competencies.

Finally, someone else is being blocked from using their gifts

when the post is filled. The tragedy occurs when the person filling

the position is not as competent as the one standing around waiting

for a place to shine.1 o

9 Luecke, op, cit., pg 7. 1 o Callahan, Kennon L., "Personnel Administration', lecture given at the National

Institute for Church Finance and Administration, Atlanta, GA, July, 1989. 1 0

An economic injury is apparent when considering the

efficiency of a person working in an area where competencies and

required skills are unmatched. They are working harder and working

more slowly while accomplishing less and leaving important tasks

undone. And clergy are being paid at a higher rate than persons

would be who have the requisite skills to support pastors in

administrative ways. Unfortunately, economy in the church too

often turns out to be false economy. The misguided strategy is not

what is less expensive over a period of time, but what is cheapest

now. Knudsen speaks in condemnation: "The ecclesiastical

environment smacks of cheapness in a society efficient in the

marketplace. Economy versus efficiency is in leadership itself. .. In

few places are leaders permitted to exercise their greatest skills in

areas where their excellence is compatible with the situations they

are required to serve." 11

Looking at the points Callahan makes as they relate to clergy

and administration, it makes logical sense that 1) if the tasks of a

pastor are shepherding, preaching, and being a warm and caring

leader; 2) if program staff is hired to do programming, not

administration; 3) if someone needs to be working in outreach and

evangelism; then 4) those things can happen more effectively with

11 Knudsen, op. cit., pp. 159-160. 1 1

someone on staff to handle the administrative tasks of the church,

someone other than the pastor. These points of logic applied to the

situation at First United Methodist Church of Chula Vista. The

remainder of this paper deals with the story of how that church

arrived at the decision and the plan to grow a church business

administrator.

A brief history of First United Methodist Church of Chula Vista

will be helpful in giving the reader some background and

understanding of the climate in which the decision to grow a church

business administrator was made. Chula Vista is a city of 129,500

located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean halfway between San

Diego, California, and the border city of Tijuana, Mexico. Chula Vista

weather is temperate. Economic conditions are stable with major

industrial parks offering attractive possibilities to businesses. The

population is composed of a high percentage of naval personnel and

retired people. Easy availability of outdoor activities (beaches,

mountains, and deserts), cultural events, major sports, and

numerous colleges and universities makes the area a desirable place

to live. Even with extremely high housing costs, construction of

homes is booming, especially in the eastern area of Chula Vista, and

the outlook is bright.

1 2

There are also "troubles in paradise." Environmental problems

of waste management, water scarcity and purity, clean air, and

traffic abound. Social issues are also visible--proliferation of

drugs, gang activities, increasingly visible numbers of homeless

people and runaway or throwaway children, and the ugly specter of

racism. Less devastating to society, but not to the individuals

involved, are issues that are found everywhere, not just in Chula

Vista--lonely people, couples in crisis, children needing safe places

while their parents work, people dealing with grief or illness, teens

looking for a healthy way to relate to each other, people seeking

support and growth in their pilgrimage through life. Chula Vista is a

great mission field.

The First Methodist Church was chartered here in 1911 on a

piece of property about a mile north of its present site. Forty years

later it purchased the 6.5 acres where it now has its physical plant.

The buildings are the Fellowship Hall (built in 1952), Wesley

Building of three classrooms (1952), Scout Building (1956),

Sanctuary (1957), and two story Christian Education building (1966).

In 1976, all indebtedness on the church property was paid off. The

buildings are all between 23 and 34 years old and in need of repair

and renovation. Two parsonages are also owned by the church. The

first is free of debt, but is 37 years old and in need of some major

1 3

work. The second will be paid off by the end of next year. It was

purchased in 1966, and is in good condition.

Church membership stands at 1200, and has been slowly

declining from a high of over 1800 in the mid 1960's. This year's

average worship attendance is 475. The budget for 1989 is

$402,750 of which $327,200 was pledged.

Staff consists of a senior pastor, associate pastor, full time

youth director, part time Christian education director, part time

visitation pastor, five part time directors of various choirs

(although a search is going on at the present time for a full time

music director to replace the fragmented music staff in January,

1990), an organist and accompanist, preschool director, and full

time administrative assistant, secretary, and custodian.

Callahan's "Twelve Keys to an Effective Church" long range

planning process was begun in 1988, and the five key strengths to

build on for expansion and improvement were Corporate Dynamic

Worship, Significant Relational Groups, Concrete Missional

Objectives, Pastoral/Lay Visitation, and Competent Programs and

Activities. The two objectives chosen for extending in 1989 were

worship and relational groups.

14

The church is in the process of exploring the possibilities of

relocating 3-5 miles east to the fast growing area of Chula Vista

where over 35,000 home have been built in the last two years and

70,000 are planned for construction in 1 0-15 years. There is no

United Methodist church there, and the district does not have the

funds to purchase land and start a new congregation. The land the

church now occupies has been valued at $4,000,000 by a commercial

broker in Chula Vista; enough to purchase a large site and build new

facilities. It would also move First United Methodist Church out of a

commercially zoned corridor and back into a residential area.

The senior pastor was appointed to Chula Vista in January,

1986, after the church had experienced some turmoil with the

unexpected leave of absence of a newly assigned clergy and the

uncertainties in focus during the interim. The senior pastor brought

strong leadership in worship, discipleship, and direction for

mission. He is realistic in what he sees, visionary in what he

imagines can be, and faithful in relying on God's will to be the final

word. In this year's Church Conference report he said, "I am grateful

to all the congregation for being willingly drawn into the Body of

Christ each week by Word and Sacrament. Let us move forward

following the One who calls us .... I think we are poised for grace!

We cannot proceed in our own strength, for what is needed is more

than we possess. With the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit and in

15

consistent discipleship, we will find God is able to triumph through

us doing more than we can ask or think."12

Too often in his ministry, though, the pastor found that he was

being overloaded with administrative details. In his previous

appointment, a retired executive had volunteered to take on the

management of the financial records and had initiated a strong,

professional record keeping system. A large load was lifted from

the pastor's mind, and he was able to concentrate on his pastoral

duties.

The memory of that administrator stayed at the back of his

mind in his first years in Chula Vista. It wasn't until he heard

Kennon Callahan speak at another church in the district that the

pastor began thinking again about the amount of time he spent in

attending to administrative details. Callahan was talking about

pastors doing people work and executive secretaries or

administrators handling the paper work, and suddenly the notion

struck him that he was doing entirely too much work with paper.

Reading Callahan's book reinforced his thoughts in that direction as

well, and last year he recommended to the Pastor/Parish Relations

Committee that the church move toward the kind of staff

arrangement that would allow for a lay person to do administrative

12 Benedict, Daniel T., Jr., "Senior Pastor's Report' to Charge Conference, January 10, 1989.

1 6

work. The budget for 1989 was approved showing the end of the

positions of Church Secretary and Staff Secretary and the

formalization of Church Business Administrator and Clerk Typist

positions.

Showing the change in the 1989 budget was the easy part.

Now, what did the new titles mean? Who was supposed to do what?

The entire staff gave input listing the general areas in which they

had responsibilities. The the Pastor/Parish Relations Committee

went to work and came up with their ideas of how the new staff

configuration would allow all the work to get done. (This was the

year the church also went from two associate pastors to one, and

added a half-time Christian Education Director.) Doubts were shared

with the senior pastor about the functions of the proposed

administrative assistant. The list of responsibilities looked over-

whelming.13 Clarification was requested as to what would be

expected, even though there was apprehension about the significance

of that clarification.

The senior pastor worked out a job description showing what

he hoped to see an administrator doing: to coordinate and supervise

a more efficient office operation, to provide oversight for the

financial operations of the church, to give supervision to the support

13 See Appendix B 17

staff, and to supervise facility maintenance and use. He also wanted

the administrator to work with the Trustees, Lay Personnel

Committee, and Finance Committee to see that they followed

through with consistent businesslike work. Often decisions had been

made in meetings, and then no action was taken. An administrator

could make sure that what was supposed to happen actually took

place without the pastor having to keep asking.

Another area of concern was the matter of church policies and

procedures. The pastor envisioned the administrator as the staff

member responsible for maintaining a policy book and being familiar

enough with the contents that new leaders could be advised of

church policy when the need arose. He would like that person to also

take over a greater degree of lay personnel concerns; updating the

personnel policy regularly and seeing that it was carried out

consistently.

The job description was still fuzzy when the change in

direction was discussed. The staff secretary loved the work she

was doing. She also saw the imbalance between what was being

done and what could be done to relieve the pressures bearing down

on the senior pastor especially, as he struggled to keep on top of

everything. When personal goals of the staff were reviewed, a

desire for growth was revealed--growth through the adding of

1 8

specific skills and making more use of gifts and talents.

Preparation to qualify for the administrative position was begun by

the staff secretary. 1 4

The pastors and Lay Personnel Committee were generous in

allowing her time to attend a number of seminars and workshops.

She took two from a local support center for non-profit

organizations on "Assertive Management" and "Moving up to

Supervisor." Fuller Theological Seminary offered a two day seminar

on "Effective Management, Ministry, and Leadership", and the

Professional Businesswomen's Association helped her in "Powerful

Communication Skills for Women." She attended informative

district workshops on editing newsletters and insurance and safety

matters, and received new insight on management in a seminar on

"How to Supervise Church Staff and Volunteers."

Late last year the staff secretary first heard about the

National Institute for Church Finance and Administration and about

certification in the United Methodist Church as a business

administrator. After checking her calendar and financial picture,

talking it over with the pastors and Lay Personnel Committee, and

praying about it, she formulated a very specific goal: to attend the

14 See Appendix C 1 9

Institute, become certified, and work in her own church as the new

business administrator.

It was the best decision she could have made. Two weeks in

April and two weeks in July were full of informative classes,

thought-provoking discussions, inspirational professors, new

friends, enriching reading, long work in the library, fun times in

Atlanta, and the excitement of learning and growing. There was so

much to learn, someone said it was like trying to get a drink out of a

fire hydrant. You could open your mouth as wide as it would go, but

only so much water would get in. Luckily, a lot of what wasn't

assimilated came back in her notebook!

The information, the training, and the resources discovered at

the Institute have already been proven invaluable. Upon returning

from the two week session in July, the brand new administrative

assistant found that the church secretary had accepted the part-

time treasurer position and was no longer to be working in the

office. Suddenly she found herself interviewing to hire somebody

for the first time in her life. Notes from Ken Callahan's session on

Personnel Administration were a valuable tool. Other notes proved

helpful when the Lay Personnel Committee asked her to assist the

custodian in prioritizing the duties involved in his job and in setting

some objectives for future evaluation.

20

The project from a former graduate of the Institute has

become a resource for the financial campaign this year, and bits and

pieces of "wisdom" have been passed on as appropriate. This has

been the administrative assistant's first time to be part of the

planning of a budget. It's also a new role to be helping the

congregation understand their part in the mission of the church as it

seeks to underwrite that missional vision. She finds it exciting, and

is grateful for the knowledge and the inspiration that helps her be a

vital part of the team.

One of the things she appreciates most about the Institute is

the confidence she feels knowing that she learned so much and

knowing that she has resources available when needed. She enjoyed

being with people who were doing many of the same tasks she does,

and who saw her as a competent, intelligent person, capable of

handling an administrative position. She looks forward to making

some "excellent mistakes" and knows that those blunders will help

her grow faster than weeks and weeks of plodding perfection.

The administrative assistant asked the senior pastor how the

new position would help him in his work. He's been very pleased

with the way it's working out, and is glad for her attendance at the

training events mentioned above. He's able to turn more and more

21

tasks over to her with confidence, such as the hiring of the

secretary. "I'm delighted," he said, "that I didn't have anything to do

with that. What your new position is doing already is allowing me to

concentrate on program ministries, on preaching and worship, and

pastoral care. Just this week, I feel like I've made more pastoral

calls than I've made in some time. •

The office configuration is new, and as the pastor said, "It's

something we're living with. It's like we've bought a new car or

something but we don't yet know just how it performs or how it

works. So we're living into it." The administrative assistant's

greatest concern is that the program staff won't be shortchanged in

office support as the administrative load increases. Ken Callahan

advises a ratio of two support staff to one program staff, and there

is now a ratio of two support persons to three and a half program

staff. Callahan thinks the 2 to 1 ratio is the most effective and

least expensive way to staff a church.1s When the program people

outnumber the support people, program staff end up doing paperwork

instead of people work, and their most important work is left

undone; that of shepherding, leadership, and preaching. They're doing

secretarial work, doing it badly, and being paid more than a

secretary would be paid to do it well. The solution right now is to

15 Callahan, Kennon L., Twelve Keys to an Effective Church, (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1983), pg. 49.

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increase the number of workers .in the office who volunteer their

time and talents to be in mission.

This has been an exciting year for the staff at First United

Methodist Church. Much learning has taken place, and much

experience is yet to be gained. If the year were to be lived over

· again knowing what is known now, two things would have been done

differently. First, there would have been a more exhaustive study

done of what was being accomplished by two secretaries. Then a

projection would have been made of the feasibility of having the

same duties !llJJ..s. administrative tasks done by one secretary and an

administrative assistant or business administrator. Other

alternatives may still need to be worked out.

Second, knowing that the church secretary would be leaving

her position in the fall, the staff secretary would have asked to take

over some of the duties that would eventually be under her

supervision. Presently, she finds that she's having to learn a great

many procedures in a great hurry. The good news though, is that

she's not in a pattern that would be hard to break out of, and plans to

implement some ideas for streamlining office operations.

For churches thinking about growing their own business

administrator, three suggestions would be: 1. Decide which

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administrative duties are being done by program staff that could

more effectively and efficiently be done by an administrator; 2.

Write a job description and decide on the person in your office or

congregation who has the competencies, skills, and desire to grow

into that job; 3. Send that person to the National Institute for

Church Finance and Administration and encourage him or her to apply

for certification as a Church Business Administrator. A fourth

suggestion would be to keep competent administrators by paying

them their worth, affirming their part in the mission of the church,

encouraging their continuing education, and giving them increasing

responsibility and authority as they grow into their career.

First United Methodist Church of Chula Vista now has an

administrative assistant on staff. This position is an intentional

and necessary step toward the goal of a Church Business

Administrator. The job description for both positions may very well

remain unchanged. The only difference may be the extent to which

the financial, personnel, property, and office management

responsibilities will be carried out by that person.

During the initial six months, it is expected that the

administrative assistant will be involved in the learning process.

She has decided that four of the eleven areas listed in the job

description will be her main focus during that time: Supervise and

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coordinate the work of office staff and custodian, supervise and

coordinate the work of all lay staff in carrying out policies and

procedures concerning use of facilities, manage purchasing and

printing, and administrating office record keeping.

The clergy and program personnel of First United Methodist

Church have an idea of what a church business administrator is and

how a staff member in that capacity may increase the effectiveness

of their ministry. The vision is that the person in this position

become so seasoned in the aspects of administration that clergy and

other program people will not have to concern themselves with

paperwork at all. They can concentrate totally on people work:

shepherding, preaching, and leading in warm and caring ways.

Working together, as members of the body of Christ, First United

Methodist Church of Chula Vista can become an even more positive

force for God's goodness in this world.

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Appendix A

A certified Church Business Administrator, as defined by the United Methodist General Council on Finance and Administration, must function in a decision making capacity in the following four areas:

1. Financial management, which shall include: a. assigned staff responsibilities for organizing and

carrying out fund-raising programs; b. coordinating the financial program of the local church,

including the handling of all local funds received and disbursed, accounting for the funds, and the preparation of the financial reports;

c. counseling with the church leadership in financial matters.

2. Office management, which shall include: a. developing and maintaining, or supervising the

maintenance, of church records; b. organizing and directing the work of office personnel.

3. Personnel management, which shall include: a. responsibility for the training, assigning, and

supervising of nonprofessional personnel, including office, custodial, and food service employees;

b. counseling with the appropriate authorities in support staff matters such as salaries and benefits.

4. Property management, which shall include: a. responsibility for maintenance and scheduling of the

physical facilities; b. responsibility for custodial employees and their

functions; c. responsibility for programs of repair and renovation; d. responsibility for safety and insurance; e. consultation in the maintenance and upkeep of building,

equipment and grounds.

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Appendix B

PROGRAM MINISTRIES AND STAFF ASSIGNMENTS

From: PPRC

POSmON

Senior Pastor

Associate Pastor

Youth Minister

Director Christian Education

(Proposed) Effective July, 1989

PROGRAM ASSIGNMENT (ADMINISTRATION)

Worship services Pulpit schedule Preaching Pastor in charge General administration Staff supervisor Pastoral care Staff meetings

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT

PPRC Cluste.r I

SPECIAL MINISTRIES

CD groups Hospital calling Baptismal prep. Wed. Bible study Wed. Communion

service

Program schedule Lay Personnel Hospital calling (serve as program director) Cluster II Visitor follow up Cluster Ill Confirmation classes Preschool Board Group life & studies (developing small groups,

Lenten program)

UMYF Youth church school Camping Youth leader recruiting Pastoral care of youth

and their families Program for youth

and their families Youth confirmation

Church school operations Teacher recruitment and

training NV library Church school resource

center Vacation ministries Supervise nursery care

(Sunday & weekday)

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Youth council Cluster IV

Christian Ed. Commission

Acolyte prep. & training

POSITION

Administrative Assistant

Clerk/ Bookkeeper

Minister of Visitation

PROGRAM ASSIGNMENT (ADMINISTRATION)

Office operations Church calendar

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT

Trustees Finance Insurance and Maintenance schedule

(buildings & grounds) Reports--Charge Conference,

Safety

Annual Conference, Admin. Board

Policies and guidelines Printing and purchasing Volunteer workers Budget and finance Membership directory

Type and duplicate Bulletin/Messenger

Other Data entry

Financial entries Membership records

SPECIAL MINISTRIES

Edit bulletin Edit Messenger Public relations

Visitation of Shut-ins Chairman, Shut-in

Committee Shut-in rolls

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Appendix C

First United Methodist Church of Chula Vista Job Description June 8, 1989

Title: Reports to: congregation General function:

Administrative Assistant Senior Pastor for business affairs of the

Supervises financial operations Supervises lay personnel (paid and unpaid)

who seNe in areas other than program (custodial, office, etc.)

Manages building maintenance and use SupeNises office operations

Duties and responsibilities: 1. SupeNises and coordinates the work of office staff and

custodian to assure that the programs and work of the congregation are staffed and completed in a timely manner.

2. Serves as resource person regarding legal and business matters of the church, making annual recommendations concerning insurance, maintenance, and record systems.

3. SupeNises and coordinates the work of all lay staff responsible in carrying out the policies and procedures concerning use of church property and facilities: Wedding Coordinator, Reception Hostess, Custodian.

4. Supervises the financial matters consistent with the Discipline of the United Methodist Church and the policies of the Finance Committee.

5. Administers all policies and procedures of the Administrative Board, Board of Trustees, and Finance Committee.

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6. Administers the preparation of reports for Charge Conference, Administrative Board, Trustees, Lay Personnel, and Nomination and Personnel Committees.

7. Serve as Sr. Pastor's liaison with the Board of Trustees, Finance Committee, Administrative Board, Lay Personnel Committee, Insurance and Safety Committee. The Sr. Pastor may also attend these meetings, but the Business Administrator will provide ongoing continuity and management of the affairs of these named administrative bodies.

8. Coordinates preparation and administration of the annual budget and the procedures of the annual fund raising.

9. Manages purchasing and printing. 10. Administrate office record keeping, including Membership

Records. 11 . Perform other duties assigned by the Sr. Pastor.

Qualifications: 1. Working knowledge of the United Methodist Church 2. Supervisory experience with an office staff 3. Knowledge of accounting systems, computer information and

retrieval systems 4. Experience in preparing and managing budgets and

maintenance schedules 5. Experience in supervising custodial staff 6. College and graduate work in administration is desirable

"Supervision" as a term includes writing and/or review of the job description of the supervisee, direction of staff members' work, and regular evaluation.

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Appendix D

Rosemary A. Dexter aka "Sally" Dexter 155 Landis Ave., #2 Chula Vista, CA 92010 (619}425-1677

Education: Graduated Reseda High School, 1965, Reseda,.CA GPA: 3.97 Math emphasis

Graduated USIU, 1969, San Diego, CA Magna cum laud Spanish major, math minor

Workshops Attended: "Effective Management, Ministry & Leadership", April 27-29, 1988 Institute for Christian Organizational Development at Fuller Theological Seminary 1 CEU

"Making the Transition to Supervisor•, 11-2-88 Nonprofit Management Institute, San Diego

"Powerful Communication Skills for Women•, 11-5-88 National Businesswomen's Leadership Association, Anaheim

"Assertive Management•, 12-6-88 Nonprofit Management Institute, San Diego

DCOM Newsletter Workshop, 3-18-89 San Diego District

Attended both sessions of the "National Institute in Church Finance and Administration" Candler Theological Seminary at Emory University, Atlanta April 17-27 and July 18-28, 1989 (for certification in Church Business Administration}

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Work Experience April 1, 1987 to present

First United Methodist Church Dan Benedict, Sr. Pastor Staff Secretary

Responsibility for correspondance, bulletins, membership records, church record keeping Familiarity with financial records, church calendaring, editing Messenger, recruitment and training of office help Compiled and published Church Conference booklets, 1 988, 1989 Gathered and assembled information for Annual Conference Reports Organized and carried out Alternative Christmas Market, 1988

Self Employed 1978-1987

Tax preparation · completed Tax Corporation of America training Laundromat and ArcadeNideo game route

Record keeping, banking, accounts payable, taxes Day Care

Care giving, record keeping, taxes Tutoring · completed Slingerland Training course (4 wks), 1985

Tutored dyslexic students in reading, math, spelling, penmanship; record keeping, taxes

June, 1972 through June, 1974 and May, 1975 through July, 1978

Chula Vista TV and Hi Fi 695 Third Ave. Chula Vista, CA 92010 Jack Taylor, owner and boss; Kay Everitt, immediate supervisor

Bookkeeper Reconciled daily receipts, posting, weekly and monthly sales reports, transition from manual to computer system

Promoted to head bookkeeper Payroll, accounts payable, employee records, correspondance, monthly balance sheet, profit and loss, NCR computer programming, bank deposits

Volunteer Work

Church Treasurer, 1980 (3 months), while church treasurer on vacation Office Work various times in last 15 years Voyager Theatre Board of Directors, 1985-87 Genesis, Single Adult Ministry, Steering Committee, 1988-89

32

Bibliography

Callahan, Kennon L., Twelve Keys to an Effective Church, San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1983.

Callahan, Kennon L., Twelve Keys to an Effective Church, The Leader's Guide, San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1987.

Engstrom, Ted W., The Making of a Christian Leader, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976.

Ensman, Richard G., Jr., "Church Business Administrators--Do You Need One?" from Your Church , May/June, 1989.

Hiltner, Seward, Ferment in the Ministry, Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1969.

Hull, William E., "Equipping: A Concept of Leadership" from Church Administration, January, 1972.

Knudsen, Raymond B., New Models for Church Administration: The Practical Application of Business Principles, Chicago: Association Press, 1979.

Luecke, David S. and Samuel Southard, Pastoral Administration: Integrating Ministry and Management in the Church, Waco: Word Books Publishers, 1986.

Peck, George and John S. Hoffman, editors, The Laity in Ministry: The Whole People of God for the Whole World . Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1984.

Powers, Bruce P., Church Administration Handbook , Nashville: Broadman Press, 1985.

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Schaller, Lyle E. and Charles A. Tidwell, Creative Church Administration, Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1975.

Tidwell, Charles A., Church Administration: Effective Leadership for Ministry , Nashville: Broadman Press, 1985.

Van Auken, Philip M., "The Church Business Administrator", from Church Management: The Clergy Journal, July, 1989.

Wyckoff, Edward B., "The Church Business Administrator: A Christian Vocation", Special Research Report for the National Association of Church Business Administrators, 1964.

----Other Sources

Benedict, Daniel T., Jr., "Senior Pastor's Report" to Charge Conference, January 10, 1989, and interview, August, 1989.

Berger, Hilbert, "Stewardship", Lecture given at National Institute in Church Finance and Administration, Candler School of Theology, Atlanta, GA, July, 1989.

Callahan, Kennon L., "Personnel Administration" and "Multiple Staff Relations", Lectures given at National Institute in Church Finance and Administration, Candler School of Theology, Atlanta, GA, July, 1989.

Frame, John T., "Specialized Forms of Giving", Lecture given at National Institute in Church Finance and Administration, Candler School of Theology, Atlanta, GA, July, 1989.

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