Pastoral Preparation for
Ministry Management &
Leadership
Brett Andrews
Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Robert Roller
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Introduction
We live in challenging times, both economically and
culturally, for non-profit ministries and churches
Strategic thinking provides some insights into ways
that universities and seminaries should respond to
changes in the external environment
Conceptual Background
Pastors play two significant roles: A pastoral role
and an administrative role
Initial ordination programs as well as seminary
programs typically prepare for only the pastoral role
Significant opportunity exists to incorporate
leadership/management principles into pastoral
preparation
Research Questions
Do pastors perceive their current administrative
skills to be adequate?
Do pastors perceive that they have been trained and
prepared adequately?
Do denominational differences exist in the
administrative preparation of pastors?
Research Questions
Which elements of pastoral administrative duties do
pastors perceive as being most important?
Do demographic variables influence a pastor’s
perception of the importance of administrative
management duties?
The Sample
Stratified Sample of Senior
Pastors from
Wesleyan/Arminian
denominations
Assemblies of God, Ohio
District (N=43)
Church of the Nazarene
(N=100)
Wesleyan Church, Western
District (N=110)
Mean Sunday attendance: 164
(SD 202)
Where Do Pastors Get
Trained?
Most hold a bachelor’s
degree (48.6%)
29.8% hold a seminary degree
Only 20.9% hold an outside
degree.
Mean of 16.75 years as a
Senior Pastor
A survey of college catalogs
reveals, at best, 3 credit
hours of administrative
preparation
Perceptions on
Preparation
Perceptions on
Preparation
Pastors with a heavy administrative workload are
significantly more likely to state that their ministry
would benefit from better management skills
(F=2.091)
Bi-vocational pastors are significantly less likely to
agree that they received adequate management
training, have adequate skills, and feel “successful”
All tests significant at the .05 level
Perceptions of Church
Business
Perceptions of Church
Business
Nazarene pastors are significantly less likely to state that church
business can be done by non-clergy business managers (F =3.8)
Bi-vocational pastors are significantly more likely to state that
church business can be done by non-clergy business managers
(F=7.0)
Pastors of small churches are significantly more likely to report
that they do not have adequate resources/skills (t=4.9)
Pastors of large churches are significantly more likely to state
that to be a good pastor, one needs to be a good manager
(t=6.2)
All tests significant at the .05 level
Business Related Issues
Facing the Church
Fundraising
Personal Finance
Information Technology
Managing the church’s
budget
Personnel/Human
Resources
Child Care/Welfare laws
Logistics (how to organize
the church effectively)
How to work with
volunteers
Leadership of staff
members
Importance to Church
Business
Fundraising
Child care/Welfare laws
Information Technology
Logistics (How to organize the church)
Personnel/ Human Resource Management
Personal finance
Managing the church's budget
Leadership of staff members
How to work with volunteers
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
How well the Pastor was
Prepared
How to work with volunteers
Logistics (How to organize the church effectively)
Leadership of staff members
Personal finance
Managing the church's budget
Personnel/ Human Resource Management
Fundraising
Information Technology
Child care/Welfare laws
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Gaps in Pastor’s Education
Education Gaps
Information Technology
1.84
Child care/Welfare laws
1.74
How to work with volunteers
1.7
Personnel/ Human Resource Management
1.65
Managing the church's budget
1.64
Leadership of staff members
1.63
Personal finance
1.55
Logistics (How to organize the church)
1.44
Fundraising
1.33
0
0.2
Small gap
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
Large gap
1.8
2
Gaps in Education
Assemblies of God pastors felt significantly more
prepared in Personal Finance (F=3.5)
Bi-vocational pastors felt significantly more prepared
in Personal Finance (F=4.9)
Seminary-trained pastors felt significantly less
prepared to handle Information Technology issues
(F=3.5)
All tests significant at the .05 level
Implications
Pastors clearly place high importance on business
skills in church leadership
Broad agreement exists among pastors that they felt
unprepared to handle basic business issues in church
management
Pastors appear to be learning leadership and
administration:
On-the-job (trial-and-error)
Self-taught
Seminars, workshops, and post-degree training
Implications
Bi-vocational pastors and pastors of smaller churches
face major challenges in church administration and
leadership
These pastors often must assume the full range of
pastoral and administration roles
While these pastors may need to delegate the most,
they may be trained the least to do so
With minor exceptions, denominational differences
are irrelevant.
Need for Program
Innovation
At the bachelor’s degree level, pastoral ministry
majors should be encouraged or required to
incorporate a business minor into their training.
At the seminary level, coursework in ministry
administration and leadership should be
incorporated—with some of the coursework taught
by businesspersons, not pastors
At the very least, pastoral ministry training programs
should include a course in personal finance
Need for Program Innovation:
Non-Clergy Business Administrators
There appears to be a growing acceptance of nonclergy business administrators in the church
Interdisciplinary degree programs in ministry
leadership—combining pastoral ministry and
business content—may have validity
Acceptance of non-clergy leaders may be problematic
May not be a valid career choice without the tax
advantages of clergy
Need for Continuing Education
Pastors agree that the needs of church management
have changed dramatically in recent years—and will
continue to do so
Denominations should consider requiring continuing
education, in a manner similar to CPAs
There are significant opportunities for business
schools to collaborate with denominational
leadership to create effective continuing education
programs in ministry leadership
John Dunn Institute for
Pastoral Leadership
Housed at Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Designed to compliment pastoral education, not
compete with it.
Training is delivered seminar style over a long
weekend.
Major speaker is the “draw.” Endowment covers
travel expenses of pastors.
Questions?