The role of congregational management in creating and maintaining a healthy church

Abstract

This study considers the ways in which congregational management contributes to maintaining the healthy church through the supporting role of supplying, monitoring and controlling the human, physical, financial, and informational resources needed to allow the pastors to lead the congregation-centred church to fulfil its mission. It was found that congregational managers help to prevent their churches declining into illhealth by helping the pastorate to retain current congregants and attract new ones through charisma. This requires them to first study, analyze and classify the major parts of the diverse congregation and surrounding community and then monitor them to foresee and forestall problems. They play multiple roles in efficient administration, asset management, targeted church adverting, human relations, risk management, project management, professional standards auditing and maintenance, community relations with all faiths, charity, mission, and, above all, customer relations. Recommendations are made for enhancing congregational management’s role in the healthy church.