Article by Teresa Chang
One of our church leaders also runs several businesses in the D.C. Metro area, and he always reiterates that for any organization to be successful, there have to be a combination of visionaries and those that make those visions into a reality. He calls them “the make it happen people.” One of the gifts of the Spirit, administration is an important and powerful part of Kingdom reality. It is spoken of in 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Romans 12:7-8, and throughout Scripture administrators had high value. They coordinated, mobilized and moved things forward for the nation of Israel and the Body of Christ as a whole.
Those who manage the army’s logistics and tactics are vital, and unfortunately, many churches have experienced various kinds of failures because of poor administration and the unwise allocation of resources. Administrators steer groups toward a goal and allow resources to be channeled in such a way that maximum impact is achieved.
Jesus depended on administrators while He walked the earth. Certain women traveled with Him and helped administrate His group in practical, logistical ways (see Luke 8). Later in the book of Acts, Greek widows were not being served well, and the apostles realized the need for administrators. So in Acts 6 they set aside servants who helped administrate practical matters. The word deacon isn’t used in Acts 6, but the deaconal role began through this event with the Greek widows.
Many churches don’t use the word deacon anymore, preferring to call people staff or workers, but in the New Testament, the elder and the deacon were the two primary job descriptions. The elder is called to pastor and oversee people, while the deacon oversees projects and functions. Diakonos, which we translate as deacon, means the ability to serve and administrate on someone else’s behalf. It is the person who is good with numbers, details and keeping an organization running smoothly.
The administrator’s realm is vast,
because every gift has an administrative dimension.
Pastors, evangelists, prophets, teachers and apostles need to mobilize others and have people do certain tasks. They need help writing budgets; allocating time, energy and money; keeping calendars and schedules; and a host of other details. Some people look at everything that needs to be done and panic—but administrators are gifted in seeing the details and orchestrating them in a way that lets the ship sail forward smoothly.
In essence, the administrator’s realm is the ministry of excellence working within the quality of how we manage our resources and accomplish our goals in the most effective, efficient way.
What Lies Beyond
Not only do administrators help a church with its present needs, but they are also able to look into the future. They see the steps that need to be taken so the end goal can be reached, and they plan accordingly.
God has called us to go out and change the world.
This requires us to move beyond just managing what we have right now and begin to perceive what lies ahead. We can marshal our resources in a way that allows for future management.
A Note on Administration vs. Kingdom Strategy
Administration and strategic planning are similar gifts, but they are different enough that we included them as separate themes. Administration is the management of resources, projects, facilities and finances that facilitate the church’s ministries and care for its members.
On the other hand, Kingdom strategy is more futuristic. It sees where the church or ministry is going versus where it is right now. You could say that administration is management, while strategic planning is projection.
As you go through this theme, keep in mind your finances, facilities, calendar, media and Internet. Are the following statements true of your church?
- We encourage and practice wise and faith-filled financial stewardship.
- Our facilities are functional and well suited to fulfill our mission and vision.
- We manage our calendar effectively in light of our purpose and priorities.
- We effectively share our message through various forms of media.
- Our website is creative, accurate, comprehensive, current and well used.
