The church is a group of people, a community living in reality. Since it is a group of people, it must have good management. Without good management, it is difficult for the church to grow effectively and fulfil the Great Commission entrusted to it by Christ.
What kind of management is suitable for the church? Is it a corporate style, or a family style management? Or is it a comprehensive one?
Corporate style management focuses on maximising the interests of the whole enterprise, and everything is led by the interests of the enterprise. The logic behind is that only if the interests of the enterprise are maximised, then the interests of all the members of the enterprise, including shareholders, management, workers, and related parties, can be fairly protected. Only by ensuring that the interests of the enterprise are maximised, can we avoid some people violated the interests of everyone due to their own personal interests. Therefore, the corporate management only talk about efficiency and performance, and avoid talking about personal interests in order to maximise the interests of the enterprise.
Corporate management maximised profit by focusing on Meritocracy, Pragmatism and Honesty. The favouritism is usually not considered. (This is why we are opposed to the bumiputera quota system). Individual interests are not considered when they jeopardize the interests of the enterprise as a whole. Only then can the enterprise make the best decisions in terms of performance, practicability and integrity to maximise the interests of the company.
Of course corporate management to maximise the profit is often being criticized as impersonal and sometimes exploiting human rights.
Family style management is not like business style management. Families are relationship-focused. Families don’t measure the value of individuals in terms of performance. Families also don’t think about what works practically, because in a family, a cat that can’t catch a mouse is also a good cat. In the family, we emphasize loving one another rather than productivity. We may even give up our own interests to safeguard the interests of other family members.
Of course under family style management, performance, growth and other corporate goals are often empty talk.
So should the church use corporate management, or family-style management, or integrated?
If it is family style management, then why do we set goals and pursue achieving goals? Don’t we often like to compare ourselves with other denominations? We often think that other denominations are better than Anglican in all aspects of development. Don’t we also often compare ourselves with other religions? We always think that other religions are doing better than we are doing in Christianity, especially in social works. If we don’t focus on performance, then why do we compare ourselves?
If it is corporate management, then why do we never review the effectiveness of our goals? Why do we set goals every year, but never seriously pursue for it? Why are ineffective pastors never been criticised and asked to improve themselves? Why are indifferent church members never been reprimanded and asked to repent? Why do personal interests outweigh the interests of the church? Why does the interests of the church seldom been emphasized?
In fact, there are advantages and disadvantages to any kind of management model. A correct church’s management model should inspire members to serve with a servant’s heart. The church is a place to serve one another. The church is a place to give to one another. The church is a place to work hard for one another. The church doesn’t have to emphasize in its interests, but neither should the church have cats that don’t catch mice. The church doesn’t need to maximise its interests, but neither should the members have their own interests as the main focus. Everyone should always look out for one another.
How can the church reach such a state? These will always be theories unless everyone keeps growing. For everyone to grow, then everyone must grow spiritually. The goal of discipleship is to help you grow spiritually. NO one in the church should remain stagnant. Everyone must grow.