Seminary Flaw and Solution

The main purpose of this book is to achieve the objective of getting Seminaries to include a management course that includes: leadership, planning, organizing, staffing, motivating, and controlling in their curriculum. The lack of a management course in the Seminary curriculum is a very serious flaw. This book also includes valuable church program management information for church Pastors and Lay leaders. Many churches have no ‘management environment’. They are virtually 100% spiritual, and this is considered most, if not all that is desired. However, the item that is missing is application of ‘management’ that is taught in a ‘management’ course that includes: leadership, planning, organizing, staffing, motivating, and controlling. The reader of this book who has theological education background most likely is both aware that ‘leadership’ is taught in seminaries, and has taken the course; however, it is apparent that ‘leadership’ education takes lower priority, as it should, to theological education. This is evidenced in worse case by making ‘leadership’ an elective. There also is an ‘internship’ course where the student works in a church for maybe a year at very little part time. This is where the student is to get exposure to the actual functioning of a church. Neither of these is sufficiently intense as one of the theological courses. Not only is there a lack of intensity, but also, the content of a ‘leadership’ course is inadequate as compared to a ‘management’ course that covers the basic functions of management, namely, leadership, planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling. As a result, the student upon ordination is not prepared to effectively contribute using the basic functions of management. This can result in poor performance as noted in the cases included in this book. It is a fact that without effective ‘management’ education, a Pastor will be significantly less effective in applying theological education. This poor performance can also result in churches not having plans to accomplish what Seminaries have included, as the intent to be accomplished, in their mission statements. ‘Management’ can further increase effectiveness of the church’s achieving its mission. The central focus of every part of the church should be building up the church spiritually and carrying the gospel to all; however, this cannot be accomplished efficiently and effectively without good management which includes leadership, planning, organizing, staffing, motivation, and controlling. Seminaries are producing Pastors who have very little to no management knowledge or experience. Apparently, it is expected that they will get that either: a) when they take a ‘leadership’ course in contrast to a ‘management’ course or b) when ordained and become the Pastor of a church. This is a disservice to both Pastors and churches. Seminaries can solve this problem by providing a management course in their curriculum. A course that has a seminary student assigned to a church for a short period of time does not suffice. Pastors need to recognize the need for and seek management training. This is highly evident as exposed in this book where there is so much poor management. In the ‘long established’ environment, such events as the destruction of Media Ministries can occur. The Pastor is not responsible, and the ‘ruling body’ as a whole is not responsible, and the Chairs of each Component of the ‘ruling body’ are not responsible. So, NOBODY IS RESPONSIBLE. Also, crudely speaking, NOBODY CARES. For example, the Component Chair responsible for the church global missions program allows Media Ministries’ global mission to be destroyed – why; poor management. There are many good things that can be said about the church; however, progress is not only continuing to do good things, but also abandoning the ‘business as usual’ philosophy. The result can be change that improves overall performance if there is ‘know how’ and desire.