Why Do Churches Need Good Administration?
“Good administration is like the two-by-fours that frame your house. You don’t notice it, but you’re very glad it’s there.”
People decide to plant churches for all sorts of reasons: They want to help people. They want people to experience Christ the way they have. They see a need for more gospel churches that they feel compelled to help meet. Nobody, nobody, becomes a pastor in order to do administration. You probably fell asleep just reading the word. It isn’t inspiring. It isn’t flashy. It isn't fun. And yet, whether they realize it or not, everyone appreciates it. Good administration keeps the church moving.
Good administration is like the two-by-fours that frame your house. You don’t notice it, but you’re very glad it’s there. You need good framing because it mitigates disaster when storms come. It helps your house settle well. It helps the home feel strong and secure. Bad framing does the opposite: any time a storm comes, you wonder if your house will hold. Every time you hang a photo you have to go hunting for unevenly spaced studs. Every remodel is challenging because the walls aren’t plumb.
This is why administration in a church is so important. When done well, good administration allows you to build structures that can handle the weight of your ministry. You want to see the world transformed by the gospel? Great. That doesn’t happen without good structures that help make it happen. Truly, without good administration, it doesn’t matter how gifted a pastor you are, you won’t have the structures in place that actually help you reach people.
This isn’t just a business idea that we are applying to the Church. This is a biblical idea that is foundational in all creation. From the beginning, God takes chaos and creates order. As soon as God creates a people he gives them organization. Why do you think genealogies are recorded? Because they are fun? No, because administration matters. It shows us how God’s people are connected, and how God keeps his promises across generations. Ultimately, administration points us to Christ.
When you plant a church, administration is the last thing anybody will tell you about, but it is the one element that will either give people confidence or doubt in what is being built. It also tracks the work God is doing. It is telling church history. Much of what we know from church history is from the minutes of session meetings. What? Yeah—it matters.
“From the beginning, God takes chaos and creates order. As soon as God creates a people he gives them organization.”
So practically, what does this mean for you? It's okay if you aren’t naturally gifted at this. Most church planters aren’t. The first step is to believe it is important and then find someone who can help you.
Administration isn’t sexy. You won’t win any prizes for it (I don’t think), but you will be thankful you paid attention to it. Administration matters. It matters to God. It is one way that we love our people well. Do you love your people? Of course you do. Show them in the way you organize your church. Show them in the way you create order from chaos. Show them by investing in good church administration. You and your church will be glad you did.
