They're Calling You the Administrator... Now What?

• Larry Baldwin
• May 4, 2006
• Series: Administration

There are three key areas that are important for the church administrator to develop as you launch your new church: Your relationship with your pastor, your relationship with church members and your community, and preparation for the future.

Relationship with the Pastor
Rob Burnett is the president and CEO of Worldwide Pants, David Letterman's production company. A large part of the job, according to Burnett in the May 2003 issue of Fast Company, is "freeing Letterman to concentrate on his top priority: The Late Show." Burnett, who moved up from writer to executive producer of the show, also produces other TV shows for Worldwide Pants, like Ed and Everybody Loves Raymond, but one of his primary functions is to act as a "filter" for Letterman, which involves knowing and understanding his boss's vision for the company.

In your church's launch phase, the pastor probably does not have the luxury of hiring specialists for each ministry and administrative function. As a new church emerges, resources are usually scarce and the core group is small. If you are the administrator for your new church, you have been asked to handle more than the general ledger. You have been called to complement your pastor's leadership by supporting, implementing and maintaining control of the infrastructure in your church. You have been entrusted, equipped and empowered to represent the pastor in the areas where he has appointed you.

On the Acts 29 Boot Camp at Sea in January this year, most of the pastors of the new or emerging churches discovered that God had wired them as visionaries and entrepreneurs. A few identified themselves as having strong administrative skills. If the pastor himself is the visionary entrepreneur then, generally, the flow of ideas will win over the discipline to implement those ideas.

Your pastor also needs you to be candid and truthful with him. In a March article on CFO.com, Marie Leone writes, "Too many people pay homage to their bosses rather than engaging them," and she adds "the finance chief needs to be able to argue a point with the CEO and not shrink away." While this signifies a high level of trust and respect, it is not intended to paint the relationship in an adverse way. The pastor and administrator can form a 'tight-knit team' bonded partly by respect and trust, and partly by chemistry and other intangibles."

One example of this is a standing appointment that I have with Pastor Matt on Thursday evenings at eight-thirty, usually at our local Caffe' Tazza or someplace where we can relax and catch up. We meet late in the evening so that we don't jeopardize precious time with our kids, and generally we keep our time together short and succinct. With laptops fired up and coffee in hand, we quickly survey the financials, review the follow-up on action items since our last talk, then look ahead to other urgent or important items on the landscape.

More important than the time & place of meeting together is the level of honesty and trust between the pastor and his administrator. A pastor can hire or recruit a bookkeeper or web designer, but I do not believe a pastor can find and retain a quality administrator without first establishing a high level of trust, familiarity and friendship. Rob Burnett and David Letterman are very close friends. "We're like war buddies," said Burnett in the Fast Company article.

The Relationship with Church Members and the Community
The second key for the church administrator is establishing and maintaining a relationship with others in the church and community. At the risk of stereotyping the administrator, sometimes there is a tendency to focus on reports, project plans and action lists while losing focus of the world outside. After all, it was compassion for the souls of the lost people in our community which drew us into helping out pastor launch a new church. Your church family depends on you to communicate financial needs clearly and honestly, and to "walk your talk" - to set the example for others in your personal leadership, service and stewardship.

In a church launch about seven years ago, the founding pastor moved into the neighborhood and immediately began meeting and serving his neighbors, sharing his vision for the church, and building a rapport with the people next door or across the street. My wife, Melissa, handles the day-to-day administration at Crossroads and is a gifted relationship-builder. When she walked into Downey Savings Bank at the local Ralph's grocery store to open an account for the church last year, she introduced herself to Ashley, the branch manager, and formed a sort of "partnership" with her. And, although Crossroads cannot yet afford to lease or buy a permanent space, I have established a relationship with Tracy Clark, a commercial real estate broker who is now familiar with Crossroads' mission and current needs. As an administrator, make it a priority to get to know your neighbors and other people in your circles of influence, but also business contacts, local business owners, civic leaders, school officials and homebuilders.

One common responsibility shared by administrators is the stewardship of the church's finances. With few exceptions, a new launch will have its money issues, but don't lose sight of your mission, and be sure to share that mission with people outside of your church's core group. Whether by direct financial support or through prayer, business advice, or as a sounding board for your ideas, an outside partner can provide you with objective guidance and a wealth of experience.

Early in our launch during the budget planning process, Pastor Matt and I met with Doug Swaggerty, the executive pastor at Harbor Presbyterian Church, at his office in downtown San Diego. I had prepared budgets and forecasts in the mortgage finance business, but I had many questions about such things as taxation rules for pastors, withholding for staff, and what we might expect to pay for copyrights. Doug was able to answer our questions and remains an ally in our launch endeavors. Midway Baptist Church, another partner, has graciously helped us financially, continues to allow us to occupy some of their office space, and occasionally assists us with various payroll questions. These relationships provide endless value to a new church.

As the administrator, we are most effective when we act carefully and deliberately about matters having to do with money and business while having a humble demeanor and a servant's heart. In Rudolph Giuliani's book, Leadership, he describes his Deputy Mayor, Denny Young and how Denny can make tough decisions and get a consensus from many strong leaders, yet he is described as "always considering every contingency before pulling the trigger on an initiative" and is "quiet and very careful about everything he says and does."

Focus on the Future
Recently Melissa and I have been teaching our sons about the responsibility of handling money and planning ahead for their future. At the Padres' opening day match-up against the Giants at Qualcomm Stadium a couple weeks ago, each boy had his wallet with him. The first vendor walking by was selling Papa John's pizza, and Landen, the oldest, was already waving his dollar bills in the air. I explained the consequences of spending $3.75 on a piece of pizza and how it might limit his choices later, but he "needed" to have the pizza. I entrusted him with this portion of his earnings, and he chose the slice of pizza and the instant gratification that came with it. His money was gone and he had learned a lesson about not planning ahead.

I like to refer to this quote from an unnamed CEO in one of my old business textbooks: My people cannot plan or work beyond the distance of my own vision. If I focus on next year, I'll force them to become preoccupied with next year. If I can try to look five to ten years ahead, at least I'll make it possible for the rest of the organization to raise their eyes off the ground immediately in front of them.

Large companies have well-trained analysts and financial strategists to help plan for their future business needs, but your new church is unlikely to have such resources at your disposal. As the church's administrator, you will want to help your pastor set goals, plan ahead, and maybe even build a ministry-specific planning model to help him achieve and implement the results he is asking for.

My personal word for this year is "provision." We usually think of provision in terms of getting or giving what one needs, but the real definition is "a measure taken beforehand to deal with a need or contingency" or "the fact or state of being prepared beforehand" (Merriam-Webster).

This idea of provision, in my view, should be the central driver for the church's administrative role, and scripture gives us clear instruction for adequate preparation and planning. God teaches us through Proverbs that someone who plans ahead will avoid pitfalls while someone who rushes ahead or does what is convenient for the moment might end up paying the price for it. "Finish your outdoor work," says Proverbs 24:27, "and get your fields ready; after that, build your house." (NIV)

Be encouraged as you do your part in this mission. The everyday reality may be that we need to get ready for the upcoming weekend service, midweek bible study or recruiting volunteers needed to keep up with current growth. Make sure that you talk to your pastor about his expectations, and be clear about his vision for the next month, year, or even two years and five years. As you work with your pastor and get to know him better, you will begin to consider the mission and goals with every decision along the way. And while the pastor is often the visionary or dreamer, the administrator should always have not only the future in mind, but what it will take to get there.