GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY HISPANIC MINISTRIES PROGRAM MC 623: Church Administration: Pastoral Excellence in Hispanic Ministry COURSE SYLLABUS Dr. Héctor M. Rodríguez Telephone Numbers: (201) 936-8460 and (201) 795-4037; E-mail: chaplain7@comcast.net Required Texts Michael J. Anthony and James Estep Jr., Management Essentials for Christian Ministries (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2005). ISBN-978-0-8054-3123-0 Charles A. Tidwell, Church Administration: Effective Leadership for Ministry (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1992). ISBN-978-0-8054-3113-1 Bernard M. Bass and Ronald E. Riggio, Transformational Leadership, Second Edition (New York: Psychology Press, 2006). ISBN-978-0-8058-4762-8 James MacGregor Burns, Transforming Leadership (New York: Grove Press, 2003). ISBN-978-0802141187 Course Description This course provides an overview of church administration and management of nonprofit organizations. It is designed to inform and educate students regarding management principles, procedures, techniques, theory, and practice for leading and managing churches and non-profit organizations. The course applies a problem-solving approach to the subjects of management, administration, supervision, organization, leadership, church government, finance, and legal issues relevant to ministers and lay leaders. Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to: 1. Think critically. 2. Define numerous terms, principles, and operating procedures associated with church and non-profit organization management and administration. 3. Find, interpret, and apply Bible passages that form a theological basis for good management, administration, and supervision of the local church and related ministries. 4. Identify the roles and responsibilities of the pastor, board, and officers for the financial management of the local church. 5. Understand, state, and apply administration and management theory and principles. 6. Establish procedures for conducting church business in a professional and responsible manner. 7. Implement management and administration ideas, procedures, and techniques to improve the effectiveness of the local church s operations. 8. Know and understand general legal principles that may apply to churches and clergy. 9. Identify circumstances that require professional accounting, legal, and counseling assistance. 10. Identify and describe several risk management principles and strategies to assist churches and clergy lower their risk of legal liability. 11. Continue their studies of church administration and management. 1
Course Requirements and Grading The final course grade will be based upon the following: examination (35%); class participation includes attendance and written submission and discussion of assigned questions (10%); research paper (35%); quizzes and submission of written answers to case studies (20%). The quizzes will provide students with a review of course material and prepare them for the final examination. Class attendance and class participation are mandatory. The professor does not condone or tolerate cheating and plagiarism. Cheating and plagiarism are considered serious breaches of personal and academic integrity. 1 A make-up examination will be given only for documented exigency. The students are required to read all assigned materials and participate in interactive discussions. The students are encouraged to ask questions. The professor will evaluate and grade examinations, all assignments, and requirements on the quality and quantity of the analysis, discussions, explanations, and conclusions. The research paper must be submitted to the professor on or before November 30, 2014. The research paper must be typed written on a minimum of ten pages with a cover/title page, table of contents with page numbers, an introduction, a body with paragraphs and footnotes, and a bibliography of resources. The cover/title page, table of contents, and bibliography are in addition to the ten typed pages. Each page must have one inch margins (top, bottom, right, and left), Times New Roman, 12 font, and 1.5 spacing. The introduction must contain a thesis statement, a summary of the overall main points of the paper and a summary statement of the conclusion. The body must provide well-reasoned analyses that supports the student s thesis and must contain a discussion and explanation of the following: definitions of administration, church administration, leadership, transformational leadership, and church; welldefined and explained biblical perspectives and theology of church administration (include at least the views of two theologians and two biblical examples; compare and contrast the views of the Anthony and Estep Text with the Tidwell Text regarding church administration; the student s understanding of the role of transformational leadership in the implementation of administration and management in a congregation; and apply the principles of church administration to the student s own congregational context. The conclusion must restate the thesis, summarize major points, and indicate the reasons that your thesis is important to the study of church administration. If the student decides to provide recommendation and solutions, the student may do so in a paragraph following the conclusion. The research paper must follow the Chicago Manual of Style (e.g., footnotes and bibliography) and must be supported by credible resources. The research paper will be discussed in class. The written answers and discussion of assigned questions and case studies must be submitted according to the professor s instructions. Grading system: A+ = 100-98; A = 97.99-94; A- = 93.99-90; B+ = 89.99-87; B = 86.99-84; B- = 1 Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Hispanic Ministries Program, Lecturer Handbook. 2
83.99-80; C+ = 79.99-77; C = 76.99-74; C- = 73.99-70; D+ = 69.99-68; D = 67.99-66; D-= 65.99-65; F = 64.99 and below. Course Calendar First Day Introduction to Church Administration, Leadership, and Management of Non-profit Organizations. Definitions, theory, theology, and administrative process. Handouts, case studies, questions, and interactive discussion. Read Chapters 1-2, 12, and 20 of the Anthony and Estep Text and Chapters 1-2 and 10 of the Tidwell Text. Read the entire following two books: Bernard M. Bass and Ronald E. Riggio, Transformational Leadership, Second Edition and James MacGregor Burns, Transforming Leadership. Second Day Management Functions, Planning, Church Government, Non-profit Status, Finances, and Quiz. Read Chapters 3-8 of the Anthony and Estep Text and Chapters 3-5 and 8-9 of the Tidwell Text. Third Day Organizing, Staffing, Directing, Supervising, Human Resources, Leadership, Training, and Quiz. Read Chapters 9-11, 13-15, and 17-19 of the Anthony and Estep Text and Chapters 6-7 of the Tidwell Text. Fourth Day Legal Matters, Finances, Boards, Committees, Parliamentary Rules, Performance Reviews, and Evaluations. Read Chapters 16, and 21-23 of the Anthony and Estep Text. Final Examination Recommended Books Bruce P. Powers, ed., Church Administration Handbook, Third Edition (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2008). ISBN-978-0-8054-4490-2 James D. Berkley, ed., Leadership Handbook of Management and Administration (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2007). ISBN-978-0-8010-6814-0 3
Bibliography for Further Study Ammerman, Nancy Tatom. Studying Congregations: A New Handbook. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1998. Anthony, Michael J. The Effective Church Board: A Handbook for Mentoring and Training Servant Leaders. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993. Baltz, Richard B. and Joe J. Powell, Church Financial Management Handbook. Jackson, MS: Management Millsaps College, 1986. Bergstrom, Richard L., Gary Fenton, and Wayne A. Pohl. Mastering Church Finances. Portland, OR: Multnomah Press, 1992. Berkley, James D. Dynamics of Church Finance. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000. Biehl, Bob, and Theodore W. Engstrom. The Effective Board Member: Secrets of Making a Significant Contribution to Any Organization You Serve. Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman, 1998. Burns, James MacGregor. Transforming Leadership. New York: Grove Press, 2003. Callahan, Kennon L. Effective Church Finances: Fund Raising and Budgeting for Church Leaders. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass Publishers, 1997. Chaffee, Paul. Accountable Leadership: A Resource Guide for Sustaining Legal, Financial and Ethical Integrity in Today s Congregations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1997. Couser, Richard B. The Ministry and the American Legal System: A Guide for Clergy, Lay Workers and Congregations. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1993. Cousins, Don, Leith Anderson and Arthur H. DeKruyter. Mastering Church Management. Portland, OR: Multnomah Press, 1990. Drucker, Peter F. The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006. Ford, Leighton. Transforming Leadership: Jesus Way of Creating Vision, Shaping Values & Empowering Change. Downers Grove, ILL: IVP Books, 1991. 4
Hamel, Gary. The Future of Management. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2007. Hammar, Richard. Pastor, Church & Law. Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today International, 2008. Harvard Business Review on Managing People. HBS Press. 1999. Harvard Business Review on Nonprofits. HBS Press. 1999. House, H. Wayne. Christian Ministries and the law: What Church and Para-Church Leaders Should Know. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1992. Macchia, Stephen A. Becoming a Healthy Church: 10 Traits of a Vital Ministry. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999. Merrill, Dean and Marshall Shelley. Fresh Ideas for Administration & Finance. Carol Stream, Ill: Christianity Today, 1984. Pollock, David R. Business Management in the Local Church. Chicago, ILL: Moody Press, 1996. Smith, Bucklin & Associates. The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Management, Second Edition. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 2000. Wolf, Thomas. Managing a Nonprofit Organization in the Twenty-First Century. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1999. 5