“Completed Tasks or Completed People?" Administration tools and insights in the exercise of the Pastoral Office

Course Title: Pastor as Administrator
Term: Spring Semester 2025  Lucas Andre Albrecht
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Essay:

Completed Tasks or Completed People?

Administration tools and insights in the exercise of the Pastoral Office

 What do we need most: to get things completed or people completed? This question drives the content of this essay, in which I reflect on the importance and impact of administrative knowledge and practice in the Office of the Ministry. Pastors are called to care for people, but as they do that, administrative skills add breadth and width to the scope of the daily work in the congregation.

This is an area that often faces resistance from ministers who believe that "leadership" and "shepherding" are somehow in opposition. That happens when pastors are told something like, “You are pastors, not leaders,” in a show of under appreciation for leadership and administrative skills. It is an effort to distance pastors from administrative responsibilities, so that they would supposedly focus on Word, Sacraments, teaching and visitation. As important those activities are for the Ministry, what we see in practice is that pastors rarely refrain from directly influencing the direction and day-to-day operations of the Church. Then, what happens is that they do so without better or adequate administrative equipping and necessary tools. The result of that activity is often poor outcomes and ill-advised interference in administrative matters.

Rather than being only a secular tool that distracts from the Gospel, good administration is a faithful expression of pastoral practice supported by healthy Theology. It serves the Gospel, supports the mission of the church, and equips God’s people for faithful service. The work of ministry is about people—but when people have structure, clarity, and good stewardship, we create good conditions for completed people to complete their tasks with faithfulness and effectiveness.

 

1.     Biblical and Theological Foundations for Pastoral Administration

Some Bible passages point towards a healthy pastoral theology and practice in administration. 

• Administration is not secular or secondary—it’s a means of stewarding God’s gifts (1 Corinthians 4:1–2; Acts 6:1–4).
• When we look at Jesus’ ministry, we see patterns of structure, leadership, and management. He delegated tasks, sent out the 70, trained His disciples, restored failing members, listened empathically, gave clear directions, and led by example.
• In the early Church, systems emerged to provide structure for the sharing and advancement of the Gospel. For example, Acts 6 describes the appointment of deacons; 1 Timothy 3 lists qualifications for overseers that include management; and Paul’s defence of his ministry before Peter and the Jerusalem Christians shows how their conception of Church goals and structure needed refinement.
• In 1 Corinthians 14:40, Paul urges the Church to do all things “decently and in order,” which is done through systems and processes. 

2IInsights

a.     Leadership and Team Dynamics

A pastor’s office rarely functions in isolation. But building healthy teams requires more than nice words and focus on charisma; it asks for intentional leadership and clear structures. Patrick Lencioni’s “Five Dysfunctions of a Team” (absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, inattention to results) also appear in congregational settings. Knowing the “Ideal Team Player” traits—Humble, Hungry, Smart—helps identify strengths and blind spots in leadership teams.

Learning about it helped me in the next steps of building our ministry team. If I am hiring for positions in the Church, looking for candidates who embody those three traits will greatly influence the direction of our work. This model supports trust in leadership, commitment to vision, and effective conflict management. Poor administration elevates dysfunction, unclear roles generate confusion, and lack of accountability may lead to burnout. Conversely, clear job descriptions, regular communication rhythms, and norms that are clearly shared build trust, point towards constructive conflict, and align everyone under the shared mission. 

b.     Strategic Planning

Utilizing strategic planning helps congregations to grow together, aligning Pastoral and Administrative leadership. A SWOT analysis for example—assessing Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats— is a helpful way to give the congregation a reality check and also a better vision of its possibilities.  By involving leadership and congregational input, background history gives information and clarity to the present strategy. The resulting plan can become then a useful map for the road, and not only a nice frame on the wall. 

c.      Crisis Management and Difficult Conversations

Ministry often brings unexpected crises—conflict, scandal, personal breakdowns. Having a protocol, such as the SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) framework, equips pastors to navigate many difficult conversations with clarity and compassion:

1. Situation: What’s happening now?
2. Background: Relevant history.
3. Assessment: Pastor’s understanding.
4. Recommendation: Proposed next steps.

Entering a meeting unprepared can undermine the pastor’s credibility and dishonour the people involved. When a congregant arrives with an agenda (or even legal counsel), the pastor can choose to listen, take notes, and reconvene with clarity—rather than being drawn into uncontrolled back-and-forth. 

d.     Balanced Productivity, Spiritual Health and Rest

Administration is an important tool, and as such, it must remain connected to the source of strength, direction, and soul of a congregation—God’s Word. Just as congregational life without administration can lead to stagnation, administration without spiritual guidance creates an arid space—activity without growth.

Connected to this, rest and equilibrium are also essential. To be intentional about balancing my work and personal life, I have adopted habits and practices that enhance both my productivity and my spiritual and personal well-being. As a pastor who is always seeking ways to advance my ministry, this has required me to intentionally structure my life and schedule to make space for rest, family, and hobbies. It’s not an easy task, but the results are evident.

My goals include: to exercise five to six times a week and take guilt-free breaks almost every day. I build intentional pauses into my workdays and take at least one full day off per week—sometimes even a little more. I block off certain evenings in my calendar to be home during the week. I’ve adopted a consistent sleep routine from 10:30/11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., which makes my days both more productive and restful. I enjoy doing things around the house and cooking for my family.

Even though this plan doesn’t always work seamlessly, these initiatives have proven effective in the long run, helping me maintain a healthy balance between work, family, personal time, and ministry effectiveness. 

e.      Practical Impact: Good Administration as a Form of Care

As the pastor strives to do it well, administration becomes an act of pastoral care:

• Healthy Boundaries: Prevent overwork and preserve family life.
• Clear Communication: Enhances productivity and reduces conflict and confusion.
• High Achievement: Better administration leads to superior results and godly advancement of the cause of the Kingdom, to the Glory of God
• Leadership Development: One of my key goals as the Senior Pastor is to be a leader that inspires other leaders to develop their talents and abilities, and the use of effective tools and structures has been providential to attain that goal. 

Conclusion

Completed Tasks or Completed People?

In the exercise of the pastoral office, working toward better use of effective administration honours both. For it is not about efficiency, numbers and goals only; it is focused on faithful service, supported by theology, prayer, and action. When Ministry is carried out with clarity and care, tasks are completed, goals are achieved, lessons with failures are learned. But more importantly, people are shepherded in their life with Christ.

There is no better way to see completed people serving the Lord with gladness as they complete tasks.