PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

February 21, 2021

A NEW PRESIDENT

Part V: C.E.O.

This week my focus is upon the last and somewhat neglected role of seeing Jesus asking.  When I was working on Doctor of Ministry degree at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago we read a book by Robert Worley in which this role of Jesus was understood as “Wise Rule.”  People very seldom think about the logistics involved in getting Jesus and His entourage from place to place.  In the gospels we do have some hints of the preparations and planning that were involved.  When Jesus comes to Jerusalem for the last time we learn that preparations had been made ahead of time for a donkey to be available for Palm Sunday (Mat. 21:1-4) and a room and necessary arrangements for the gathering on Thursday (Mat.  26:17-19)). Another example of this is when the disciples are faced with the task of feeding more than 5,000 persons who have shown up to hear Jesus speak (Mat. 14:13-21).

From 1990 until 1995 I was the pastor of a church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, that had a budget of about $750,000, employed forty-two persons and had a good size physical plant.  The ministries of the church included a child care program of 250, an older adult program that averaged over 100 and a School of the Arts.  As senior pastor, I was the C.E.O. of a small sized business.

In my role as the C.E.O. of the churches I served I realized that every year I could anticipate the loss of about 10% of the membership and 10% of the income.  Just to stay even both had to be replaced.  Attention needed to be given to the ongoing upkeep of the church’s facilities and recognizing future replacements needs, including the roof and furnace.  Good purchasing practices needed to be practiced.  The churches needed a realistic budget.

In the Gospel of Luke Jesus tells his disciples “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’” (Luke 14:28-30)

Over the years I have known non-profits and churches which had wonderful mission statements that met real needs, had persons with integrity and character in leadership, but failed to sit down and make a realistic estimate of the cost of the venture and to develop good business practices.  Most of these non-profits eventually failed and the churches were continually in serious financial difficulties.

Government run programs and agencies are notorious for poor business practices.  As a result their productivity suffers and their cost to do business is greatly increased.  Rather than business people being in charge of these program and agencies career, politicians and bureaucrats are.  Many of them have never had to make a payroll in the real world.

A possible danger in a business, an agency, or an organization following sound business practices is that they become the master rather than the servant.  A number of years ago I served on the Board of Director of an agency that provided counseling services.  At almost every board meeting most of the focus was on “profitability” rather than the programs and services the agency provided.  Almost every meeting, I had the feeling we had the cart before the horse.

One of my expectations for a president, a governor, or a mayor is that they have a good understanding of sound business practices.  It would help if they had some practical of experience of having to make a payroll in the real world.  Before they would propose any legislation or program they would first sit down and count the actual cost.  Also, it would be helpful if they had some understanding of the danger of unintended consequences.