One of the more controversial statements that comes up in church meetings is the idea that "the church should be run like a business." My problem with the statement is that it is usually used by people who immediately proceed to propose ideas that no sound business would entertain. The vast majority of the time, the statement is used to lobby for decreased spending, while a business is usually concerned with unproductive spending, not spending per se. The real question is: are we spending wisely.
Let me give you two examples. First, my congregation suffered a fire a few years ago, and constructing a new sanctuary got delayed by Covid, and now by huge price increases in construction materials. Our building is oversized. As we contemplated paths forward, the Session said: "what if we develop a plan to invest a significant amount of resources to grow our congregation base?" I won't tell you what the amount was because it was extraordinary. It was at least 10X what I felt I could ask them to invest. I was floored and excited. But this is actually business thinking. We need to invest in order to grow.
Too many churches do not distinguish between meeting current operating expenses and making investments in the future. Businesses even go so far as to borrow money to finance growth. After all, that's what corporate bonds are - borrowing money to enable growth. But that only makes sense when you believe that you can grow.
Second, I'm on the board of a sizable charity. We have grown considerably under the leadership of our executive director. The board is comprised of successful business executives - and me (representing the faith-based non-profit world). These successful executives understand how to run a business. And every year we ask the Executive Director a simple question: "What can we do to help you succeed?" These executives understand that success is a team endeavor. And while we hold him accountable, we understand that we play a role in helping him achieve the success for which he is accountable.
Do you ask or get asked that question?
So should we run the church like a business? In this way, absolutely. Make investments toward achieving long term goals. Ask your leaders, "what can we do to help you succeed?" I believe that businesses have one quality many churches have lost: confidence that they can achieve their goals. Have goals. Believe you can achieve them. Ask your leadership what they need to achieve them. Invest in achieving them. That's what it means to run the church like a business.
