In the context of ecclesiastical governance, it can be advantageous to allot a measure of latitude within the confines of institutional administration.
Presently, the pursuit of legalization and institutionalization has become a shared objective across diverse sectors of society. As a social entity, the church inherently finds itself amidst the prevailing trend of seeking institutionalized and standardized governance.
In addition to adhering to external policies such as the "Administrative Measures for Religious Activity Venues," there is an increasing awareness within the church regarding the challenges posed by expanding congregations, multifaceted ministries, and an insufficient workforce. The realization is that robust institutional systems can, in fact, bolster the development of the church.
Simultaneously, an emerging phenomenon characterized by rigid and unyielding management practices, coupled with an inclination to emulate others without due consideration to practicality, has surfaced. Some specific churches have heightened their appraisal mechanisms, mirroring corporate strategies such as performance-based eliminations, thereby placing workers under strain and inadvertently detracting from pastoral duties. While some have introduced wage frameworks, practicality is often disregarded, and pastoral staff are required to rigidly adhere to office hours. Instances also exist wherein churches' endeavors to alleviate pastoral burdens inadvertently result in the duplication of administrative protocols, consequently giving rise to conflicts over volunteer prerogatives.
During my visits, I encountered two churches that offer insightful paradigms of effective management.
Located in the southwestern city of Y, an area often confronted with economic disparities on the national scale, substantial employment pressures, and a considerable exodus of young adults to more developed, job-rich regions along the southeast coast, churches in this region grapple with congregational attrition and aggravated financial challenges.
Confronted with the challenge of financially sustaining pastors, the church encountered a significant number of pastors grappling with financial hardship. Nonetheless, H Church effectively addressed the concerns of its workers by introducing a structured salary scheme, thereby enabling them to concentrate on ministry and facilitating the church's organic growth.
"Some churches advocate that pastors should forego salaries and instead rely on charitable contributions from believers. However, without financial stability, pastors often find themselves compelled to express their monetary difficulties, appealing for modest financial assistance today and incrementally more tomorrow."
Pastor X of H Church criticized this inconsiderate treatment of workers. Two decades ago, during a time when the prevalent sentiment was that "pastors should endure hardships," their church initiated the provision of livelihood allowances for pastors. In 2008, they formally codified the salary structure, affirming, "Even in cases where salary disbursements face obstacles, predefined standards must be upheld."
With the exception of the leader overseeing the church, training center, and social service initiatives, who enjoys an augmented remuneration of 1000 yuan, all full-time workers, encompassing pastors to finance personnel, receive an equitable monthly salary of 5000 yuan, accompanied by comprehensive social security benefits.
From his perspective, this seemingly "unrefined" salary framework constituted the pivotal catalyst behind the rapid growth of the church. While criteria such as tenure, educational background, and designation were meticulously calculated and ostensibly equitable, they proved less advantageous for newcomers to the church's service, particularly younger individuals.
In the interest of facilitating church operations, H Church and the training center procured vehicles. The organization covers insurance expenses, and costs associated with fuel and vehicle maintenance for the workers' conveyances are eligible for reimbursement upon presentation of valid receipts.
The provision of vehicles to employees is a practice not uncommon within contemporary churches. "However, in contrast to other locations where reporting vehicle usage and subsequent record-keeping are requisite, we eschew such procedures due to their superfluous nature and impracticality. Workers enjoy a significant degree of autonomy over vehicular usage. After all, what other functions can pastors perform? The act of driving involves visiting congregants, attending services, and participating in selected activities. Given our extensive years of collaborative work, it's only natural."
Demonstrating genuine concern for church personnel, coupled with an intimate comprehension of their needs, H Church utilizes systems to serve rather than to govern or supervise, thus effectively retaining talented individuals for the church's advancement. A stable and high-caliber team of workers has been established, thereby underpinning the church's growth. Amidst a backdrop where numerous churches grappled with the challenge of sustaining operations amidst the pandemic, this particular church continuously expanded its sphere of influence. Notably, it embarked upon the construction of a new place of worship and concurrently initiated the development of two emerging social service initiatives.
Conversely, the practices of Y Church on the eastern coast underscore the premise that once a system has been meticulously refined, teaching assumes a substantive role akin to the lifeblood that permeates and sustains the framework of regulations, ultimately guaranteeing the realization of set objectives.
The ecclesiastical responsibilities are categorically divided into two spheres: ecclesiastical administration and pastoral ministry. Y Church has undergone several transformative phases, transitioning from a paternalistic approach to decision-making vested in a church council. Subsequently, with a view to optimizing pastoral resources, they established a pastoral team, colloquially referred to as a ministry committee, vested with the responsibility for educational ministries such as choirs, discipleship, fellowships, and retreats. Concurrently, administrative and financial responsibilities were divested to the church council, thereby achieving a segregation between ministry and administrative affairs, with the council retaining the ultimate decision-making authority.
During my visit, another prominent church in the vicinity captured my attention due to internal discord. The ministry group aspired to cultivate small groups; however, the church council recurrently deferred financial approvals, thereby impeding the seamless progression of the ministry. To ensure congruence between the church council's decisions and the trajectory and requisites of pastoral ministry development, Pastor Z of Y Church proposed that pastoral staff be integrated into the church council.
"Within our church, it is stipulated that all elders, pastors, and evangelists in service concurrently serve as members of the church council. This dynamic ensures that one-third of the council members represent pastoral workers, while the remaining two-thirds comprise congregational representatives," articulated Pastor Z.
He elucidated that in addition to conventional discipleship training, which encompasses biblical study and theological exploration, Y Church has also devised a nurturing framework tailored to small groups. This paradigm encompasses courses aimed at fostering personal growth, such as elucidating the gospel and embracing a new life, alongside methodological curricula centered on church organization, ministry approaches, and evangelistic techniques.
"The majority of congregational representatives have undergone this comprehensive three-year nurturing program. This engagement has considerably facilitated their comprehension and endorsement of the merits inherent in decisions rendered by the ministry committee," Pastor Z concluded.
In essence, systems can be likened to circles that can never be perfectly circumscribed. Exclusively depending on intricate rules while constricting the sphere for human discretion does not unequivocally assure the desired outcomes. Achieving judicious decisions and circumventing superfluous conflicts ultimately rests on the abiding influence of the Holy Spirit within believers and church personnel. Pertaining to the amalgamation of compassion, the Holy Spirit, and systemic constructs, Y Church fosters a "people-centric" ethos through a regimen of "nurturing," thereby harmoniously melding the structure of systems with the vitality of spiritual life.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
当前法治化、制度化建设已成为社会各界的共同追求。教会作为有形体的社会组织，自然也处在寻求制度化、规范化治理的潮流中。
除顺从外部《宗教场所管理办法》等政策约束，教会内部也愈加认识到，在信众日渐增长、事工多样复杂，同工仍显不足的情况下，好的制度会助力教会发展。
与此同时，拿来主义、死板僵硬的管理现象也开始出现：某教会强化考核制度，模仿公司实行末位淘汰，令同工陷入指标压力，反影响教牧工作；有的制定工资体系，却不顾实际，强求教牧人员坐班时间；还有教会为牧者减负，简单照搬教务事务管理体系，陷入义工夺权的窘境中……
笔者走访中，有两所教会的实践经验值得借鉴。
Y市地处西南，经济实力常年位于全国吊车尾，发展不景气。就业压力大，人口特别是青壮年往往流向较为发达、就业机会多的东南沿海地区。信徒流失，令教会本就薄弱的奉献能力雪上加霜。
教会无力供养，贫困传道人比比皆是。H教会却以明确的薪资制度解决同工后顾之忧，他们专心事工，教会自然发展。
“有些教会标榜传道人不拿工资，靠信徒爱心奉献。传道人没有保障，见人就哭穷，今天要一点，明天要一点。”
H教会负责人X牧师痛斥这种苛待同工的做法。二十年前，在全国各地还在唱着“传道人吃苦是理所应当”时，他们教会便开始为传道人发放生活补助。2008年又正式确定薪资制度，“即使最后发不出来，钱欠着，也要有标准。”
除了负责人因同时管理教会、培训中心和社会服务事工，工资多出一千之外，其他所有全职同工，从牧师到财务，一律每月五千，社保全包。
在他看来，这看似“粗糙”的工资制度恰恰是该教会迅速发展的关键原因。工龄、学历、职务等标准，层层划分，精确计算，的确公平，但对刚刚进入教会的服侍者特别是年轻人不利。
为满足工作需要，H教会和培训中心专门购买车辆。由机构承担保险费用，同工用车的油费、车辆保养等开销凭票据都可以报销。
配备公车对现在的教会来说并不罕见，“但我们不像其他地方，带车出去报备一下，回来也要记录一下。太麻烦了，没必要，同工对车辆有很大的自主权。牧师还能做什么呢，开车不就是下去探访、参加礼拜，再出席一些交流活动嘛。毕竟大家都一起工作这么多年了。”
H教会基于福音关怀的理念和对实际情况的掌握了解，做到了利用制度服务而非管辖、监督，最终为教会留住了人才。建立起一支稳定的高质量同工队伍，反哺教会发展。疫情期间在其他教会还为维持运转头疼时，该教会则不断拓展，不仅新堂开土动工，还接连开发两个新兴的社会服务项目。
而东部沿海Y教会的做法告诉我们，在制度已显尽善尽美的情况下，教导才是填充、支撑规则框架的血肉，是目标得以实现的最终保障。
教会工作整体可分为教务与事务两部分。Y教会也经历了几次变化，从家长式一言堂到堂委会决策。后来为更好使用教牧资源，另设教牧团又称事工委，专门负责诗班、门训、团契、特会等各类教育事工。同时形成行政、财务由堂委会负责，实现教务与事务分离且堂委拥有最终决策权的组织模式。
走访期间当地另一所知名教会发生的矛盾引起笔者注意，事工组想要发展小组，堂委组却迟迟不通过经济审批，导致小组事工一直难以顺利开展。对此，谈到如何保障堂委决策能顺应教牧事工发展的方向与需要，Y教会负责人Z牧师提出一条：圣职人员必任堂委。
“我们教会规定，所有的长老、牧师、传道这些事工委的人同时都是堂委委员。这样堂委中有三分之一都是事工委委员，其余三分之二是信徒代表。”Z牧师说。
他介绍，除了一般教会都有的查经、圣经神学基础等门训，男士营、青年营、夫妻营等特会外，教会还创立一套以小组为单位展开的养育系统。包含讲解福音、新生活等生命建造性课程，也有讲述该教会组织运行、做事工、传福音等方法论类课程。
“那些信徒代表基本都接受过这三年养育课程，很容易理解和认同事工委决策的益处，”Z牧师总结到。
制度本就是画不满的圆，依靠细化规则，压缩人的可处理判断空间并不都能保证预期效果。要想实现正确决策、规避不必要的冲突，最终还要依靠圣灵在信徒、同工身上做工。在爱、圣灵与制度的结合方面，Y教会通过“育人”促进“人治”，让制度框架和内里生命共奏和谐乐章。（==当summary）
教会治理中，不妨为制度管理留下自由空间
In the context of ecclesiastical governance, it can be advantageous to allot a measure of latitude within the confines of institutional administration.
Presently, the pursuit of legalization and institutionalization has become a shared objective across diverse sectors of society. As a social entity, the church inherently finds itself amidst the prevailing trend of seeking institutionalized and standardized governance.
In addition to adhering to external policies such as the "Administrative Measures for Religious Activity Venues," there is an increasing awareness within the church regarding the challenges posed by expanding congregations, multifaceted ministries, and an insufficient workforce. The realization is that robust institutional systems can, in fact, bolster the development of the church.
Simultaneously, an emerging phenomenon characterized by rigid and unyielding management practices, coupled with an inclination to emulate others without due consideration to practicality, has surfaced. Some specific churches have heightened their appraisal mechanisms, mirroring corporate strategies such as performance-based eliminations, thereby placing workers under strain and inadvertently detracting from pastoral duties. While some have introduced wage frameworks, practicality is often disregarded, and pastoral staff are required to rigidly adhere to office hours. Instances also exist wherein churches' endeavors to alleviate pastoral burdens inadvertently result in the duplication of administrative protocols, consequently giving rise to conflicts over volunteer prerogatives.
During my visits, I encountered two churches that offer insightful paradigms of effective management.
Located in the southwestern city of Y, an area often confronted with economic disparities on the national scale, substantial employment pressures, and a considerable exodus of young adults to more developed, job-rich regions along the southeast coast, churches in this region grapple with congregational attrition and aggravated financial challenges.
Confronted with the challenge of financially sustaining pastors, the church encountered a significant number of pastors grappling with financial hardship. Nonetheless, H Church effectively addressed the concerns of its workers by introducing a structured salary scheme, thereby enabling them to concentrate on ministry and facilitating the church's organic growth.
"Some churches advocate that pastors should forego salaries and instead rely on charitable contributions from believers. However, without financial stability, pastors often find themselves compelled to express their monetary difficulties, appealing for modest financial assistance today and incrementally more tomorrow."
Pastor X of H Church criticized this inconsiderate treatment of workers. Two decades ago, during a time when the prevalent sentiment was that "pastors should endure hardships," their church initiated the provision of livelihood allowances for pastors. In 2008, they formally codified the salary structure, affirming, "Even in cases where salary disbursements face obstacles, predefined standards must be upheld."
With the exception of the leader overseeing the church, training center, and social service initiatives, who enjoys an augmented remuneration of 1000 yuan, all full-time workers, encompassing pastors to finance personnel, receive an equitable monthly salary of 5000 yuan, accompanied by comprehensive social security benefits.
From his perspective, this seemingly "unrefined" salary framework constituted the pivotal catalyst behind the rapid growth of the church. While criteria such as tenure, educational background, and designation were meticulously calculated and ostensibly equitable, they proved less advantageous for newcomers to the church's service, particularly younger individuals.
In the interest of facilitating church operations, H Church and the training center procured vehicles. The organization covers insurance expenses, and costs associated with fuel and vehicle maintenance for the workers' conveyances are eligible for reimbursement upon presentation of valid receipts.
The provision of vehicles to employees is a practice not uncommon within contemporary churches. "However, in contrast to other locations where reporting vehicle usage and subsequent record-keeping are requisite, we eschew such procedures due to their superfluous nature and impracticality. Workers enjoy a significant degree of autonomy over vehicular usage. After all, what other functions can pastors perform? The act of driving involves visiting congregants, attending services, and participating in selected activities. Given our extensive years of collaborative work, it's only natural."
Demonstrating genuine concern for church personnel, coupled with an intimate comprehension of their needs, H Church utilizes systems to serve rather than to govern or supervise, thus effectively retaining talented individuals for the church's advancement. A stable and high-caliber team of workers has been established, thereby underpinning the church's growth. Amidst a backdrop where numerous churches grappled with the challenge of sustaining operations amidst the pandemic, this particular church continuously expanded its sphere of influence. Notably, it embarked upon the construction of a new place of worship and concurrently initiated the development of two emerging social service initiatives.
Conversely, the practices of Y Church on the eastern coast underscore the premise that once a system has been meticulously refined, teaching assumes a substantive role akin to the lifeblood that permeates and sustains the framework of regulations, ultimately guaranteeing the realization of set objectives.
The ecclesiastical responsibilities are categorically divided into two spheres: ecclesiastical administration and pastoral ministry. Y Church has undergone several transformative phases, transitioning from a paternalistic approach to decision-making vested in a church council. Subsequently, with a view to optimizing pastoral resources, they established a pastoral team, colloquially referred to as a ministry committee, vested with the responsibility for educational ministries such as choirs, discipleship, fellowships, and retreats. Concurrently, administrative and financial responsibilities were divested to the church council, thereby achieving a segregation between ministry and administrative affairs, with the council retaining the ultimate decision-making authority.
During my visit, another prominent church in the vicinity captured my attention due to internal discord. The ministry group aspired to cultivate small groups; however, the church council recurrently deferred financial approvals, thereby impeding the seamless progression of the ministry. To ensure congruence between the church council's decisions and the trajectory and requisites of pastoral ministry development, Pastor Z of Y Church proposed that pastoral staff be integrated into the church council.
"Within our church, it is stipulated that all elders, pastors, and evangelists in service concurrently serve as members of the church council. This dynamic ensures that one-third of the council members represent pastoral workers, while the remaining two-thirds comprise congregational representatives," articulated Pastor Z.
He elucidated that in addition to conventional discipleship training, which encompasses biblical study and theological exploration, Y Church has also devised a nurturing framework tailored to small groups. This paradigm encompasses courses aimed at fostering personal growth, such as elucidating the gospel and embracing a new life, alongside methodological curricula centered on church organization, ministry approaches, and evangelistic techniques.
"The majority of congregational representatives have undergone this comprehensive three-year nurturing program. This engagement has considerably facilitated their comprehension and endorsement of the merits inherent in decisions rendered by the ministry committee," Pastor Z concluded.
In essence, systems can be likened to circles that can never be perfectly circumscribed. Exclusively depending on intricate rules while constricting the sphere for human discretion does not unequivocally assure the desired outcomes. Achieving judicious decisions and circumventing superfluous conflicts ultimately rests on the abiding influence of the Holy Spirit within believers and church personnel. Pertaining to the amalgamation of compassion, the Holy Spirit, and systemic constructs, Y Church fosters a "people-centric" ethos through a regimen of "nurturing," thereby harmoniously melding the structure of systems with the vitality of spiritual life.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Two Illustrative Instances of Church Management
