What Is Apologetics and Why Do We Need It?

Since the beginning of the church in the first century AD, the Christian worldview has been challenged at every turn. The earliest attacks often came from the Roman government, which sought to discover any hint of treasonous activity among the “strange” ideas and practices of the faithful.

While other theological assaults emerged from the Jewish religious leaders (Pharisees), both kinds of challenges would often lead to persecution. As the church spread throughout Asia Minor (Turkey) and Europe, it came into contact with rival religious belief systems such as emperor worship, the Roman mystery cults, polytheism, and the cult of Artemis (Acts 19:28) along with their magical incantation formulas known as the Ephesia Grammata. Christians were pressed to defend the faith and develop an apologetic response that could both clearly distinguish Christianity from the cults and withstand severe counterargument.

Among these early apologists were the apostle Paul (Philippians 1:7, 17), Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, and eventually Augustine. However, as Christianity grew over the next few centuries, while at the same time clarifying its doctrines, it would be challenged with more sophisticated ideas emerging from Gnosticism (believed the creator god of the Old Testament is evil, matter is impure, and wrote false accounts of Christ), Arianism (Jesus did not have a divine nature), and from other heretics on the fringes of the church (e.g., the teachings of Cerinthus, Valentinus, Arius, Eutychius, and Nestorius). Because Christianity grew up in this intellectually challenging environment of Hellenistic philosophy and Roman religious practice, believers understood the need to defend, clarify, and present the gospel in understandable terms.

Today, the Christian worldview remains under attack on an industrial scale as the world searches for meaning and significance. These assaults come primarily through print publications, entertainment media, false religious movements, and in academic instruction, and they originate from various sources such as atheists, skeptics, critical theologians, proponents of evolutionary theory, and from liberal progressives seeking to advance their social agenda of abortion and gay rights. If there was ever a time to defend the faith, that time is now!

Apologetics is the discipline that deals with a rational defense of the Christian faith whether the challenges comes from inside or outside the church. The word apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia (1 Peter 3:15), which means to give a reason or defense. Thankfully, in last few decades, we have experienced a resurgence of lay interest and scholarship in the area of apologetics, as this book will attest. Therefore, the church finds itself in a much healthier position now than it was 50 years ago to defend against its modern critics and to provide more powerful counterarguments.

The Purpose of Apologetics

As it has from the beginning, apologetics serves both an offensive and defensive purpose. Offensively, it builds a case for the Christian faith, which is accomplished through 12 basic premises:[1]

1. Truth about reality is knowable.

2. Opposites cannot both be true.

3. It is true that the theistic God exists.

4. Miracles are possible.

5. Miracles performed in connection with a truth claim confirm the truth of God through a messenger of God.

6. The New Testament documents are reliable (textually and historically).[2]

7. As witnessed in the New Testament, Jesus claimed to be God.

8. Jesus’s claim to be God was proven by a unique convergence of miracles (e.g., resurrection).

9. Therefore, Jesus was God in human flesh.

10. Whatever Jesus (who is God) affirmed as true, is true.

11. Jesus affirmed that the Bible is the Word of God.

12. Therefore, it is true that the Bible is the Word of God, and whatever is opposed to any biblical truth is false.

Offensively, apologetics answers the crucial question, Why is

Christianity true? To fully answer this question, it is important to cover all the points listed above, which are addressed throughout this book.

Defensively, apologetics answers any sincere objection or question

about the Christian faith.[3] For example, when objections arise to the existence of God, it is important to first explain the absolute nature of truth.

Likewise, when someone asks questions about the resurrection, the answer needs to include mention of the reliability of the New Testament. To put it another way, apologetics is pre-evangelism. That is to say, it is done before evangelism if needed or when an objection or question is raised.

Why Apologetics Is Necessary

There are many good reasons why we need apologetics. First, God commands the use of apologetics. Second, reason demands a defense. Third, the world needs apologetics. Finally, results confirm the success of apologetics.

Let’s examine each in order.

God Commands the Use of Apologetics. Throughout the Bible there are verses that emphasize engaging in apologetics. Over and over again the Scriptures exhort believers to defend the faith (Jude 3). The apostle Peter wrote, “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

This verse communicates several important points. First, it’s our duty to be prepared in case a defense of the faith is necessary. We might never need to use apologetics, but being prepared to do the work of an apologist is a biblical command for all Christians. As a representative for Christ, a Christian is adequately prepared not only to understanding various arguments, but is also eagerly looking for opportunities to share the truth of Christ with others.

Second, we are to give a reason to those who ask questions (cf. Colossians 4:5-6). Not every conversation with unbelievers requires an apologetic response or pre-evangelism, but when necessary, the Christian apologist should possess the ability and desire to give others an answer.

Finally, 1 Peter 3:15 addresses the special place we ought to have for Christ in our hearts and lives in doing apologetics. Those who follow Christ should routinely “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Scripture clearly encourages us to address our own doubts as well as the faulty ideas that prevent others from knowing Christ as their Savior and the Bible as the Word of God. This is the essence and goal of apologetics.

The apostle Paul clearly stated that his mission was the “defense and confirmation of the gospel” (Philippians 1:7), and he reiterated in verse 16, “I am put here for the defense of the gospel.” Some are hesitant to defend the faith because they believe they are not gifted as an apologist. However, we must recognize that though we may not feel gifted in this endeavor, we are certainly called by Scripture to do the work of an apologist. The half brother of Jesus (Jude) said, “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints”

(Jude 3). Jude was concerned about those in the church who had been ravished by false teachers, encouraging them to defend what had been revealed to them through Christ—to the point of agony. Jude also addressed our demeanor when defending the faith when he wrote, “Have mercy on those who doubt” (verse 22). Apologetics, then, is a form of compassion.

Moreover, the pastoral epistles make clear that Christian leaders in the church should demonstrate knowledge of evidence that supports the Christian worldview. Titus said, “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9). Paul said, “The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:24-25). The Bible has much to say about patience. This is particularly important when doing apologetics because we are all prone to losing patience with unbelievers. We need to remember our ultimate goal is to help them understand the significance of the gospel message of Christ’s death and resurrection.

Indeed, the exhortation to use reason is part of the greatest command. For Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38, emphasis added).

Logic Requires a Defense. In the beginning, God created us in His image; this included the power of reason (Genesis 1:27), which distinguishes human beings from animals (Jude 10). Throughout Scripture, we are encouraged to use reason (Isaiah 1:18) in order to discover truth (1 John 4:6), to discern what is moral and immoral (Hebrews 5:14), and to learn the difference between a true and false prophet (Deuteronomy 18:19- 22).

A fundamental principle of reason is that we should have sufficient grounds for what we believe. An unjustified belief is just that—unjustified! Being created rational creatures and not “unreasoning animals” (Jude 10), we are expected to use the reason God gave us. In doing so, we fulfill part of the greatest command, which includes loving God with all of our minds (Matthew 22:36-37).

Unbelievers Need Apologetics. The world may have good questions, but Christians have good answers. However, many people refuse to believe without some evidence, as indeed they should. It makes sense that if God created us with the power of reason, we should think and behave in a rational manner. He desires us to seek and evaluate the evidence prior to taking a step of faith (John 3:12; Romans 1:4). Some have suggested that seeking facts destroys faith. It does not. Any rational person will consider the evidence prior to taking a step of faith. Not to do so is both dangerous and irresponsible.

For example, no one dives headlong into a swimming pool before verifying the pool is full of water. To put it another way, no one comes to faith in Christ because it is contradictory or irrational! Rather, we serve Christ because it is reasonable (Romans 12:1).

Further, the intellectual assent that something is true or exists is prior to belief in (volitional trust of the heart) something. Evidence and reason are important to establish belief that something is true. It is reasonable to assume unbelievers will want good reason to believe that Jesus is the Savior of the world prior to placing trust in Him.

Results Confirm Apologetics

There is a common misnomer among many Christians that apologetics never helps bring anyone to Christ. This is a serious misrepresentation of the facts.

The Results of Investigation and Reason. The great medieval theologian Augustine wrote about several significant rational turning points in his life before he came to Christ.[4]

First, he reasoned his way out of Manichaean dualism. To Augustine, a significant turning point in his change was the success of a young Christian debater of Manicheans named Helpidius.

Second, Augustine reasoned his way out of total skepticism by seeing th  self-defeating nature of it, since Augustine would have to be certain of his skepticism. The only way he could be true to his total skepticism was to be skeptical of his skepticism.

Third, were it not for studying Plotinus (AD 204–270), Augustine informs us that he would not even be able to conceive of a spiritual being, let alone believe in one.

Another success story is Simon Greenleaf, professor of law at Harvard, who is widely credited for writing the book on legal evidence. He was challenged by students to apply the rules of legal evidence to the New Testament to see if its testimony would stand up in court. The result was a book titled The Testimony of the Evangelists,[5] in which he expressed his confidence in the basic documents and truths of the Christian faith.

In addition, Frank Morrison, an unbelieving attorney, set out to disprove Christianity by showing the resurrection never occurred. The quest ended with his conversion and a book titled Who Moved the Stone?[6] Ironically, the first chapter of his book was titled “The Book That Refused to Be Written”! The Results of Debates. Many people have been led toward Christ as a result of debates we have had with atheists and skeptics. After debating then-University of California, Berkeley philosopher Michael Scriven on “Is Christianity Credible?” the University of Calgary audience voted three to one in favor of Christianity. The campus newspaper report read: “Atheist Fails to Convert Campus Christians”!

Following a debate on the rationality of belief in Christianity with the head of the philosophy department at the University of Miami, the Christian student leaders held a follow-up meeting. The atheist professor attended and expressed doubts about his view stated at the debate. It was reported that some 14 people who had attended the debate made decisions for Christ!

After a debate on the Moonie religion at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, a young woman who was a follower of Moonie asked some questions about Christianity. I could see that she had been convinced that the Unification Church was not teaching the truth. After talking with her briefly, I introduced her to a female seminary student who led her to Christ.

While sharing the gospel with Don Bly, he informed us that he was an atheist. After reasoning with him from atheism to open-minded

agnosticism, he agreed to read Frank Morrison’s book. The evidence for Christ’s resurrection convinced him, and we had the privilege of leading him to Christ. He has subsequently raised his family for Christ and became a leader in a church south of St. Louis.

The Results of Reading. Over the years, I have received numerous

letters and reports of people who have been converted to belief that God exists or to belief in Christ after reading books on apologetics. God uses argumentative reasoning as an instrument to bring people toward God and to Christ.

One of the world’s most notorious atheists, Antony Flew, changed his mind about God and wrote, “Nor do I claim to have had any personal experience of God or any experience that may be called supernatural or miraculous. In short, my discovery of the divine has been a pilgrimage of reason and not of faith.”[7]

Noted former atheist Francis Collins said, “After twenty-eight years as a believer, the Moral Law still stands out for me as the strongest signpost to God. More than that, it points to a God who cares about human beings, and a God who is infinitely good and holy.”[8]

A college student wrote, “God sent me your book I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist[9]…I opened the book thinking I would rip it apart with my superior viewpoint, and about one-quarter of the way through I ended up apologizing to God and accepting him into my heart. I have since grown exponentially in Christ, and I thought I would thank you for your inspiring book.”

Ready with an Answer

Christianity must be defended against attacks from within by cults and heresies, and from without by skeptics and other religions. We have a reasonable faith, and the Bible has commanded that we give reasons for it.

As perhaps the greatest apologist of the twentieth century, C.S. Lewis, said:  “Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered.”[10]

To be certain, utilizing apologetics helps the skeptic to recognize that it takes more faith to reject Christ than it does to receive Him!

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[1] Norman L. Geisler, Twelve Points that Show Christianity Is True (Matthews, NC: Norm Geisler International

Ministries, 2016), or for an advanced treatment, see Norman L. Geisler, Christian Apologetics, 2d ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2013).

[2] Joseph M. Holden and

Norman L. Geisler, The Popular Handbook of Archaeology and the Bible: Discoveries that Confirm the Reliability of the Scripture (Eugene, OR: Harvest

House, 2013).

[3] Norman L. Geisler, The Big Book of Christian Apologetics: An A to Z Guide (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker,

2012); Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, The Big Book of Bible Difficulties (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2008); Norman L. Geisler and Ron Rhodes, Correcting the Cults (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2005).

[4] Saint Augustine, Confessions, trans. Henry Chadwick (New York: Oxford University Press, 1991).

[5] Simon Greenleaf, The Testimony of the Evangelists (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Classics, 1995).

[6] Frank Morrison, Who Moved the Stone? (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1958).

[7] Antony Flew, There Is a God: How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind (New York: HarperCollins, 2007), 93.

[8] Francis Collins, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief (New York: Free Press, 2006), 218.

[9] Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2004).

[10] C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory (New York: Macmillan, 1949), 50.

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Designing Church Organization

A church is a very special and unique creation. It is a fellow-ship. It is an organism, a unit of life. It is not primarily an organization. But it does have needs for organization. There are people who resist the idea of a church being organized. Some think of organization as something out of place in a church. Some even doubt the idea that organization can be biblical. People who believe this are poor students of God’s Word.

Examples of Organization

The Bible is plentiful in its examples or organization. God Himself is a God of order, not of chaos. Just one illustration from each of the Testaments will serve to show that organization is not antibiblical. 

Moses

Probably the most fruitful passage in all of literature on leadership and organization is found in Exodus 18:13-27. One who reads this passage should find many ideas which even modern writers and other specialists in management discuss. This is the account of Moses receiving some significant management counsel from his father-in-law, Jethro. Someone, with a keen sense of humor, developed an organization chart showing the plight of Moses before and after Jethro helped him reorganize. 

In the traditional-looking box chart format Moses is shown as the person responsible in forty-nine boxes, plus the leader’s box at the top of the chart. His responsibilities listed on the boxes range through the alphabet, from agriculture, banking, baptism, and bartering to transportation, travel, water, and welfare.

Some student usually mentions that Moses’ wife was named Zipporah. But our conclusion is that a man who was as busy as Moses doesn’t have time for his wife! This painful conclusion points up the sad plight of many who lead in churches without adequate help through good organization.

There follows some very sound instruction for Moses regarding his role, the roles of qualified persons who should be placed in positions of responsibility to help bear the load, and this important promise: “If you do this, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace” (v. 23, RSV). Their needs would be met! Moses did what Jethro advised. And he didn’t let Jethro leave until he had installed the plan!

The Twelve Apostles

Instances of organization abound in the New Testament. The great scholar A. T. Robertson, in ‘A Harmony of the Gospels for Students of the Life of Christ’, showed an interesting fact about the twelve apostles. He presented the four lists of the apostles in vertical columns side by side. The lists come from Mark 3:16-19; Matthew 10:2-4; Luke :14-16; and Acts 1:13. In these lists one can readily observe that Simon Peter is always listed first. Some take that to mean that Peter was the head of the apostles.

One can discount that, in light of the fact that Jesus was their Head! It is true that Peter was always listed first. On closer observation, one can see that the next three after Peter are the same in each list, but not always in the same order: James, John, and Andrew; then Andrew, James, and John, and so on. The fifth person in all the lists is Philip. The next three are the same, but again in varied order: Bartholomew, Matthew, and Thomas; then Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew; then Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew. Philip is the only one who is consistently in the same position. So it is with the last four. James, the son of Alpheus, is in the number nine position, followed by Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas Iscariot, who was omitted from the list in Acts.

Here is what Robertson said about this, adding that the scholars Bengel, Broadus, and Clark agreed:

Observe the three groups of four, headed by Simon Peter, Philip, and James the son of Alpheus, respectively. The great variety in the arrangement of the other names makes this uniformity significant. It seems clear that there are three recognized groups among the apostles.[1]

The agreement of even these great scholars doesn’t necessarily make it true that the apostles were organized. But it certainly gives cause to think that they were. We have other indications that the apostles were interested in position since two of them had their mother speak to Jesus about their positions (Matt. 20:20 ff). The organization of the apostles probably did not come as a result of the work of a nominating committee!

They might have been put in these groups by the Lord. Possibly they could have emerged quite naturally to their positions. The thing to notice here is that in the Bible there seems to have been organization. And it was this group to whom Jesus gave the responsibility to carry on His work. As a result, millions have received the gospel. That’s good organization! It really isn’t good organization that people resist.

It usually is either poor organization or too many organizations. Most people have had enough of organizations without clear pur-poses and objectives and programs. It is possible to have too many organizations calling for your participation and support. Churches need to study seriously their organization and try to avoid these indicators of poor organization.

Definition of Organization

Let us turn our attention to consider what might be good organization for a church. That is what we want to advocate. There are many possible definitions or organization. This one is very simple and task oriented: Organization is the arrangement of persons to get a job done.

The common elements in organization, that is good organization, include some pattern of structure, some design—an arrangement. To bring life and meaning to this arrangement, one must bring people. As in team sports, one can mark the playing area and indicate where the players are to position themselves to begin the action.

But the real organization ap-pears when the players come onto the playing area and the game begins. They have a job to do, and they begin to do it. This is their purpose in being organized. Again, the elements are an arrangement, people, and a job to do.

Benefits of Good Organization

Good organization in a church offers some worthwhile benefits. Let us look at a few of these benefits of good organization.

First, good organization distributes the work load. As Jethro told Moses about his assignment, “The thing is too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it alone” (v. 18, RSV). That certainly is true of ministry and the work of a church. No one person is big enough or good enough to do it all alone. There must be others to share the work load, and there needs to be good distribution of the load.

Second, good organization places responsibility where it be-longs. God has given a variety of gifts. Each recipient is responsible for the best use of his or her gifts in relation to the whole body, the church. With each person fulfilling his or her responsibility, the whole body can progress toward its goals.

Third, good organization reduces confusion. The work load is well distributed. The responsibility is placed where it be-longs. Confusion is minimized.

Fourth, good organization helps avoid unnecessary duplication of effort. Duplication of effort is at best a waste, and at worst counterproductive. Some of the most glaring instances of poor organization at this point occur not in small churches but in large ones.

For instance, in a very large church of several thousand members two secretaries were maintaining duplicate files of the master church member records, each apparently not knowing that the other was doing this. This had gone on for quite some time before the duplication was discovered. That was poor and costly duplication of effort. Good organization helps avoid this kind of happening.

Determining the Need for Organization

There are times when the best response to the impulse to add organizations is to test the need in the light of certain questions. It is possible that the need is not for more organizations. Ask questions like these: Is there really a job to do? If the answer is affirmative, proceed with other questions. If not, stop the action to organize!

Does the need fall in the responsibility area of an existing Officer, committee, or organization?

There are numerous instances in churches in which positions, committees, or additional organizations were created unnecessarily because the responsibilities of existing officers, committees, or organizations were not clearly known. If the responsibility is already placed, deal with the need in terms of getting the job done with the existing organization. Don’t add organization in such a case. If, for example, there is a committee which should be taking care of certain needs but is not, work to get that committee to function. Find what the problem is and work to overcome it. One creates more possible difficulties by failing to do so.

Can one person do the job effectively?

If so, there are only a few exceptions which would call for you to have a group of persons organized to do a one-person job. For example, al-though one person could probably do an effective job of counting the church offerings, there are good reasons why the counting should be done by several persons. But in most in-stances, if the job can be done effectively and acceptably by one person, avoid creating a committee or other organization involving several persons.

Can a special group do the job as a temporary project?

Perhaps an ad hoc committee would be more appropriate than a permanent or standing committee. For example, if your church celebrates the anniversaries of its founding in five-year or ten-year intervals, you might question whether you should have a permanent committee to plan church anniversary celebrations. And who would want a permanent pastor selection committee?

The whole point of these and other such questions is to plan to get the needs met effectively with as lean an organization design as possible. There is no virtue, and there might be some vice, in having more organizations than are needed. Try to avoid this problem.

Principles of Good Church Organization

There are certain marks of good church organization that distinguish it from poor organization. Some are even principles, axiomatic truths which are universally valid.

Let us look briefly at some of these marks. Good church organization will do these things:

1. Reflect the church’s theology

2. Lead toward clearly defined goals

3. Be almost as simple as possible

4. Be flexible

5. Group similar jobs together

6. Match responsibility with authority

7. Establish clear guidelines

8. Keep congregational authority clear

Organization Reflects the Church’s Theology

Let us look at each of these and try to clarify what we mean by them. Would you agree that good administration should grow out of good theology? That is what we mean when we say that a church’s organization should reflect its theology. It should be compatible with what we say we believe, not only about God but also about the dignity and worth of individuals.

Further, there should be no organization design for a congregationally governed church which violates the tenets of congregational democracy. For example, a church whose deacons, committees, councils, staff, pastor, or any other group or individual function as a final filter through which matters must be screened in order to get to the church body is in danger of not being a fully congregational body.

There is a significant difference in having required approval by certain groups or individuals in a church and in having optional consultation from those same groups or individuals. There is often wisdom in the counsel of many. But in a Baptist church this consultation needs to be distinguished from having to have approval. Any individual or group of a church, any committee whose parent is the church, should have right of access to the church body. A church should clarify in its procedures how this access is assured. A church committee might wisely seek the counsel of deacons on matters of importance to the church; but to require a committee of the church to have its work approved by the deacons is questionable in light of Baptist theology. It is possible to have our cake and eat it too! We can have the counsel of any others in a church without having to have their approval. Then let the church make its own decisions.

Organization Leads Toward Clearly Defined Goals

Good church organization should be goal oriented. It should not exist without purpose or direction. It should be designed to enable a church to accomplish its goals. If the goals are temporary, perhaps the organization should be temporary. If the goals are continuing, the organization for reaching the goals should be continuing. In a study of one church’s committee structure, the study group (a special, temporary committee) came upon a commit-tee called the Planning Committee. They asked the chairman to recall the origin of this committee. Several years earlier it had begun as a Building Planning Committee, to lead in the addition of another needed building. The building was completed, but the committee continued to have things referred to it by the church. Over the years its name was shortened informally, not by church action. The chairman told of the most recent matter the church had referred to the committee: How should the church divide the revival love offering be-tween the guest evangelist and the guest musician? The chair-man happily accepted the recommendation that the Planning Committee be thanked and dissolved and that future decisions about the church’s finances be considered by the church Stewardship Committee.

Organization Should Be Almost as Simple as Possible

Good church organization should be kept almost as simple | as possible. The simplest possible organization is one which is run by one person. The possibilities in such an extremely simple organization range from dismal failure and ineffectiveness to a rigid dictatorship. Neither of these is right nor desirable. As a healthy body should be just big enough for maximum effectiveness, so should an organization. Too little organization allows for poor distribution of the work load. Too few are probably called upon to do too much, and many miss the blessings of meaningful work in the church. Too much or too many organizations tend to be cumbersome and ineffective.

Church size and program plans, along with other factors, should help you to find the right organization design for your church. Churches have come to have organization along a wide variety of lines. Historically, Baptist churches have organized their total membership in several ways. In addition to pastors and deacons, Baptist churches have had officer positions of the whole congregation.

There are the moderator, trustees, clerk, and treasurer. The moderator is often the pas-tor, though not in every case. The person in this position pre-sides over meetings of the church members for transacting business for the church. The trustees serve as representatives of the congregation and under the congregation’s instructions to do such things as are necessary in the signing of legal and business documents and other similar matters. The clerk maintains church membership records and handles essential correspondence and recording related to the membership and to its decisions in session. The treasurer is the official financial officer of the church and operates, as do the others, under the instructions of the church.

Without such a plan, most congregations have no minis-try to those who do not attend the education ministry organizations or the church services or worship.

There are other ways churches are organized to accomplish their purpose. There you will see suggested church organization for five sizes of churches. There are suggestions for staff, deacons, church officers, church committees, service programs, special ministries, coordination, Bible teaching, church training, mission organizations, and music ministry for each size church.[2]

Organization Should Be Flexible

Good church organization should be flexible. It should expand as the needs justify expansion. In the instance of organization in which growth is desired, such as in Bible teaching classes or departments like the Sunday School, new units should be formed as worker-member ratios and additional known prospects for enrollment suggest. New units grow faster than older, established units. And they reach more people for Christ. These are verifiable facts in the history and in the present experience of Sunday Schools that are growing.

Planned expansion or addition of organizational units is a key factor in growing a church. There are known worker-member ratios, maximum membership sizes, and other factors which church leaders should consider in expanding or adding organizations. In some instances the organizational flexibility concept calls for reducing or contracting the organization. Circumstances change, and sometimes the need or organizational units diminishes. One can use the same good ratios and other factors that were used to expand or to add to the organization to deter-mine when organization should flex downward.

Again, in a Sunday School situation, there are years when the number of persons in a given group in an age-graded organization might be considerably smaller than in other years. In other years the flexibility concept would say, “Reduce the number of units to fit the need.” Obviously, most of us enjoy enlarging and expanding instead of reducing the organizations, because more. organization should be associated with reaching and ministering to more people. We are right when we are concerned about reaching and ministering to more people.

Organization Groups Similar Jobs Together

Good organization groups similar jobs together. The flower committee doesn’t usually plan the church budget! There are many tasks in a church. Those tasks which are similar should be grouped together and assigned to persons with gifts and other qualifications for performing particular tasks. If needs continue to arise which do not seem to fit any of the present organizational responsibilities, that might suggest the need for some reorganization or for some additional organization. First, see if the newly discovered need can be met adequately and appropriately by existing organization. If not, then make the needed changes. In any case, try to put related or similar tasks together for assignment.

Organization Matches Responsibility with Authority

Good church organization matches responsibility with authority. Some people don’t like the use of the word authority. They prefer to call it “freedom to act.’”’ Whatever one calls it, a person in a place of responsibility in an organization needs to be authorized or free to do what is right and necessary to get the assignment done. Of course, there should be known limits to that authority or freedom. But authority or freedom must be exercised within those limits.

Seward Hiltner wrote, ‘If even God felt it wise and right and essential to risk his purposes and his love through fallible human instruments, who is a minister to be unwilling to acknowledge that his ministry must be risked through fallible human beings who are, in actual fact, no more fallible than he?[3]

Organization Establishes Clear Guidelines

Good church organization establishes clear guidelines. It sees that groups and individuals are informed regarding du-ties, responsibilities, and limits. For example, if there is a staff member or a committee who has responsibility for money expenditures, the procedures and limits of spending are better made known before rather than after the fact of some violation. Good organization works toward preventing as well as solving problems.

Organization Keeps Congregational Authority

Clear Good church organization keeps congregational authority clear. Certain decisions should be reserved for the church body to make. Matters like calling ministers, changing the name or location of the church, altering the constitution or bylaws, and qualifications for membership who will serve in church positions are some of the decisions no individual or group should make for the church. Obviously there are many other items a church should decide for itself.

 

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[1] A. T. Robertson, A Harmony of the Gospel for Students of the Life of Christ(New York: Harper and Bros., 1950), pp. 271-272.

[2] Bruce P. Powers, editor/compiler, Christian Education Handbook (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1981), pp. 130-131.

 [3] Seward Hiltner, Ferment in the Ministry (New York: Abingon Press, 1969), p. 85.

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Major Types of Planning in Church Administration

Up to this point we have looked in rather sweeping fashion at what ministry planning is, why leaders develop church ministry plans, and who should lead in the planning. Let’s turn now to a more detailed look at some of the features of the process.

Basic Operational Planning

First, consider two major types of planning that should occur in every church. One type is in the area of the basic operational life of the church. If you should keep track of all the things your church does for a period of time, you would find that most of the activity is in this area of basic operations. These are the things you do on a continuing basis. They are mostly essential things that are done regularly, if not routinely. They are things you do to survive at the base, the church itself.

You conduct worship services. You have Sunday School, Church Training, and missions education. You sing. You visit the sick. You marry the people. You bury the dead. You comfort the bereaved. These and many other things you do in season and out of season because you are a church. In much of this basic operation, the mode is one of reacting to things which occur, over many of which you have little or no control. Is there planning to do in these basic operational areas? Indeed there is. In basic operational planning, the general thrust is to make the ministries more effective in quality, more efficient in process, and less consuming of resources. The concern is to make the base, the church, the best that it can be.

Many churches make the mistake of planning and working only on operational things. They “strengthen the stake” but they do not “lengthen the cord.” The first is necessary, but is eventually self-defeating without another type of planning. That type we call “advance” or growth planning.

Planning for Advance

Planning for advance is at the growing edge of the church. In this planning, you reach for new people to be brought to Christ, new ministries to be developed, new needs to be met. Here you plan for extraordinary increases in numbers. You also plan for extraordinary improvement in quality, such as in training of workers. Here, too, you consider the validity of ministering to those with special needs, and those in unique circumstances.

Even major strengthening of the base operations might be considered advance. It is important for the base of be strengthened. The lengthening cords must have strengthened stakes to which to be anchored. In developing church ministry plans leaders should consider the needs both in terms of the basic operational areas and in areas for advance. They should lead the church to plan for ministries in both. 

Focusing on Annual Planning and Long-Range Planning

Another way of viewing and doing church ministry planning is to focus on annual planning and on long-range planning. Most of the detailed planning of a church’s ministries would likely fall in the area of annual planning. This involves the pastor, the Church Council, the organizational councils, and some church committees as they plan the annual cycle of ministry events, emphases, and continuing programs. Annual planning needs to consider both operational and advance areas. Also, most of the annual planning probably should be done in relation to implementing church tasks.

One can find the listing of tasks in books such as Educational Ministry of a Church (Tidwell), Christian Education Handbook (Powers), and A Church on Mission (McDonough).

They include such ministries as reaching per-sons for Bible study, witnessing to persons about Christ and leading persons into church membership, equipping church members for discipleship and personal ministry, equipping church leaders for service, providing musical experiences in congregational services, witnessing and ministering through music, engaging in missions activities, teaching missions, leading the church in the accomplishment of its mission, proclaiming the gospel to believers and unbelievers, caring for the church’s members and other persons in the community, and interpreting and undergirding the work of the church and the denomination.

Three Basic Principles in Planning

There are more tasks than we have identified here, but these are representative of the total group. There are three basic principles to consider in annual planning related to tasks.

1. The Church Itself Is the Basic Unit

The first principle of good annual planning is that the church itself is the basic unit. Neither Sunday School, Church Train-ing, music ministry, Woman’s Missionary Union, Brotherhood, the deacons, the church staff, the church committees, nor any one individual is the basic unit to consider.

The church is the basic unit. The implications of this principle are many. Among them is the fact that the interests of the church, the overall fellowship, must have priority over the interests of any other entity, in or out of a church. The churches do not exist so that other entities or bodies will have a support base. The external entities exist to assist churches to fulfill their purpose.

Groups inside a church need to be ready to give way to the interests of the total body on matters like calendar, personnel, and money. In cases of conflicting requests, most often the subgroup in a church, such as one of the church organizations or any of its components, should give way. Those who lead in determining what the total church’s plans require must make a practice of planning far enough in advance so that other entities in the church can gracefully make their plans without conflict.

One example might clarify how this principle applies in a church. Suppose the Church Council schedules a revival series well in advance. The dates are set. The church approves the calendar. Sunday School classes, training groups, workers’ planning meetings, and other important events should give priority to what the church has ap-proved. They should find other ways and times to do the work they would have done at the time of the scheduled revival.

2. All Tasks Are Church Tasks

A second important principle in church ministry planning is: all tasks are church tasks. They are the responsibility of the total church, even though in many churches certain organizations in the church have primary responsibility for their implementation. The implications of this principle are many. One implication is that a church which is not big enough in its membership to warrant having all the recommended organizations still has the responsibility of finding ways to accomplish its tasks. And there are ways to work on these tasks without all of the recommended organizations.

This is not a heresy! It is simply saying that a church which does not have a functioning Church Training organization still has the responsibility to accomplish the task of equipping church members for discipleship and person-al ministry.

A church which does not have a Woman’s Missionary Union or a Brotherhood organization still has the responsibility for the tasks of teaching missions and of supporting missions. These and all the other tasks are church tasks. Another implication is that in a church which does have the organizations recommended for implementing its tasks, the tasks are not the “property” of the organizations. They are still church tasks and must be duly subject to the will and the processes of the church. This means, among other things, that church organizations play by the rules of the church in planning, scheduling, enlisting and training leaders, funding, and in policies and procedures related to other actions. All tasks are church tasks.

3. Tasks Must Be Planned in Relationship

A third principle is: tasks must be planned in relationship. They must not be planned as though there were no other tasks of the church. Planners can find many ways for tasks of various organizations to be planned in complementary fashion, so as to strengthen and help one another.

For example, while it is considered a pastoral ministries task to lead in proclaiming the gospel to believers and unbelievers, the Sunday School can plan to complement pastoral ministries in this task by the ways the Sunday School does its work of reaching persons for Bible study, witnessing to persons about Christ, and leading persons into church membership. Other organizations can find ways to work together as they plan to implement their tasks.

This is an arena which can be a model of God’s children working together, graciously considering one another, and supporting one another, thereby strengthening the total church and its ministries. This way the church can have a church ministry plan, not just an accumulation of plans of many groups without unity.

Long-Range Planning

Usually Extends for Several Years

The other type of planning we mentioned is long-range planning. This kind of planning considers what a church should plan to do to meet the studied needs in and out of its fellowship over a seven-to-ten year period. It usually is done by a special committee of a church and requires careful leader-ship over many months to develop.

Good long-range planning considers the same functional areas as do other types of planning: purpose, objectives, program, organization, human re-sources, physical resources, financial resources, and controls. The committee recommends church goals, strategies, and action plans which are projected over the years of the plan. Such planning can give annual planning a very fine context in which to operate. The church approves the long-range plan. Major items are processed again for church approval as they come up on the long-range timetable. Plans may be reviewed and re-vised along the way as needed.

Help Is Plentiful for Those Who Lead Planning

There are many materials available to help leaders in planning church ministries, both in annual planning and in long-range planning. There are usually revised planning guides for use by the Church Council and organizational councils. There is a long-range planning notebook for use by church commit-tees for long-range planning. Each year the major leadership magazine for each of the church program organizations and for church leaders in administration carry simultaneous planning features, usually in the spring and early summer editions. Several state conventions have planning materials tailored for use by churches in their state for annual planning. Church leaders are wise to consider these materials, and to incorporate them into their planning at all points where they can contribute.

Suggested Format for Annual Planning

The following brief format for developing your church min-istry plans might be helpful, especially in annual planning:

1. Establish and/or review your church’s statements of purpose and objectives.

2. Identify areas of need for planning, both in basic operations and in areas for advance.

3. Set worthy goals that are attainable but challenging, measureable, and time-phased.

4. Suggest major strategies, approaches to reach each goal. This is your plan of action.

5. Develop the details of your plans, drawing upon program. organizations and committees.

6. Correlate the proposed plans into a calendar of activities for church approval.

7. Coordinate financial planning to assure funding for the ministries.

8.Include evaluation criteria and periodic reviews of progress as appropriate.

9. Give positive leadership to the implementation of the plans.

10. Repeat this cycle for next year’s plans.

Church leaders in planning must learn to be patient with one another and with others. It probably took your church quite some time to get in the condition it is in. With patience, good planning, and His help, maybe it will not take quite so long to develop effective church ministry plans that will see the church approaching its potential in bringing persons to God through Jesus Christ.

Abstract

The fellowship we call church should be on the move in ministry. It should have a clear understanding of purpose. It needs specific objectives. Purpose and objectives should come to reality in a ministry plan. This plan is the church program.

A good ministry plan can lead a church to make progress in unity. It can develop leaders and members. It can help bring others to Christ. The pastor usually should be the leader in church planning. The Church Council should work with the pastor in annual planning.

A special committee is usually the best way to do long-range planning. Both annual and long-range planning should take into account basic operational planning and planning for advance.

Most annual planning relates to implementing church tasks. It is essential to the best planning that key principles be observed. There are numerous helps available for those who lead in planning. These materials are coordinated to make the work of church leaders more feasible. Leaders should develop and use a format for planning that meets their needs. They must also learn to be patient.

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