Why You Need to Operate your Church like a Business
Should the church be run as a business, or should it be seen as a sacred spiritual entity that transcends earthly rules? There has been quite a lot of debate about this topic, but the question is not unresolvable. The Bible, of course, has the answer. By examining biblical and practical principles, you will learn you can operate your church like a business.
The church, just like every other corporation, has financial responsibility. Some of which are rent, land tax, utility bills, insurance coverage, salaries, and a lot more. Since the church is not the automatic beneficiary of sponsorships by any organization or the government, the church must generate money to cover all expenses. Generating money is a business responsibility.
The Two Churches
So, where does this conflict of opinion originate?
When the Bible talks about "church," it uses it to refer to two separate things. The first one is the universal church. This church is a spiritual entity referred to as the body of Christ. We were reborn in it the moment we accepted Him and became baptized. This church is Christ, and it is eternal.
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 NKJV explains it to us like this, "For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit, we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For, in fact, the body is not one member but many."
The second church is the local assembly. This church is the physical building you visit to worship on "church days." This church is your local denominational structure that provides a roof and facilities where Christians can fellowship together. Hebrew 10:25 NLT "And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."
God's Business
Now that the difference between the two churches is apparent, we can now go into more details to better understand why it is necessary to treat your church as a business.
The local assembly is an earthly thing and no different from any other corporation, except in purpose. The local church is registered as a business (a non-profit business) and, as a business, it has bills to pay. The word 'business' seems to trigger the tension, but a business is just an organization operating for a profit or non for profit. Not-for-profit organizations (which churches are) participate in commercial or professional activities that fulfill either charitable purposes or contribute to social good.
The word "business" does not indicate that we should operate the church to earn money from people or become focused on mergers and acquisitions. We vilify the term business in these conversations, but the reality is, as Christians, even our businesses should bring glory to God.
Stewardship is a Part of Business
When we remove the sole focus of profits from the conversation, what is left? What else goes into operating a business? Stewardship!
Stewardship is a purely Biblical principle: management and multiplication. A church with 20 members should not remain that way for too long. Proper management of the resources available to your church will increase your church's membership and cover the expenses to operate your church as it grows. How?
By using the talents and skills available within the body of the church, you inspire participation which strengthens faith.
By not relying on a select few to operate the church, you prevent burnout and encourage creativity in the body of the church.
Everyone is activated as an agent for God and is busy bringing new souls to Christ. Instead of making this the "Pastor's job," members begin to understand their purpose as disciples of God.
Members are encouraged to pay their faithful tithe and give an offering.
The management of the church chooses a location within the budget of the church to prevent debt.
Utilize cost-saving and capital-generating efforts.
What does this have to do with treating the church like a business? Everything!
Churches that don't implement business strategies eventually wind up closing their doors, which does not serve God's purpose. Operating your church like a business is not about a lack of faith; it is about good stewardship. Yes, the church is the House of God, but it is on earth, which means that both spiritual and earthly laws bind it.
The spiritual laws of faith and stewardship and the earthly laws of economics both bind the operation of your church. A church that fails to abide by one or the other of these laws will not produce much fruit, and thus, it will not be pleasing to God.
We know that the production of fruit is an important sign of the presence and work of the Spirit, as it is written all over scripture. One well-known example of this is found in Matthew 25: 14-30. When the master in the story, who represented God, returned, He did not expect them to present him with just what He had given to them. He was pleased with the two servants that multiplied their talents, but the one that buried it, He called worthless (NIV).
The expectation is the same for us. Jesus expects us to take what we have and use it to win more disciples and believers for Him under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He expects us to use what we have and bless others in a meaningful way, and when we don't, we fall into the same category as the worthless servant.
God wants us to be responsible stewards of the gifts that we have. He wants us to multiply our message to reach more souls for Him. When our churches stagnate, go bankrupt, and close down because of poor stewardship, this does not glorify God. When we cannot effectively reach out to the community around us or take care of the needs of our brethren, we do not glorify God. God's expectations of us are kingdom expectations. He wants us to be efficient and resourceful as well as obedient. When we treat our churches like a business, we are not excluding God or becoming worldly; we are multiplying the talents through godly stewardship so that we can bear fruit for God's glory.