Durham E-Theses Applying management theory to the local church Dunning, Martyn Philip How to cite: Dunning, Martyn Philip (1994) Applying management theory to the local church, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/5850/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. APPLYING MANAGEMENT THEORY TO THE LOCAL CHURCH by Martyn Philip Dunning The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. A Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Theology, University of Durham Durham University Business School 1994 2 0 "JUN w APPLYING E3ANAGEB2ENT THEORY TO THE LOCAL CHURCH Martym PMlip Duummiimg Abstract The aim of this study is to examine the application of management theory to the local church, with a view to identifying: (i) the critical questions to be asked of any particular aspect of management theory so that the local church may assess its potential usefulness; (ii) those areas of management theory which appear to have most - and least - to offer the local church„ The study begins by exploring both the nature and aims of the local church and the content of contemporary management theory. From this emerge two findings: lo At its simplest, contemporary management theory might be seen as comprising eight areas of particular interest to the local church: Continuous Learning; Coherence; Committed Leadership; Continuous Adaptation and Improvement; Common Language; Co• ordination through Teamwork; Commitment to Action; and, Customer Orientation. These areas, or key themes, are initially identified in terms of their location within what might loosely be called the organizational process, then each is further explored, 2. When applying management theory to the local church, there are three critical questions to be asked, each of which has an ethical dimension: (i) Is it good management theory? (ii) Is it good theology? (iii) Does it fit the local church's self-understanding? Further work is needed, both in the appropriate application of these eight 'key themes' or 'areas', and to fill out all that is implied by the three critical questions. To summarise: 1. Discretion and discrimination are necessary if management theory is to be appropriately applied to the local churcho 2. Given '1', management theory can be usefully applied to the local church. 3. This study outlines a potentially effective approach to such application. Copyright © 1994 by Martyn Dunning The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without Martyn Dunning's prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. For Joyce, my wife Joyce, my mother - and for Kathryn and Richard. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS "No man can serve two masters" [Matthew 6:24]. Yet, between July 1991 and September 1994, I tried to, very much enjoyed the attempt - and am immensely grateful to my two 'masters'! The Revd. Canon David Brown, Van Mildert Professor in the University of Durham Theology Department, supervised the theological aspects of this study, and gave close attention both to my tutorial papers and the production of this thesis, Dr» Barry Witcher, Director of Research in the Durham University Business School, supervised the management aspects of this study and skilfully guided me as I tried to learn something of the range and substance of contemporary management theory. Each of the three survey-church Incumbents, the Revd.'s Alan Leighton, Charles Marnham and Edmund Wheat, were kind enough to give a great deal of time, particularly for the tape-recorded interviews and proof-reading of the resultant transcripts. The present Bishop of Lewes, the Rt, Revd, Ian Cundy, when Warden at Cranmer Hall, St, John's College, University of Durham, put to me the possibility of pursuing my interest in this subject and made out the case for this to both the Most Revd, John Habgood, Archbishop of York, and the Church of England's Advisory Board for Ministry, Without Bishop Ian's enthusiasm, the Archbishop's permission and A„B,M.'s financial support this work would not have been possible, I would also like to acknowledge the continuing interest in the project taken by three friends: Ian Hinton, who also drew to my attention the work of Senge; Dr. Robert Song, of the University of Durham, who enabled me to see which of two routes this thesis should take; and the Revd, Dr. Peter Forster, Vicar of Beverley Minster and former Senior Tutor of St John's College, University of Durham, who commented on an early draft of the final chapter. It was my two ADMINISTRY friends, John Truscott and Lance Pierson, who first set me thinking along these lines; and it was during twelve very happy years at St. Barnabas', Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, that I learnt a great deal about the practical realities of church management from the Incumbent, the Revd. Canon Ian Reid. I am immensely grateful to John, Lance and Ian. Finally, my heartfelt thanks to Joyce, Kathryn and Richard, who have more than graciously put up with a husband and father who has spent many hours hidden away in the study. APPLYING MANAGEMENT THEORY TO THE LOCAL CHURCH PART ONE: THEORY Chapter One: Setting the Scene 101 Study Background 5 102 Study Aim 5 103 Methodology and Structure 6 1.4 Defining the Boundaries 8 1o 5 Terminology 10 End Notes 11 Chapter Two: The Nature of the Local Church 2„1 Introduction 13 2.2 One Church in Two Dimensions 14 2o3 Images, Models and Marks of the Local Church 17 2«4 The Task of Ministry and the Clerical Profession 22 2.5 The Congregation and Its Unique Story 25 2.6 The Local Church "as it is and as it should be" 30 2.7 The Local Church, "in the world but not of the world"? 33 2.8 Linking "Church-Local" and "Church-Universal" 36 2.9 Conclusion 39 End Notes 39 Chapter Three: The Aims of the Local Church 3.1 Introduction 43 3.2 The Local Church's 'Internal' Life: Worship 43 3.3 Fellowship 45 3.4 Nurture 47 3.5 Maintaining the Local Church's Internal Life 48 3.6 The Local Church's 'External' Life: Mission 50 3.7 Service 52 3.8 Prophetic Role 54 3.9 The Relevance of the Local Church 56 3.10 The Aims of the Local Church 58 3.11 Testing the Local Church's 'Nine Aims' 59 3.12 Relating Aims and Nature 62 End Notes 63 - 1 - Chapter Four; Contemporary Management Theory Page No. 4.1 Determining Where to Start 66 4.2 Five Management Theory Requirements 66 4.3 Oakland on Total Quality Management 70 4.4 Handy on Organizational Understanding 76 4.5 Kotler on Marketing 84 4.6 Peters and Waterman on Contingency 90 4.7 Senge on Organizational Learning 93 4.8 Key Themes in Contemporary Management Theory 95 End Notes 98 PART TWO: APPLICATION Chapter Five: Eight Areas of Management Theory of Relevance to the Local Church 5.1 Continuous Learning 108 5.2 Coherence 113 5.3 Committed Leadership 117 5.4 Continuous Adaptation and Improvement 119 5.5 Common Language 121 5.6 Co-ordination through Teamwork 124 5.7 Commitment to Action 127 5.8 Customer Orientation 128 5.9 Conclusion 130 End Notes 132 Chapter Six: Business Management and the Local Church 6.1 Introduction 135 6.2 Church and Business: Similarities 137 6.3 Church and Business: Differences 140 6.4 Managing Change 144 6.5 Church Leader & Business Manager 148 6.6 Self and Administrative Management 154 6.7 Conclusion 155 End Notes 157 Chapter Seven: Church Management and Church Growth 7.1 Four 'British' Texts 159 7.2 Four American Texts 167 7.3 Comparing the British and American Texts 175 7.4 Church Growth Theory and Practice 177 End Notes 188 - 2 - PART THREE: EVALUATION Chapter Eight: Church Management in Practice 801 Introduction 8.2 Continuous Learning 8.3 Coherence 8.4 Committed Leadership 8.5 Continuous Adaptation and Improvement 8.6 Common Language 8.7 Co-ordination through Teamwork 8.8 Commitment to Action 8.9 Customer Orientation 8.10 Conclusion End Notes Chapter Nine: Evaluating the Application of Management Theory to the Local Church 9.1 Introduction 211 9.2 Question One: Is it Good Management Theory? 211 9.3 Question Two: Is it Good Theology? 214 9.4 Question Three: Does it fit our Self-Understanding? 219 9.5 Conclusion 221 End Notes 222 Chapter Ten: Leadership of the Local Church 10.1 Introduction 225 10.2 Supervision and Oversight 226 10.3 Areas of Leadership Responsibility 229 10.4 Styles of Local Church Leadership 230 10.5 Leadership: Single or Plural? 232 10.6 Servant Leadership 234 10.7 Review and Appraisal 236 10.8 Conclusion 238 End Notes 239 Chapter Eleven: Leadership as Knowledge-Based Control 11.1 Introduction 242 11.2 Leadership as 'Knowledge-Based Control' 242 11.3 Evaluation 251 End Notes 252 - 3 - Chapter Twelve: Applying Management Theory to the Local Church Page.