By Joseph Tkach
By Joseph Tkach
I am pleased to announce the completion of our new Church Administration Manual for the Worldwide Church of God within the United States. We are sending the manual to each pastor and church library. The manual will be available on our web site at www.wcg.org by the end of November.
The manual sets forth the principles, policies and procedures for the administration of the church, focusing on the congregational and district levels within the United States. Though the primary users will be leaders responsible for the administration of our congregations and denominational offices, the manual is also an important way for us to communicate with all our members concerning the administration of our church.
The content of the manual is quite diverse. It includes principles of leadership as well as ethical standards, expectations and job descriptions for primary leaders in congregations and denominational Church Administration offices. The manual also outlines the privileges and expectations for our members and for our congregations. In addition, it sets forth systems designed to facilitate effective communication among all levels within the church, including dealing with conflict and administering church discipline.
The manual is a reflection of our continuing development as a fellowship. Over the last several years, we have traveled a journey of remarkable, far-reaching change. We have shed wrong beliefs and doctrines to embrace those that are scripturally and historically defensible. As our beliefs have changed, it has been appropriate and necessary to modify our administrative systems and leadership structures as well.
We have been field testing many such changes—introducing them gradually and incrementally to facilitate course corrections as experience is gained. We believe that we are now ready to formalize and systematize many of these changes.
This does not mean that we have arrived and that we are through changing. Rather, we have reached a point of stability in our development, and we now have the opportunity and the need for greater clarity of communication and consistency of operation.
The changes to our administrative systems and leadership structures, now systematized in the manual, are many. We have instituted church charters, advisory councils and finance committees within our congregations. We have clarified the roles and expectations of our pastors and of our ministry leaders (deacons). We have introduced a code of ethics for all elders (those serving in congregations and in denominational offices). In addition, with the publishing of this manual, we are instituting a new system for licensing all our active elders.
We have also revamped our U.S. Church Administration structures—implementing a decentralized office of Church Administration with a denominational office in Southern California that works through district superintendents resident in multiple districts in the United States. The manual clarifies the responsibilities of the district superintendents, including their relationships with pastors and congregations.
Over the last several years, we have been altering our methods and styles of denominational leadership—gaining experience as we go. We have adopted a collegial, team-based approach, where principal policy decisions are made with the WCG advisory council of elders and church board of directors. Implementation of those decisions is then carried out by me and various WCG department heads, including Dan Rogers, our superintendent of U.S. ministers, who directs the Church Administration department that includes our district superintendents.
We are nearing the time when these changes at the denominational level within the United States will be completed and formalized through the amending of the articles of incorporation and the bylaws of our various organizations. As reported in the WN, we have already formalized many such changes overseas where we have established national church governing boards to oversee the work of national church leaders who work with central denominational representatives. Similar changes within the United States will be formalized following the completion of the sale of our headquarters properties and the implementation of our new financial systems within the United States.
Though the new Church Administration manual deals with policies and procedures, an essential aspect of the manual is the communication of the foundational principles of church leadership. It is our goal that all our leaders—at all levels—reflect Jesus’ approach to leadership within the body of Christ. As noted in the manual, we seek to equip and mobilize leaders who are Christ-centered, love-motivated, grace-filled, Spirit-led, Word-directed and mission-driven.
Our goal is that our leaders be servants who are involved, accountable and committed to sharing leadership with others. The manual sets forth this leadership ethos and provides appropriate structures and accountability systems in which that ethos may be lived out in the administration of the church at all levels.
The administrative structures set forth in the manual are also designed to support and enhance the ability of the church to pursue its mission to live and share the gospel. Church leadership exists to encourage and equip all members for their participation in Jesus’ great commission to “make disciples” (Matthew 28:19).
This mission is accomplished as we are connected to Jesus Christ, where, motivated by his love, we are led by his Spirit to participate actively in his ministry patterns of seeking the lost, building believers, equipping workers and multiplying leaders.
The preparation of this manual has been a lengthy and intensive process. A team of district superintendents, led by Ted Johnston, Great Lakes district superintendent, has had the primary role in preparing the manual. Other contributors and reviewers have included myself, members of the advisory council of elders, the doctrinal advisory team, our Legal Department, the U.S. district superintendents and various church members with experience and advanced training in theology and church administration.
In addition, all WCG pastors in the United States were given a period for review and comment. The manual is thus the joint effort of many individuals working collaboratively during the last several months.
As you review the manual, I hope you will be encouraged as you see a fuller picture of the way we are developing our structure to more intentionally and successfully pursue our collective mission as a church. Your review may raise questions—I encourage you to bring any questions and concerns to your pastor, or you may contact your district superintendent.
We appreciate your input, realizing that this manual is always a work in process—reflecting a continuing journey of transformation and reformation that is the gracious work of the Holy Spirit in our midst. Thank you for your faithful and patient participation in this journey. I look forward to traveling with you in the months and years ahead.
Copyright © Grace Communion International, 2003