Ethics and the Effeciency of the Market Place
Glenn Plastina
Perhaps, the ethics in business world is not as much a controversial matter than the contemporary marketing of the church. The issues of drivenness and commercialism have been a questioned by many conservatives as an invasion of secularism over the portals of the church of Christ. Of course, marketing the church is never mentioned in the Bible but due to the present reality that the church faces, this controversy can fall into an ethical or efficiency question.
At first, the scenario is quite neutral. Marketing the church is a sort of managing the church more like a business with an intention of an honest gain. The church is often run like a non-profit institution or organization, complete with board of trustees and organized positions to ensure efficiency in administration and management. This is especially true in above-average churches where maintenance is a norm. On the other hand, the church is much more than an organization. It is also an organism—a mystical body at least. In order to function well, the members of this spiritual body, with their identified potentials, are developed and cultivated in a way fashioned to meet the purposes of the church's Master, not just the demands of time.
Whether the church likes it or not, the contemporary world is shaped by the marketplace. In fact, many modern pastors are geared towards market orientation—i.e. managerial laws of leadership, marketplace preaching, electronic church, digital worship, etc. The most profitable ministerial manuals and books today are leadership-centered shaped in the mould of “drivenness” and managerial context. These issues are harder to face than just a set of questions: What Would Jesus Do? Will he utilize such marketing strategy for the church and the advancement of his kingdom? For postmodern ministers—are we to upgrade our leadership skills to meet the demands of the marketplace? What would be the ethical questions in considering the world as the marketplace inorder to "sell" the church? Is the great commission the greatest vision to market the church? If present ministers are to disciple future leaders, are they to shape their mentoree in the tradition of a sales-rep inclinations and management of human resources? How about media for church promotional scheme? Such questions require a plumb line between ethics and efficiency in ministry.
If I pursue to answer one more critical question related to the issues mentioned above, it goes: Why not?
Perhaps, the ethics in business world is not as much a controversial matter than the contemporary marketing of the church. The issues of drivenness and commercialism have been a questioned by many conservatives as an invasion of secularism over the portals of the church of Christ. Of course, marketing the church is never mentioned in the Bible but due to the present reality that the church faces, this controversy can fall into an ethical or efficiency question.
At first, the scenario is quite neutral. Marketing the church is a sort of managing the church more like a business with an intention of an honest gain. The church is often run like a non-profit institution or organization, complete with board of trustees and organized positions to ensure efficiency in administration and management. This is especially true in above-average churches where maintenance is a norm. On the other hand, the church is much more than an organization. It is also an organism—a mystical body at least. In order to function well, the members of this spiritual body, with their identified potentials, are developed and cultivated in a way fashioned to meet the purposes of the church's Master, not just the demands of time.
Whether the church likes it or not, the contemporary world is shaped by the marketplace. In fact, many modern pastors are geared towards market orientation—i.e. managerial laws of leadership, marketplace preaching, electronic church, digital worship, etc. The most profitable ministerial manuals and books today are leadership-centered shaped in the mould of “drivenness” and managerial context. These issues are harder to face than just a set of questions: What Would Jesus Do? Will he utilize such marketing strategy for the church and the advancement of his kingdom? For postmodern ministers—are we to upgrade our leadership skills to meet the demands of the marketplace? What would be the ethical questions in considering the world as the marketplace inorder to "sell" the church? Is the great commission the greatest vision to market the church? If present ministers are to disciple future leaders, are they to shape their mentoree in the tradition of a sales-rep inclinations and management of human resources? How about media for church promotional scheme? Such questions require a plumb line between ethics and efficiency in ministry.
If I pursue to answer one more critical question related to the issues mentioned above, it goes: Why not?
posted by GlenPlas @ 12:28 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home