| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study is to identify the business management skills that can assist ministers in the Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid Afrika (GKSA) in executing their calling more effectively. A congregation is not a business, and to manage it as such would be incorrect. Although the church is primarily invisible and spiritual by nature, it is functioning as an institution in this world which must be managed efficiently and effectively to ensure that everything is done in good order and functions successfully. A major part of the responsibility to ensure order and effectiveness rests on the shoulders of the minister. In Chapter two attention was given to the various management skills that inevitably form part of the syllabus for students who are preparing themselves for leadership positions in the business world. Although some people are blessed with more natural skills and talents in this regard, it has been proven that all these management skills required to manage a business enterprise successfully can be acquired by means of study and training. Furthermore, a literature study was performed on the purpose of the church, with specific reverence to a congregation of the GKSA. Specific reference was made to the different offices in the GKSA, with more detailed discussion on the role and responsibility of the minister.
Chapter three entails an empirical study. Questionnaires were sent to all the ministers in the GKSA regarding the scope of a congregation which can be compared to a business enterprise, as well as the minister's role in managing the situations. From the study, a number of opportunities and threats that will confront the GKSA in the near future were identified, as well as management skills that would assist the ministers in addressing them. The research concludes with a recommendation that the Theological School of the GKSA should consider including a course on business management in the training syllabus of aspiring ministers. The course should be developed specifically taking into account the background and circumstances of the GKSA, and should not be generic like the course which is included for Baccalaureus Commercii students. | |
