Restructuring of Rhema a Mega Church

Assignment 03 by Marius Oosthuizen Integrated Theological Praxis Student No: 32673752 BTH320-A

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ASSIGNEMENT 3

INTEGRATED THEOLOGICAL PRAXIS

CAPSTONE PROJECT

THE RE-STRUCTURING OF RHEMA BIBLE CHURCH,

A CHARISMATIC/PENTECOSTAL MEGA-CHURCH

By

Marius Oosthuizen

Student No: 32673752

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Contents: Page:

Declaration 5

A. Introduction: 6

1. Abstract: 6

2. Background to this Project: 6

a. Rhema as my “Community” and “Authentic Context”:

b. Overall Focus of this Project:

c. The “Problem” this Project Addresses:

d. My Personal Insertion (Interests) in this Project:

e. My Intended Intervention:

B. Outline of this Project 9

C. Discussion Points: 10

SECTION 1: Review of Existing Organizational Structures: 10

1. Theological Considerations: 11

a. The “FIVE-FOLD MINISTRY” PARADIGM of the Charismatic/Pentecostal

Church: 11

i. The “Five-Fold Gifts”:

ii. The “Ministry Gifts”:

iii. The “Motivational Gifts”:

b. The MINISTERIAL ETHOS of Rhema Bible Church: 16

i. “Spiritually Vibrant”:

ii. “Evangelically Potent”:

iii. “Morally/Prophetically Relevant”:

iv. “Socially Significant”:

c. Theological Assessment of the Former Rhema Organizational Structure, in

terms of Roles and Position Holders: 19

i. Pastor Ray McCauley, SENIOR PASTOR:

ii. Church Elders, ADVISORY BOARD:

iii. Senior Leadership, MANAGERIAL COMMITTEE:

iv. Independent Members, FINACIAL ADVISORY BOARD:

v. Heads of Departments, ADMINISTRATION, PROJECT PLANNING,

PASTORAL CARE, MISSIONS, MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS,

RHEMA AUXILIARY SERVICES:

2. Regulatory Considerations: 23

a. The South African Context:

b. Relevant Legislation:

3. Experiential & Operational Nature of Existing Structures: 24

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Content Page

a. My Experience of Rhema Bible Church: 24

i. As a Active MEMBER:

ii. As a EMPLOYEE:

iii. As an ADMINISTRATOR of the Young Adults Ministry:

iv. As a PROJECT PLANNER:

b. Organizational Culture and Values: 25

i. Generational Dynamics & Stereotypes:

ii. Technological:

SECTION 2: Theological Analysis of the Church, in relation to its contemporary

context and nature as Organization: 26

1. Ecclesiological Considerations and Hypothesis: 26

a. The Church as Organism vs. Organization:

b. The Church as “Other-worldly” / “God-ordained” Institution:

c. The Church as Organization:

d. The Church as System vs. Structure:

e. The PRIMACY of the “CHURCH”:

i. As Spiritual:

ii. As People:

iii. As Servant:

2. Strategic Ministerial Considerations: 30

a. “Meeting the Needs”:

b. “Efficiency, Faithfulness and Stewardship”:

c. Prioritization and Sustainability:

3. Projection of Future Development to be considered: 31

a. Future Membership Possibilities:

b. Future Leadership Possibilities:

c. Future Management Challenges:

4. Proposed Development Framework and Paradigm: 32

a. Theological Paradigm:

b. Organizational Paradigm:

5. Outcome and Proposal: 33

a. Leadership Recommendations:

b. Developmental Recommendations:

c. Management Recommendations:

SECTION 3: Development of a Structure based on Organizational Efficiency, within

the framework of the outcome of the aforementioned Theological Analysis:

34

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Content Page

1. Operational & Practical Considerations: 34

a. Spiritual vs. Organizational Leadership:

i. Spiritual Leadership:

ii. Organizational leadership:

b. Operational Management:

i. Ministerial Management:

ii. Managerial Management:

c. Budgeting and Financial Control:

d. Communication:

i. Internal Communications:

ii. External Communications:

2. Listing and Placement of Teams & Members: 37

a. Pastor Ray McCauley, SENIOR PASTOR:

b. Senior Pastors, DISTRICT PASTORS:

c. Zone Pastors, GEOGRAPHICAL PASTORAL CARE:

d. Ministerial Heads, AGE/GENDER-SPECIFIC PASTORAL CARE:

e. Ministerial Heads, SUPPORTIVE MINISTRIES:

f. Managerial Departments:

1. Administration, ADMINISTRATOR:

2. Project Planning, PROJECT PLANNER:

3. Media, HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS:

g. Structural Bodies within the Structure:

i. Ministerial Steering Committee:

1. Pastoral Team (Geographic):

2. Pastoral Team (Age/Gender):

3. Supportive Ministries:

ii. Managerial Steering Committee:

1. Administration:

2. Project Planning:

3. Media:

iii. Executive Board

h. Structural Cooperation, Balance and Synergy:

SECTION 4: Proposal and Implementation of the new Structure: 45

1. Proposal and Implementation:

2. Benefits of the New Structure:

D. Conclusion: 47

E. Bibliography: 48

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DECLARATION

“I declare that ‘THE RE-STRUCTURING OF RHEMA BIBLE CHURCH, A CHARISMATIC /

PENTECOSTAL MEGA-CHURCH is my own work

and that all sources I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by

means of a complete reference”

Marius Oosthuizen

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A. Introduction:

Disclaimer: This project and its contents in no way presents the official position of Rhema

Bible Church or its leadership on matters contained herein. All comments are thus made,

subject to change and objection by the parties referred to. The purpose of this project is to

present an academic review of the restructure of Rhema Bible Church, and to further the

general well being of Rhema Ministries and its patrons. Furthermore, none of the contents of

this project may be use by third party without prior permission from the author and parties

represented herein, and is deemed confidential.

1. Abstract:

The purpose of this project will be the strategic review and re-structuring, firstly from a

theological point of view, and secondly from a organizational point of view, of the

organizational structures of Rhema Ministries, in particular, Rhema Bible Church, a

Charismatic/Pentecostal Mega-Church.

2. Background to this Project:

a. Rhema as my “Community” and “Authentic Context”:

I am a member and employee of Rhema Bible Church, Randburg, South

Africa. As such, in my aforementioned capacity, I am involved in both the faith

community and day-to-day operations of Rhema. Rhema currently has a

membership of approximately 40 000 and holds five weekly “worship”

services constituting a total attendance of between 12 000 and 14 000 adults

and children. Rhema is also the “home base” of various ministerial initiatives

and entities such as Rhema Bible Collage1, Hands of Compassion

2, Rhema

Television3 and Rhema’s Trading Division

4. Furthermore, multitudes of small-

scale religious activities take place monthly under the auspices of Rhema,

including; community upliftment and evangelic outreaches, home fellowship

meetings5, youth meetings, woman’s fellowship meetings and Christian

resource production. As such, Rhema Bible Church constitutes my place of

worship, place of work, community of friends and fellow Christians and

thereby an “authentic context” within my life, for this project.

1 A Training Collage, presenting a three-year diploma in Ministerial Training.

2 A Social Justice Ministry offering diverse programs for community upliftment.

3 A Television Production Company, providing production services to various Rhema initiatives.

4 A Trading Division, providing publishing and merchandising services to the Rhema group.

5 Christian meetings held in individual Christian’s homes where Bible-reading, Prayer, Worship and discussion takes

place.

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b. Overall Focus of this Project:

It is hoped that somewhat of the essential organization of the Early Church,

depicted in Acts chapter 15, can be revived. This implies a re-structuring that

results in a scenario where, “…the local church has much liberty… not ruled

rigidly by a central hierarchy.” (Duffield and Van Cleave 1983:422) The nature

of this project is interdisciplinary, as it aims to bring theological perspectives,

faith practices, organizational imperatives and managerial practicalities into

harmony, to be implemented tangibly. In doing so the goal is “…realigning

organizational resources, including managerial talent, is a way that provides

the firm with new capabilities – capabilities aimed at innovation and

responsiveness to customers.” (Floyed and Wooldridge 1996:25)

Furthermore, it is sought to achieve this result within the context of the South

African State, society and legislative framework. As such, the focus of this

project is largely “Ministerial” in that is seeks to provide a practical aid for

real-life ministerial needs, being the “functioning of a mega-church, in

context”.

Secondary to its “ministerial focus”, the project seeks to be scripturally based,

systematically sound, ethically informed and spiritually rooted, thereby setting

a sound basis for application in praxis. It seeks to apply the theological

perspectives of the Charismatic/Pentecostal Movement to the realities of

Church structures and organizational necessities.

c. The “Problem” this Project Addresses:

Rhema Bible Church has been in existence for almost thirty years and has

grown into a multi-faceted, multi-dimensional mega-ministry. Over this time

some of the organizational structures of the church, initially implemented to

coordinate and manage the ministry efficiently, have become outdated and

ineffective. Furthermore, the nature and context the church is fluid and

requires a dynamic approach to the implementation corporate strategy,

through contemporary means, to meet is spiritual and practical operational

needs efficiently.

The said outdated structures, both Ministerial6 as well as the Managerial

7, are

constantly in need of reorganization and strategic amendment to better

facilitate the process of ministry. This scenario is compounded by the fact

that, since Rhema has existed for more than a quarter of a century, there is a

6 Pertaining to the faith-based activities of Pastoral Care and other “spiritual” services, provided by the church.

7 Pertaining to the organizational administration of the church in context.

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pressing need for the development of contingency and strategy for Rhema’s

future, especially in terms of human resources.

d. My Personal Insertion (Interests) in this Project:

As I am extensively involved in- and committed to Rhema Church, I would

like to review, from both a theological and organizational point of view, the

existing structure, and the challenges and obstacles it presents. I intend then

to propose an amended structure and the possible benefits it proposes. It is

my view that the aforementioned project will constitute my “constructive role”,

and “authentic task” within my given context. I will thus not only be

participating in the church as a recipient and beneficiary of its endeavors, but

contributing to it and to how to better achieve its objectives.

e. My Intended Intervention:

In the development of an organizational structure for Rhema Bible Church, I

would like to document the theological basis for the manner in which Rhema

Church, primarily as “Spiritual Organism”, secondly as “God-Ordained

Institution”, and thirdly as “Contemporary Organization” can exist and function

effectively. Within this study I plan to discuss the intricate dynamics that the

co-existence of these divergent realities that the notion of a “church”, as

entity, present.

.

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B. Outline of this Project

As per Figure 1 below, the Project will consist of Four Phases:

Review of Existing Organizational Structures:

1. Theological Considerations.

2. Regulatory Considerations.

3. Experiential & Operational Nature of Existing Structures.

Theological Analysis of the Church, in relation to its

contemporary context and nature as Organization:

1. Ecclesiological Considerations and Hypothesis.

2. Strategic Ministerial Considerations.

3. Projection of Future Developments to be considered.

4. Proposed Development Framework and Paradigm.

Development of an Organizational Structure, within the

framework of the aforementioned Theological Analysis:

1. Operational & Practical Considerations

2. Listing and Placement of Teams & Members.

3. Contextual Considerations.

Proposal and Implementation of the new Structure:

1. Presentation of Proposed Structure.

Fig. 1 – Summery of Project Content:

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C. Discussion Points:

SECTION 1: Review of Existing Organizational Structures:

As per Figure 2 below, the organizational structure of Rhema Ministries is a typical

“hierarchical” organization. This is illustrated by the numerous horizontal “levels” presented in

the structure as well as the clear vertical distinction between various “departments” that

together constitute the entity.

Figure 2. Former Rhema Ministries Structure – as at 6 July 2006:

In the aforementioned figure we see Pastor Ray McCauley presented as the Senior

Pastor of Rhema Church and simultaneously the organizational head of the collection of

ministries that Rhema represent. Below Ps McCauley, we see reflected the Management

Committee and beside that the Financial Advisory Board of the organization. I must note, that

the “Advisory Board”, a body of which Ps McCauley is the Chairman, and to which he and the

Management Committee report, are not reflected in the diagram. These three bodies, the

Advisory Board, Financial Advisory Board and Management Committee constitute the senior

organizational leadership of Rhema Ministries.

The second tier of leadership consists of the various “Head(s) of Department(s)” or

HOD’s that manage and oversee departments such as Administration, Training, Social

Services, Media, Music Ministry, Project Planning and Pastoral Care. These department

heads are responsible both strategically and managerially for the departments they oversee.

As such they are required to employ a broad set of skills, both Ministerial and Managerial,

depending on the nature of the department they manage.

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Thirdly, we see within the scope of these major departments a number of smaller

“managerial” and “ministry units” aimed at addressing particular organizational or ministry

needs. These include, among others; Information Technology, Human Resources and RBC

(Rhema Bible Collage), Sound, Records and ministries such as New Convert Counselors,

Youth, Literacy and Deaf Ministry.

Due to the traditional8 nature of Rhema’s organizational structure, as a typical

organizational hierarchy, we see these diverse initiatives being “swept under the same brush”

so to speak, in terms of resource allocation, management approach and organizational

culture. This is problematic in practice, particularly in the context of the “church”, in that the

organizational culture and processes required to effectively manage a department, and that

required to lead a ministry are extremely divergent. This statement will become substantiated

in the context of further discussion herein.

1. Theological Considerations:

a. The “FIVE-FOLD MINISTRY” PARADIGM of the Charismatic/Pentecostal

Church:

The Bible, particularly in the New Testament, provides us with a substantial

presentation of the Apostle’s understanding, albeit implicitly, of the

functioning and nature of the local9 Christian church. We see their

understanding reflected particularly in portions of scripture such as Ephesians

chapter 4, dealing with what is widely referred to as the “Five-fold Ministry

Gifts”, 1 Corinthians chapter 12, dealing with what is known as the “Ministry

Gifts” and Romans chapter 12, dealing with what is referred to as the

“Motivational Gifts”. A discussion and understanding of these is essential as

they provide the “framework” within which the structure will be developed.

These “gifts” or forms of “charismata” are understood in the

Charismatic/Pentecostal context, to be various modes of operation whereby

the members of the church, through the power of the Holy Spirit, interact and

contribute in the functioning of the Church, as the “Body of Christ”, the “felt

expression of Christ on earth.” In this sense, one may distinguish between

the “Five-Fold” gifts as those that constitute the “office bearers” or

authoritative leadership of the church. These are described as “…Officers…

stricktly by Divine appointment of the exercise of a spiritual gift…” (Duffield

8 Traditional: Referring to the hierarchical organizational structure indicative of the corporate environment. 9 Local: Referring to the single community of believers in a particular geographic location.

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and Van Cleave 1983:424). In comparison. the “Ministerial” and “Motivational”

gifts, being the secondary gifts operating within the matrix of the Church’s

members themselves, as they minister one to another. It is important to note

that the “gifts” are not personified in a single person or persons, having one

or more gifts, but understood as a “spiritual dynamic” whereby the Holy Spirit

operates “through” the individual “as He (Holy Spirit) wills” according to the

need at the time. In this sense it is possible and normal for a “Five-Fold

Minister” to operate “ministerially” in one or more of the secondary gifts as

well and visa versa, for a lay member to operate to an extent measure in a

“five-fold gift”.

One can furthermore distinguish between the “Ministerial” and “Motivational”

gifts as those that are “spiritually endowed” versus those that are inherently

present in the “natural make-up” of the person. In so doing, the various

temperaments, personalities and natural acumens of individuals are seen,

within the context of the Body of Christ, and from a Charismatic/Pentecostal

point of view, to be special gifts to the body in service of the ministry and the

Gospel.

i. The “Five-Fold Gifts”:

These are described scripturally to include; The Apostle, Prophet,

Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher. Five-Fold Gifts are central to the

functioning and success of the church. These gifts can be briefly

described as follows:

• Apostle: “sent one”

• Prophet: “for edification, exhortation and comfort”

• Evangelist: “preaching of the Gospel”

• Pastor: “shepherd the Flock”

• Teach: “for the instruction of Believers”

Scripture illustrates the purpose for each of the five-fold “gifts”. We

see the Apostle Paul traveling to areas where the Gospel had never

been heard and declaring it to the people, and the emergent

churches in those areas as a result. We see the gift of prophesy

operational in the book of Acts to encourage both the Apostle and the

church. Paul admonishes Timothy to “do the work of an Evangelist”

as the established church begins to grow. The Pastoral Epistles

teaches us the guidelines of shepherding the flock through correction

and exhortation. Finally, the necessity for teaching becomes evident

as the Apostle urges for the maturing of the saints. This synergy of

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forces created by the “five-fold gifts” is the embodiment of Christ’s

resolve to “build His Church, against which the gates of Hell shall not

prevail.” This synergy is referred to herein as the “Five-Fold Ministry

Mechanism.”

Figure 3: The “Five-Fold Ministry” Mechanism

Figure 3 represents the dynamics that ensue as a result of the

operation and interaction of the “five-fold ministry gifts”. As

illustrated, the Apostle is at the forefront in taking the Gospel beyond

its’ present sphere. The Prophet and Evangelist exhort and

encourage the Apostle in supportive roles while drawing interest

around the Apostolic message. In the “wake” of these three “gifts”

there emerges the “Local Church” scenario, “shepherded” by the

Pastor and “edified” by the Teacher. These five divergent ministry

roles at times feature within the ministry of a single person and at

times within the scope of an existing faith community, where a

renewal of belief or faith practice is taking place.

With the aforementioned in mind one can see from the structure of

Rhema in Figure 2 that no particular provision is made for the role of

the five-fold-gifts in particular. This is peculiar since Rhema has

historically embraced the five-fold ministry paradigm. Additionally,

one can note that Pastor Ray McCauley is titled “Pastor”, the fourth

of the five-fold “gifts”. The significance of this point will become

prevalent as we discuss the proposed new structure.

ii. The “Ministry Gifts”:

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These are described as including; Discernment, Faith, Healing,

Helps, Word of Knowledge, Word of Wisdom, Miracles, Tongues,

Interpretation of Tongues, and appear to be “spiritual” feats as

opposed to “practical” abilities.

It is again prevalent from Figure 2 that no particular provision is made

for these gifts in the structure of Rhema. This is largely due to their

“volatile” nature and the “organic” manner in which they function.10

So

we see here the need to make provision for these gifts, not

mechanically and structurally, but rather by allowing “space” or

“occasion” for them to operate within the structure we create.

iii. The “Motivational Gifts”:

These are described as including; Prophecy (Perception), Serving,

Teaching, Encouraging, Giving, Ruling (Leadership) and Showing Mercy,

and appear to be “practical” abilities as opposed to “spiritual” feats.

It is fairly easy to identify provision for the gifts of “Serving”,

“Teaching”, “Giving”, “Ruling” and “Showing Mercy” within the

structure as one can identify a need for them, and their relevance in

the various departments indicated in the structure. What is

noteworthy though is the manner in which there appears to be little or

no distinction between these “gifts” and the “ministerial gifts”, in the

sense that they are placed on an “even keel”. It would appear that

activities or their resultant “contexts” within the realm of ministry, of

the Ministerial gifts, seem to be dispersed among that of the

Managerial gifts, and visa versa.

In terms of the aforementioned “gifts” then, one may say that they are

provided for more “incidentally” than “intentionally”, if at all, in the former

structure of Rhema. As a Charismatic/Pentecostal Church then, known for

the diversity of these spiritual operations, we see very little evidence of these

gifts, or their role, being considered in the formation of the organizational

structure implemented to manage the ministry’s operations.

In practice, the “Ministerial” and “Motivation” gifts are often grouped,

referred to, and understood as Supportive Ministry, which exists as a

secondary ministry relied upon by the primary “five-fold” ministry. By

implication one finds that certain ministers work to support the endeavors of

10 Volatile/Organic: Referring to the unpredictable, incidental and expressive nature.

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others, usually more senior ministers. The primary ministry objectives are

therefore achieved through the service and work provided by the secondary

ministry. As we will illustrate through this study, Supportive Ministries play a

vital role in furthering and strengthening the efforts of the “five-fold gifts” and

therefore the local church at every level. Although the most visible part of a

ministry or church is often the Pastor or the Preacher, one needs to recognize

that there is always a team of people behind-the-scenes working hard to

achieve a unified purpose.

Another major reason for the need for these supportive ministries is

that “a ministry does not operate or exist in a void”. Although the church

is seen to be a “God-ordained” entity, it functions within the complex realities

of this present world. As a result there are numerous practical implications to

running a successful ministry organization. These seemingly secular

departments of the ministry form part of the overall supportive ministry

structures. Below is a simple illustration of the Biblical structure of the church:

CHRIST

As the “Head of the Church”

APOSTLE, PROPHET, EVANGELIST, PASTOR, TEACHER

Embodying the “Five-Fold Gifts”

ALTER-MINISTRY, INTERCESSORS, USHERS, MUSIC MINISTRY,

COUNSELORS, INFORMATION DESK & OTHER MINISERIAL INTERACTION

Facilitating the “Ministry Gifts”

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION, HUMAN RESOURCES, EVENT MANAGEMENT,

MISSIONS & SOCIAL SERVICES, COMMUNICATION,

TELEVISION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Facilitating the “Motivational Gifts”

THE CONGREGATION AS NETWORK OF MINISTERS

The Matrix of “Ministry and Motivational Gifts” of the Members

One example of a Biblical supportive ministry in the early church is found in Acts

6, where we see the organizational needs of the local church outgrow the

practical capacity of the apostles. People are chosen from amongst the

congregation to take responsibility for, and “manage” these needs. The

requirement the apostles gave for these helpers was honesty, being full of the

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Holy Ghost and wisdom. By delegating responsibility to these helpers the

apostles were able to focus on prayer and the preaching the Word of God. We

see the apostles “laying their hands upon” the helpers and praying for them as

they were appointed to these positions. The result of the appointment of these

supportive ministers was that the “Word of God increased” and “the number of

the disciples was multiplied”. We also see miracles taking place as one of the

supportive ministers, Stephen, ministered and spoke to the people. Interestingly

we see this same Stephen preaching in the next chapter, an example of “five-fold

operation”, possibly indicating a progression from “Motivation-“, through

“Ministerial-“ to “Five-Fold Gift” involvement.

These “gifts” then form the basis of our understanding of the Local Christian

Church.

b. The MINISTERIAL ETHOS of Rhema Bible Church:

An understanding of the ethos of Rhema Church will provide further insight

into the tensions/forces that ought to guide Rhema’s operations and by

implication, the nature of Rhema’s organizational structure. In order to fully

comprehend the implications of the “ethos” of Rhema, some comments on

Pastor Ray McCauley’s leadership style are needed.

Pastor Ray has not only founded but continues to lead Rhema

through its development at every stage, and does so at present. His

leadership has proven to be visionary, dynamic and comprehensive.

A specific characteristic of Pastor Ray’s leadership seems to be an

inclination to “set the direction” while allowing subordinates at various levels

of the organization to “flesh out the content” of Rhema’s various initiatives.

This balance between “top-down” leadership and “bottom-up” initiative has

proven to be a winning formulae in practical ministry over many years. As

part of this approach, Pastor McCauley developed and implemented a

“ministerial ethos” that has guided Rhema for many years. This ethos is made

up of four notions or ideals, often called “pillars”, aimed at through and

throughout the ministry, namely; being Spiritually Vibrant, Evangelistically

Potent, Morally/Prophetically Relevant and Socially Significant.

i. “Spiritually Vibrant”:

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This “pillar” as it has been called, refers to a characteristic of

spirituality that transcends mere religious tradition and ritual, and

demands a deep inner spiritual reality that expresses itself on a

continual basis. Expressive worship and engaging preaching are just

some of the marks that have been common of Rhema over the years.

This “vibrancy” goes much further than Rhema’s worship services

though, and is aimed at within every sphere of Rhema. Thus, it is out

of this “inner life” with God that all Christian service is expected to

flow. Michael Green describes this dualism in the statement,

“Worship is half of the purpose of the Church: the other half is

mission, in its broader sense.” (Water 2000:202) If one had to identify

a specific department that exemplifies this aspect of the ethos, it

would be most likely be the “Music Ministry”, responsible for providing

support in the areas of Worship throughout the ministry.

By implication, when considering the structure in Figure 2,

one would be naïve to expect particular provision for this aspect of

the ethos of Rhema within only one part of the structure. Instead, it

would be viable to consider the question of “whether every

department represented, and every member thereof, portrays this

characteristic of being “spiritually vibrant?” It would follow that, should

the answer to that question be “yes”, the result would be Spiritual

Vibrancy throughout the structure, organization and thus the whole

entity. A statement of Ps McCauley’s that exemplifies this notion is,

“…if you are on fire for God, others will come to watch you burn…”

referring simultaneously to the Missional drive of the church.

ii. “Evangelically Potent”:

Being evangelically potent would require that the Gospel remain

central to everything that Rhema stands for and does, and a

concerted effort is made to present the Gospel to non-Christians. In

so doing, not only the ideological view of the Gospel, but the charge

to evangelism remains in focus. The “Great Commission” of Jesus in

Mark chapter 16 then becomes fundamental to everything Rhema

strives to accomplish.

Similarly to the first of the “pillars”, being evangelically potent

cannot be relegated to a specific department, but expected to be

prevalent in the make-up and strategy of that which each and every

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department seeks to accomplish. This is evident in that the climax of

Rhema’s worship services, usually culminate in an “Alter Call”,

inviting people to confess their faith in the Gospel. The same can be

said of Rhema Television, which being funded entirely by the Rhema

congregation, emphasizes a “personal decision to accept Jesus

Christ as Lord and Savior”, more so that presenting a mere ideology

or doctrinal view.

It is obvious though, that provision in the structure for “New

Convert Counseling” and “Missions” are specialized departments that

focus specifically on giving substance to this part of the ethos.

iii. “Morally/Prophetically Relevant”:

This element of the ethos represents a desire for Rhema, as an

example of “The Universal Church”, to address the imbalances and

immorality of society actively, as a witness to Christ, fulfilling the

responsibility of the Christian believer. Possibly the most pronounced

examples of this being done by Rhema is its multi-racial nature, even

amidst Apartheid and initiatives to further Social Justice, especially

among the poor. Although service to the poor belongs to the “socially

significant” axis of the ethos, in a nation such as South Africa, with an

incredible gap in the division of wealth between the “haves” and

“have-nots”, poverty becomes a moral issue, not just a social one.

In terms of the structure, provision is made for initiatives

along these lines, but not entirely geared outwardly towards

presenting this to the public as an example or standard, or as an act

of Prophetic or Moral Relevance. Based on a sheer comparison of

size, one can see that the PR and Communications structure of

Rhema is geared towards its’ internal needs as opposed to

addressing her broader context. Moral/Prophetical Relevance is then

currently more a result of moral/prophetic action, than presenting a

moral/prophetic “voice” to society as it were.

iv. “Socially Significant”:

As the final aspect of the ethos, this element seeks to address the

practical needs of people, as a witness to the Gospel message and

the justice it presents. Substantial provision is made within the

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structure through the establishment of Rhema’s “Social Services” and

the many initiatives they embark on. One may note though, that

Rhema Social Services is placed in an equal relationship with other

departments and leadership, including those pragmatically needed,

such as Administration and Media. This will be noteworthy as we

comment on the proposed new structure. As Dorr puts it, “I believe it

is not enough to look at the agenda and examine what the Church

has to say about the various issues of social justice. There is a

further vital question of what the individual Christian and the Church

as a whole can do.” (Dorr 1991:3)

c. Theological Assessment of the Former Rhema Organizational Structure,

in terms of Roles and Position Holders:

The purpose of this portion is to ask and answer the question, “does the

existing structure make provision for these individuals and groups to

contribute fully to Rhema Ministries, along the lines of their unique and

particular “gifts”?

i. Pastor Ray McCauley, SENIOR PASTOR:

Considering the aforementioned portion dealing with the various

“gifts” represented in scripture, one may comment that Pastor Ray

McCauley could quite appropriately be referred to as portraying any

number of the “five-fold” gifts, being; Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist,

Pastor and Teacher.

Bearing in mind the far-reaching influence Ps McCauley has

had, in the local church of Rhema, throughout the International

Fellowship of Christian Churches11

and internationally, one may

recognize the Apostleship of his ministry, similar to that modeled by

the early Apostles in the New Testament. Similarly, considering the

vast and radical influence Rhema Church has had, as forerunner in

terms of multi-racialism amid the apartheid context of South Africa

one may easily recognize the Prophetic nature of Pastor McCauley

ministry. The literal thousands of individuals who have, and continue

to respond to Ps McCauley’s presentation of the Gospel certainly

confirms an Evangelic dimension to his ministry. Finally, his role

within the context of Rhema as a local church, as the senior figure

11 Rhema Church belongs to a network of autonomous churches that hold a similar statement of faith and ethos.

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and preacher would most certainly constitute the role of the Pastor

and Teacher.

Although the nature of these “gifts” as a discussion is not within the

scope of this project, we will comment that the authors view is that

the most appropriate of these “titles” with which to refer to Ps

McCauley would be that of Apostleship. Our reason for this is simply

that Apostleship would make provision for all the other roles within its’

scope, while the other gifts do no necessarily do so in turn.

Figure 4: The “Church Planting” dynamic of the “Five-Fold” Ministry.

The repetition of the “five-Fold Ministry” mechanism, as indicated in

figure 4 has a “Church Planting” dynamic as result. What emerges is

a network of semi-autonomous local churches, drawing from the

leadership of the Apostle, each having their own Pastoral leadership

and partially unique faith practice. This dynamic certainly illustrates

an aspect of Pastor McCauley’s “Apostolic” role.

This statement has major implications on the structure of Rhema

Ministries. Pastor McCauley would then not simply be at the head of

the organizational structure by virtue of his role in the local church,

but by virtue of a much broader role, that of an Apostle to numerous

churches. This paradigm would provide more “ideological room” for

the inclusion of Pastor McCauley’s influence “within” the scope of the

structure, instead of being admired as something beyond it.

Additionally, it creates the ideological space for other individuals to

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operate in the other “five-fold gifts”, without encroaching on or

undermining Pastor McCauley’s rightful authority and role.

ii. Church Elders, ADVISORY BOARD:

The Advisory Board of Rhema has traditionally consisted of a number

of “senior men” in the Church, usually “ordained” in their own right

who hold key organizational positions in the structure. At the time of

the structure reflected in Figure 2 this included; the “Head of Pastoral

Care” and a number of “District Pastors” of similar seniority, the

“Head of Social Services” and then the Heads of the major

departments in the organization such as “Administration”, “Media”,

“Project Planning” and “Rhema Bible Collage.”

Although being vastly representative of the senior leadership of the

organization and even the church, this body was typically constituted

independent of a consideration of either the “gifts” or “ethos”

aforementioned, or the specific ministerial strategy of Rhema

Ministries. As a result, in spite of their seniority or “ministerial

competence”, this forum would automatically tend to be inadequate,

irrespective of individual competencies, to address the massive task

of overseeing, leading and managing Rhema Ministries in its entirety.

The unique ministerial abilities and experience that these individuals

exhibit may be said to be stifled in the context of their role as “Board

Members.” We will discuss this and seek to address some of these

challenges in the development of the new structure.

iii. Senior Leadership, MANAGERIAL COMMITTEE:

The Management Committee constituted of the same Board

members, with the addition of less senior Pastors and selected

HODs. The purpose of this forum was to deliberate on matters arising

in detail and make recommendations to the Board, who would finally

pass decisions on the matters presented. As the structure indicates,

this forum does not necessarily constitute broad-based

representation of the departments that constitute Rhema Ministries,

nor does it make provision for the fact that Rhema is in essence a

Church as opposed to a corporation. These elements combined may

undermine this forum’s ability to have access to “grass-roots”

knowledge of the organization, and produce conflict between

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Ministerial objectives and values and Managerial processes and

priorities. These elements, the new structure will seek to address.

iv. Independent Members, FINACIAL ADVISORY BOARD:

Apart from being a requirement in order to ensure financial

compliance within the regulatory framework in South African, the

Financial Advisory Board exists to provide independent advice and

accountability on high-level financial matters. As is clear from the

structure, this forum interacts solely with the senior leadership of the

organization. As a result, the presence of participants, in- and

members of Rhema Church on this forum is essential to ensure an

understanding and knowledge of the “grassroots” issues and

objectives of Rhema. Additionally, this forum requires highly skilled

individuals, capable of addressing the complexities of financial issues

presented to them. This will be considered in the development of the

new structure.

v. Heads of Departments, ADMINISTRATION, PROJECT

PLANNING, PASTORAL CARE, MISSIONS, MEDIA AND

COMMUNICATIONS, RHEMA AUXILIARY SERVICES:

The Heads of Departments are accountable to the senior leadership

for the operation of their respective departments. From the structure

in Figure 2 it would appear that the HODs are structurally isolated

from one another. The result of this is an “equal expectation” of all

HODs in terms of organizational competence. This applies to areas

such as; Financial Management, Human Resource Management and

Leadership as well as Strategic Decision-Making and Personnel

Monitoring and Departmental Reporting as the pertain to each

department separately. HODs are then additionally required to have

special skills in the focus area of their particular department.

In a corporate environment this would typically be the case

and would not constitute a problem. However, in the context of a

Christian Ministry, this poses some challenges. Firstly, the

assortment of skills required of each HOD is unrealistic, especially so

in a Ministerial environment where an individual who is highly

competent as a “Minister”12

may have very little “Managerial”13

know-

12 Minister: Referring to activities and services relating to religious activities and socio-cultural needs. 13 Managerial: Referring to organizational tasks and skills employed in a secular work environment.

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how, and visa versa. Secondly, the complex operational symphony

required between the Ministerial and Managerial Departments in the

process of Ministry would require a unique mode of operation so as

to avoid value conflicts. This challenge, not unique to the Church

environment, is aptly described by Shafer-Landau in the statement,

“…moral skeptics gives us a universe exclusively regulated by

scientific laws, …Ethical objectivists give us a fuller, more expansive

ontology… which adds moral principles and facts.” (Shafer-Landau

2004:93) So, in our spirituality we introduce morality and the ensuing

complexities that implies. These will be discussed and addressed in

the development of the new structure.

2. Regulatory Considerations:

a. The South African Context:

As a result of the unfortunate legacy of Apartheid, the South African context

presents challenges in terms of skills development and equity. The result, to

some degree is the temporary scarcity of skilled individuals of color who are

available to work within the context of a non-profit organization such as

Rhema. On the other hand, there are multitudes of previously disadvantaged

individuals who have the potential to rise within the structures of the

organization, but who require opportunities, coupled with training and

exposure. A Charoux describes it, “…we have embarked on a fundamental

and irreversible process of change in this country… which will lead to a

radically different society… As managers we have a role to play in managing

this change process…” (Charoux 1990:viii) This applies to the church in

context and will be considered in the development of the new structure.

b. Relevant Legislation:

In South Africa, non-profit entities are expected to register either as a Section

21 Company or a Public Benefit Organization. These two “vehicles” afford

entities various rights where taxation and other regulations are concerned but

require various compliances with legislation. Where the PBO status of NGOs

is concerned, this is a fairly new development in South Africa and must still

be fully tested in terms of to what extent the rule of law provides adequately

for the “Church” context. Fortunately the South African Constitution makes

provision for Freedom of Religion and as such affords Churches a healthy

measure of freedom to manage their affairs autonomously, in line with their

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particular belief-system. Although this is not the main focus of this project, it

will be given due consideration in the development of the new structure.

3. Experiential & Operational Nature of Existing Structures:

a. My Experience of Rhema Bible Church:

i. As a Active MEMBER:

As an attending and participating member of Rhema Bible Church I

can comment that the church is vibrant and exciting. There are

various opportunities to not only benefit from the services of the

church, but to be part of the church actively using one’s gifts and

talents in its service. One challenge encountered as a member is the

seeming inaccessibility of some of the structures. By this, I refer to

difficulty in particularly communicating and engaging with individuals

within the structure. This, at times, makes it difficult to increase one’s

involvement, should one’s spiritual/religious inclination be to do so.

The “turn-around” time of a particular request for communication can

for example be weeks instead of days. This proves to be challenging

as a member, from a participation point of view, to move “through”

the phases of Rhema’s Ethos and put tangible expression to one’s

spirituality/religious inclinations towards ministry.

ii. As a EMPLOYEE:

Being an employee of Rhema is a unique opportunity in a ministry

with world-renowned influence and effectiveness. The staff

contingent of the church is both large and diverse. Apart from the

excitement of being part of such a team, there are some operational

challenges. There tends to be a lack of synergy between staff in

various departments. This is, in my opinion, due to the nature of the

former structure as hierarchical and linear as well as an

organizational culture stemming from the “baby-boomer” era, where

task-orientation was seen as of primary importance and relational

interaction with collogues being only functional or even utilitarian. Out

of this challenge arises the need for a “teamwork” environment where

“relationships” are valued and developed.

iii. As an ADMINISTRATOR of the Young Adults Ministry:

This position allowed me to interact with the structure extensively,

working with the Administration Department in the organization of

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events and activities in service of Pastoral Care and particularly

Sunday Services. This position proved particularly challenging in

areas of communication and inter-departmental cooperation. There

tended to be a “breakdown” between departments, stemming from a

lack of insight into the strategy and objectives of other departments.

This resulted in unnecessary resistance at times and a higher level of

communication and motivation required than the task often merited.

This challenge raises the need for opportunities for “broad-based

exposure” of HODs to other departments.

iv. As a PROJECT PLANNER:

This position is uniquely placed in the middle of the major operational

activities of Rhema, both of a large and small scale. It enabled me to

gain an understanding of the “big-picture” of Rhema as a church

model, the strategies of various departments and the dynamics of

how these departments interact. From this position, clear

shortcomings in the area of communication and cooperation were

encountered. The reporting process illustrates this point. Under the

former structure the reporting takes place, vertically to the

Management Committee and Board. This resulted in a lack of broad-

based understanding among heads of departments on the status and

challenges experienced in various “pockets” of the organization.

Decision-making as a result was tedious and often contentious. This

highlights the need for speedy decision-making mechanisms.

b. Organizational Culture and Values:

Apart from the practical dynamics involved in the former structure, often

resulting from the nature of the structure, one must recognize the underlying

culture and values that operate throughout the structure, though superficially.

This, although transcending the role of the structure, needs to be strategically

addressed in the formation of the new structure.

i. Generational Dynamics & Stereotypes:

Due to Rhema existing for almost thirty years, there are a number of

stereotypical “generation” groups represented in the congregation

and structure, being that of; Baby-boomers, Generation-X’ers and

Millenialists. These groups interact across a complex set of

“generation gaps” that arise from their varying cultures and value

systems. To summarize, the Baby-boomers are task-orientated and

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traditional (resistant to change), the Generation-X’ers are relational

and easy-going (welcome change if it seems appropriate) and

Millenialists who are socially-specialized, associating according to

interest and social identity, with a noticeable desire to contribute to

issues encountered in the public domain, while being skeptical of

“positional authority”.

The former structure tends to be dominated by Baby-boomers, thus

presenting a task-orientated environment of rigid structures with

“proven” strategies applied to tasks. Being a Generation-Xer within

this structure, communication and innovation proved challenging.

There tended to be a partial disconnect between initiatives that

appeal to Millenialists and the legitimate placeholders in the structure

of the organization.

ii. Technological:

Due to the overwhelming emergence of technology as a social player

in the last quarter century, it merits a mention here. The words of Billy

Graham, a central figure in the Evangelical Christian world

exemplifies this need, “At my age, I would like to just sit in a study

somewhere and preach through this new electronic equipment they

have – the Internet. You can touch the world from just one place.”

(The Times Union – Albany, NY. June 8, 1997)

The aforementioned generational dynamics at Rhema have obvious

implications on the employment of technology within the organization.

Due to the limitations of technological know-how among many of the

senior members of the organization, implementation of new

technologies tended to be impractical and problematic. Why this is a

problem operationally is that fact that Rhema’s sheer size requires

the use of new technologies to ensure efficiency and adequate

communications.

SECTION 2: Theological Analysis of the Church, in relation to its contemporary

context and nature as Organization:

1. Ecclesiological Considerations and Hypothesis:

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In order to accurately provide for the church in terms of its organizational-structural

needs, one must understand the unique qualities that set the church apart from other

organizational phenomenon such as corporations, social groups or clubs, political

parties or even human networks through cyber space.

Figure 5: The Progressive, Tri-Dimensional Nature of the Church.

The church is progressive in nature, illustrated above in figure 5 as a Tri-Dimensional

entity. As the “Local Church” emerges in the “wake” of the Apostolic, Prophetic and

Evangelic Ministry, the church’s nature as “Organism” becomes prevalent. The Local

Church, a faith community interacting upon itself in practicing its’ spirituality depicts a

distinctly “organic” nature, drawing life from its’ “spiritual” essence. Once the local

church(s) become established, the “Other-worldly” or “God-ordained Institution”

mystery of the “Universal Church” becomes a reality. This “Institutional” dimension of

the Church exists as the expression of the “authority” that vests in the leadership of

the church, through the manifestation of the “five-fold gifts”. Once in operation, the

Institutionalized Church begins to facilitate the operation of the Church as “organism”.

The further development of the Church, particularly in the context of the real/material

world, results in the establishment of an Organization, referred to as the Church itself,

yet existing merely in its service. It is this “Organizational Reality” of the Church that

we herein seek to structure adequately.

a. The Church as Organism vs. Organization:

The church is a complex, interactive network of human relationships,

including even the “other-worldly” relationship between them and God. As a

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result, the church functions at times more like “system” than a “structure” and

an “organism” rather than “organization.” Charles Colson describes this

reality in stating, “The Church is an organism, not n organization; a

movement, not a monument.” (Water 2000:202) Much of the protocol and

rigid procedures that govern secular organizations don’t practically apply to

churches. Secular organizations are made up of groups of skilled individuals

organized in a structured manner, compared to churches being made up of

individuals with both skill and spiritual gifting.

As a result the church environment tends to be more volatile and

organic. It is the primacy of this “organic” nature of the church that ensures

the existence and spiritual wellbeing thereof. It is therefore essential to root

the structure of the Church in its’ essence as a Church, adapting all

organizational structures to accommodate that reality. Doing the reverse

would result in rigid structures that limit the church, bending it’s value system

to accommodate this “present reality” alone, the end result of which will be

institutionalism.

d. The Church as “Other-worldly” / “God-ordained” Institution:

Apart from being “organic” in the sense above, the church must be

understood as primarily an “other-worldly” or “God-ordained” Institution. This

is rooted in viewing the church as an extension of Christ and therefore the

fulfillment of His incarnation. Provision must thus be made ideologically for

the church’s spiritual, transcendental nature and the complexities that it

presents. These include; the authority of the Church and its’ office bearers,

the spirituality of the church in practice through religious ritual and rite, the

church’s “non-profit” and “missional” essence which seeks to “serve” and

“give” to others as opposed to “selling” a product or exchanging services for a

fixed revenue or event profit. This “value” of the Church is well embodied in

what Dorr call “The Church’s Option”, described as “…two equally crucial

aspects… an experiential aspect… and a political aspect which has to do with

action.” (Dorr 1991:109)

Finally, and potentially importantly, the validation of authority in the

church stemming not from organizational position or educational competence,

but spiritual leadership, as evident through the operation of the gifts, must be

acknowledged and accommodates within its’ structure. This particular point

necessitates a further documentation of the Ecclesiology of the

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Charismatic/Pentecostal Church and its’ leadership in particular, which

transcends the scope of this project.

e. The Church as Organization:

As stated above, the Church eventually emerges as an “organization” of

material elements, in service of the ministerial endeavors of the church. It is

critical at this point to caution the identification of the church either as

“organization” in essence, or as “organization” primarily. Both of these said

views would result in the reduction of the Church’s spirituality to material

constraints and the undermining of the authority of the church.

f. The Church as System vs. Structure:

At times the structural organization of the church becomes inadequate and

unable to deal with the church’s organic nature and operation. This is due to

the fact that as the divergent “Ministerial” and “Managerial” realities come

together in the reality of the local church, so too they coexist in the singularity

and being of individual believers. The result is that, although one may be

positioned “over” a person “managerially”, they may at times “minister” to one

as a fellow believer, exercising spiritual leadership in one’s life. Conversely,

although a person may be “over” another individual in a “ministerial” sense,

they may “managerially” be required to report to or elicit aid from one of

whom they are spiritually superior. Thus, the church could be viewed as a

complex, multi-dimensional “system” rather than a mere rigid structure.

g. The PRIMACY of the “CHURCH”:

When considering the church organizationally one must insist on recognizing

the Church, a local body of believers, as primary to any of the organizational

structures or entities that it may have as result. Carpenter, in a different

sense, embodies this sentiment with the statement, “Theology must not take

its conclusions from any other science, however friendly. It must stand on its

own legs”, similarly, the Church must not draw its essence from any other

body. It must remain the Body of Christ. (Carpenter 1953:135) This is

necessary both for sustainability and to retain the freedom the church

requires to fully express itself.

i. As Spiritual:

Although the church is constantly engaged in liturgical activities,

informed often by a vast traditional heritage, one cannot lose sight,

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especially in the Charismatic/Pentecostal context, of the primary

spiritual nature of the church. Not only is each individual person

deemed to be fundamentally “spiritual”, the church collective

constitutes and has a corporate “spirituality” that is primary. This

“spirituality” of the church should therefore be acknowledged,

accommodated and even encouraged, over and above the

Programs, Activities, Liturgy or the broader Ideology of the church. In

this way the “line in the sand” remains drawn between those

individuals who understand the doctrines of the church intellectually,

yet are devoid of its’ essence, and those who maintain its essence,

while yet being infants in the knowledge of the Truth, the latter truly

constituting the Church.

ii. As People:

The spirituality of the church arises from the reality of God in Christ,

and furthermore the notion that people encounter that mysterious

Reality. As a result it is equally important to maintain a view of the

church’s nature as “a community of people”, as opposed to a building

or brand or any other tangible construct. This “anchor” prevents the

objectives of the church from becoming orientated towards this world

and issues of prominence, power, possessions and pragmatic ideals

that are not connected to the needs of real people.

iii. As Servant:

This dimension of the church’s essential nature is problematic, when

considered from a managerial point of view, yet holds true to the

notion of the Kingdom of God as preached by Jesus. The Church is

primarily a Servant, geared towards meeting the spiritual, and at

times even practical needs of others as opposed to preserving its

own existence. In this sense the church is constantly “Ministering”

while expecting a return through the giving of the saints, of which

there is no guarantee. This approach to ministry makes “planning”

problematic in that it is constantly sacrificial and giving, expecting a

return, yet unable to be entirely assured of it.

2. Strategic Ministerial Considerations:

a. “Meeting the Needs”:

One essential consideration in developing the structure of the church is the

goal of the church of “meeting the needs” of its people, or addressing the

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varying and often unpredictable needs they present. These include life-stage

related needs such as Births, Deaths, Weddings and Counseling, as well as

practical needs such as financial aid or even food. As Bonhoeffer said, “The

Church is her true self only when she exists for humanity.” (Water 2000:201)

This reality predicates a high level of communication necessary between the

church and its members and secondly can result in the need for complex

financial- and other management systems.

a. “Efficiency, Faithfulness and Stewardship”:

Due to the endless needs that the Church is confronted with, often in the face

of limited resources, one must place a high priority on efficiency in utilizing

those resources.

b. Prioritization and Sustainability:

As a result of the diversity of needs presented to the church one must

prioritize to addressing them acceptably. This means not neglecting one

entirely in service of another but often proportioning resources across the

board to address needs “adequately” and “reasonably” as far as possible.

This is particularly difficult in the environment of a “charity-based” or “giving-

based” organization, but nonetheless is the challenge of the church.

3. Projection of Future Development to be considered:

a. Future Membership Possibilities:

With Rhema’s current membership being over 40 000 and growing, there

seems to be evidence to suggest that a membership of 100 000 is a

possibility. The implications of such a scale of “church” are staggering and

have obvious organizational and structural ramifications. In dealing with the

current scale of the church, “Extension Services” have been initiated to

enable participation in Rhema’s worship services at three remote locations.

This is done via satellite, coupling elements of live presentation with

broadcast aspects of the services at the main church site. With these

developments have come the additional Ministerial opportunities and

demands as well as Managerial necessities of “four sites instead of one”.

With this in mind, the notion of semi-autonomous ministry units could be

introduced to ensure the successful operation of these entities, as opposed to

relegating them, by implication, to a “far corner” of a hierarchical structure.

b. Future Leadership Possibilities:

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Due to Pastor McCauley’s charismatic and visionary leadership at Rhema

over the years, his absence in years to come will have vast implications, both

Ministerially and Managerially. These “Key-man dynamics”14

would certainly

be adequately resolved by an equally influential successor, which may well

be the case with Pastor McCauley’s son, but will certainly require robust

organizational stability structural provisions for such a transition. This will be

considered in the development of the proposed structure.

c. Future Management Challenges:

As previously stated, Rhema is faced with the challenge of sourcing,

developing and empowering Ministerial and Managerial leaders to take

Rhema into the future. This will inevitably have transformational implications

on the organizational culture of Rhema and require adjustments to both the

Ministry and Management paradigms of the church.

4. Proposed Development Framework and Paradigm:

a. Theological Paradigm:

Based on the above discussion I recommend a Theological Framework for

the development of the structure, which includes considerations and make

adequate provisions for:

• The various “gifts” as discussed above.

• The ethos of Rhema, allowing it to inform the strategy and thereby

the structure of the Church.

• The Ecclesiological considerations and realities of the church.

• The Roles and Key Position Holders and their unique contributions to

the Church.

This “framework” will ensure an organizational paradigm that is inclusive of

organizational imperatives and contemporary methods, while being receptive

to the primary realities of the Church, which are theological. In so doing the

Church organization will itself remain a “sojourner and a pilgrim” in this

present reality.

b. Organizational Paradigm:

Based on the above comments, I recommend an organizational paradigm

that is flexible and susceptible to the needs and realities of the church’s

14 Key-man Dynamics: Referring to the impact of prominent individual roles within an

organization and the implication of their absence.

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nature. To borrow the sentiments of Thomas Jefferson, although referring to

“law” in the context of the judiciary, the organization, itself a “legalism”;

“I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions,

but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with progress… As

development takes place, new discoveries are made, new truths

discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of

circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the

times.” (Villa-Vicencio 1992:10)

All that is “Managerial” is thus valued as essential, but understood to be “in

service” of the “Ministerial” endeavors of the church, and never the reverse.

Additionally, an organizational paradigm rooted in a systems approach, which

encourages high levels of communication and cross-departmental interaction

and synergy. Thus, the structure being comprised of a “family” of “teams”,

each working in symphony towards a strategically unified goal, which is to

Minister, and employ Managerial techniques, processes and systems that

best serve that objective.

5. Outcome and Proposal:

a. Leadership Recommendations:

In the light of the above, I recommend the inclusion of “vacant seats” on all

the structural Board and Forums of the structure to be developed. These

would be used to rotate potential candidates on a regular basis to ensure

exposure to the nature and environment of these boards or forums. The

involvement and exposure of a broader group of individuals, as illustrated

above, would facilitate the impartation of the ethos of Rhema in these

individuals and so preserve the organizational culture, as far as it is desired

to do so.

b. Developmental Recommendations:

Through the creation of “pockets” of involvement and exposure as described

above, the development of individuals in terms of skills and capacity will be

the result. One cannot however underestimate the need for conscious

“empowerment” of these individuals by persons in the structure. This will

entail not only “providing opportunities” for their involvement but also the

impartation of knowledge and skill. In order to create the environment

wherein this transference can take place I would recommend the

establishment of “coaching” relationships between those in positions of

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prominence and significance with those who aspire to participate in a similar

fashion. This relationship can be described as, “…a process which takes

place in a committed and supportive relationship, during the course of which

one empowers the latter to become integrated through better performance

into the organization.” (Chardoux 1990:66)

These relationships would entail a conscious endeavor on the part of

the organization to ascertain the career objectives and aspirations of these

individuals, the analysis and monitoring of their “gifting” and maturity in order

to adequately guide them in this process of development. The urgency of this

requirement, is portrayed accurately by Noel Vose, in saying, “Success

without a successor is failure.” (Water 2000:600)

c. Management Recommendations:

The most essential Managerial requirement within the structure, in my view,

would be the implementation of clear communication systems and processes

to facilitate the efficient interaction between the organization’s various parts

and participants. This, I would recommend, could be enhanced by setting the

goal of having no more than three tiers/levels at any given point in the

structure. By this I mean that no individual in the structure, should be

represented by a person more than three tiers from any other individual in the

structure. Bearing in mind the aforementioned leadership style of Pastor

McCauley, this organizational goal ensures a “connectedness” between his

visionary leadership and the role-players throughout the structure, who give

tangible expression to the vision. An additional operational requirement in this

regard would be “environments” where “cross-pollination” and dynamic

interaction can take place on a continual basis. These managerial

imperatives will be considered in the development of the structure.

SECTION 3: Development of a Structure based on Organizational Efficiency, within

the framework of the outcome of the aforementioned Theological

Analysis:

1. Operational & Practical Considerations:

1. Spiritual vs. Organizational Leadership:

i. Spiritual Leadership:

One needs to give due consideration to the fact that church

leadership is primarily a spiritual activity, although in practice it may

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require vast practical skills. Spiritual leadership requires an individual

spiritual life that influences that of others, moving them along a

spiritual journey of their own, in their best interests and spiritual

development. As such, each “leader” in the organization is to provide

spiritual leadership to their team/department primarily, in the process

of guiding them organizationally. This introduces “sacred practices”,

such as; prayer, scripture reading and spiritual deliberation among

team members as part of the day-to-day operations of the

organization. These are not merely “ideal” but “essential” as E.M.

Bounds notes,

“What the church needs today is not more or better

machinery, not new organizations, or more novel methods;

but men/woman who the Holy Spirit can use – men of prayer,

men mighty in prayer.” (Water 2000:201)

ii. Organizational leadership:

It is equally important to realize that spiritual leadership will not

address organizational needs automatically. As such, sound

organizational leadership, such as planning, organization, monitoring

and motivation and control are essential to the success of the

organization and the reaching of its’ goals.

1. Operational Management:

i. Ministerial Management:

Due to the church’s nature as primarily a “body of people”, the role of

interpersonal relationships in the context of church management

tends to be more pronounced than that in the corporate environment.

As such the management approach is required to be “people-

orientated” and “personnel-driven”. By this I refer to the fact that the

involvement of individuals in the environment of the church is usually

motivated by inward values held by the persons, as opposed to

financial or other benefits to be gained. This places great importance

of the acknowledgement and accommodation of “personal” needs. In

light of the aforementioned discussion of “gifts” one may here

propose the necessity for due consideration of the “gifting” of

individuals in their placement within the structure accordingly.

ii. Managerial Management:

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With the “primacy of the church” considered above in mind, one may

state that the Managerial dimension of the church exists to “Resource

the Ministry” or to provide “Practical” support to the activities of the

ministry – in context. This does not in any way undermine the need

for management system and processes driven in the organization of

the ministry, it does however inform the design and prioritization of

these systems and processes to align with ministerial goals. In terms

of management in the context of the church, there are a myriad of

needs that arise for specialized skills as the church grows and

develops. These, in the case of Rhema, are vast and complex,

including; Financial Management, Human Resource Management,

Information Technology Management and Maintenance,

Musicianship, Sound Management, Audio-Visual Production and

Media Management. It is the role of the Management of the church

then to recognize, interpret and efficiently provide for these needs.

2. Budgeting and Financial Control:

As stated above, budgeting in the “Missional” context of the church can be

challenging. However, a couple of due considerations in this regard are that

financial resources need to be proportionally allocated according to the

strategic endeavors of the church. This implies that resources are allocated in

a manner that best serves the ethos and implied strategy of the church, as

opposed to merely being evenly “spread” throughout the organization.

Additionally, the appropriate monitoring and control of finances are essential

to the sustainable and orderly running of the church.

3. Communication:

As stated above, adequate communication within and through the structure is

essential. This can be viewed in terms of “internal” and “external”

communication to the various stakeholders in the church.

i. Internal Communications:

1. Managerial Meetings:

Adequate opportunity needs to be created for managers

within the structure to interact, both up and down the

structure and equally across the structure horizontally. This

interaction tends to be the “oil” that facilitates the operation of

the structure.

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2. Monthly Reporting:

In addition to the opportunities created by these “meetings”,

an adequate reporting protocol is required to ensure that

essential “pulses” throughout the organization are regularly

measured. The ability of Management to make accurate

decisions in the day to day running of the organization

depends greatly on the accuracy and relevance of such

reporting.

The combination of the said “meetings” and “reporting”, scheduled

adequately, provide the “cycles of interaction” according to which the

organization operates. It therefore follows that organizing these

around the strategic objectives and goals of the church result in an

increase in terms of their value. This is particularly clear in the realm

of the departments within the structure responsible for the production

of media, as these typically follow the cycle of, Pre-Production,

Production and Post-Production activities.

ii. External Communications:

Due to the continual convergence of media, the adequate

management of the Public Image of the church is increasingly

important. It is this necessary for the organization to be geared

towards projecting an Authentic, Strategic, Missional and

Informational communication initiative outwardly. It is helpful to

distinguish between the requirements of various parties in line with a

outward-moving focus, from the center of the organization, along the

lines of the following “tiers”; Key-Stakeholders, Stakeholders,

Associated Parties, Outsiders with Interest, Outsiders without Interest

and Key-Outsiders.

3. Listing and Placement of Teams & Members:

With the aforementioned sections in mind, we now move to the development of the

Proposed Structure and the placement of individuals therein:

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Figure 6: Proposed New Organizational Structure

Figure 6 above depicts the church at the center, as the core existential reality of the

entire structure, thereafter the organization as the contextual manifestation of the

church and these two, the church and organization, together providing the basis for

various semi-autonomous ministries to operate from.

a. Pastor Ray McCauley, SENIOR PASTOR:

At the head of the structure is Pastor McCauley. Due to the dichotomous

nature of the church as both sacred and secular, Pastor McCauley is position

ally required to operate in a Theocratic manner, as both the Spiritual Leader

of the Church as well as the Central Executive Officer of the Organization.

His placement at the head of the structure provides Pastor McCauley with the

adequate positional authority and involvement to exercise both spiritual

leadership and organizational leadership. It is the challenge of the sub-

structures from this point to adequately accommodate Pastor McCauley’s

“gifts”, while supporting him in other areas through the strategic placement of

other individuals.

Pastor McCauley placement here is additionally accommodating of

his role as Apostolic. The placement of other “ministers” who exhibit the other

“five-fold gifts” then follows naturally.

b. Senior Pastors, DISTRICT PASTORS:

At the “forefront” of the structure, bearing in mind the abovementioned five-

fold mechanism at work in the church, are the Spiritual Elders of the Church,

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among who are the District Pastors who constitute the “Pastoral Care” Team.

These ministers are placed first, ahead of any other team or department, in

recognition of the primacy of the church and the authority of the “five-fold

gifts”. In so doing they are strategically placed to “lead” the church alongside

Pastor McCauley. Furthermore, they are partially “released” from the

“organizational burden” in that they are not expected to provide organizational

leadership to justify their position, but spiritual leadership instead.

c. Zone Pastors, GEOGRAPHICAL PASTORAL CARE:

Within the scope of the “Pastoral Care” Team are the Zone Pastors and by

implication the other spiritual leaders of the church. Through there integrated

involvement and participation in the Ministerial operations of the church,

providing spiritual leadership and influence. These ministers are in so doing

strategically placed to “progress” through the structure into the more senior

roles as spiritual leaders, again not based on organizational competence.

d. Ministerial Heads, AGE/GENDER-SPECIFIC PASTORAL CARE:

Beside the “Pastoral Care” Team is positioned a second dimension of

Pastoral Leadership within the structure. While the Pastoral Care Team

addresses the individual needs of the congregation, such as Weddings,

Funerals, Counseling etc, the secondary Pastoral Care Team focused on the

Group-specific needs represented by the various demographic groups within

the congregation. These include;

i. Age / Gender Specific:

1. Kids at the Cross, KIDS PASTOR.

2. Youth, YOUTH PASTOR.

3. Young Adults, YOUNG ADULT WORKER.

4. Woman’s Ministry, HEAD OF WOMANS MINISTRY.

These individuals are placed structurally alongside the Pastoral Team,

illustrating the supportive role they provide in ministering to the congregation.

They are similarly placed on the “ministerial side” of the structure to both

facilitate their maximum contribution without “bogging them down” with

organizational responsibility.

e. Ministerial Heads, SUPPORTIVE MINISTRIES:

The third and final dimension of ministry that is presented in the structure is a

group of Supportive Ministries that utilize Rhema Church as their base and

home church. These include;

i. Supportive Ministries:

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1. Music Ministry, WORSHIP LEADER.

2. Rhema Bible Collage, DEAN.

3. Hands of Compassion, PASTORAL OVERSIGHT

4. Rhema Television, HEAD OF RHEMA TV.

An important dynamic to note in terms of these ministries is their tendency

towards autonomy in as far as they develop and outgrow the context of the

local church in terms of influence. It is however important to understand that

although they may achieve a level of “independence”, even in terms of

financial resources, they remain “connected to the vine” in that they are

constantly aware of their primary responsibility towards the needs of the

Local Church of which they are a part and draw from it in terms of the spiritual

essence it represents.

f. Managerial Departments:

Secondary to the Ministerial Teams discussed above are the major

Managerial Departments, Administration, Project Planning and Media that

constitute the Organizational dimension of the church.

1. Administration, ADMINISTRATOR:

This Department represents a conglomerate of smaller administrative

units that focus on and deal with specialized administrative systems

and processes of the church. Particularly due to the positioning of

Financial Management within the Administration Department, this

segment of the organization is critical to the strategic “resourcing” of

the church and its strategy. As the core Managerial Department,

Administration “sets the pace” for the Project Planning and Media

Departments, in the same manner in which Pastoral Care ought to

direct the other Ministerial Teams.

The individuals placed on “this side” of the structure are expected to

exhibit particular “motivational gifts” and in so doing make a critical

contribution to the functioning of the church.

4. Project Planning, PROJECT PLANNER:

Project Planning, positioned between Administration and Media,

fulfills a central role in the coordination of the operational functioning

of the major initiatives of the organization.

As with the Administration Department, these individuals provide

unique “skills” to the organization, and although they too may exhibit

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ministerial acumen, they role of catered for not as ministers but as

managers.

5. Media, HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS:

Media is responsible for initiating both the internal and external

communications of the church. As such, it is required to provide in

the development of media material that address the various needs of

the other departments and teams of the church, based on their

respective ministerial strategies.

g. Structural Bodies within the Structure:

As illustrated in figure 6, there are three major “bodies” formed in the

structure that bring the various sub-units into synergy. They include; The

Ministerial Steering Committee, Managerial Steering Committee and the

Executive Board.

i. Ministerial Steering Committee:

This Committee is a conglomeration of the following three “bodies” of

people;

1. Pastoral Team (Geographic):

This team meets weekly to discuss the general Pastoral

direction and running of the church. They are able to

integrate learning’s in this environment and provide guidance

and leadership to the 30 pastors that function within their

sphere. This group is overseen by the Head of Pastoral

Care, with assistance form four senior District Pastors, who

each in turn coordinates a team of five or More Pastors.

From a management point of view, these individuals have

similar budgetary and operational needs and can thus

address them as a collective.

2. Pastoral Team (Age/Gender):

This team meets weekly to discuss the Age/Gender specific

needs of the congregation and how to address them.

Synergy in this regard is required as each congregant finds

themselves simultaneously within the “target audience” of

two of these ministries, such as “Woman’s” Ministry and

“Youth”. Additionally, each congregant will progressively

move through the various Age-specific ministries as they

grow in age, thus requiring a level of integration and

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exchange between these departments. As with the previous

team, from a management point of view, these individuals

have similar budgetary and operational needs and can thus

address them as a collective.

3. Supportive Ministries:

These semi-autonomous ministries meet monthly to provide

accountability and strategic advice to one another. As with

both previous teams, from a management point of view,

these individuals have similar budgetary and operational

needs and can thus address them as a collective.

The Ministerial steering Committee is thus made up of

representatives of each of these three Teams. The result is a quorum

of Ministers that together address the Ministerial realities of ministry

together. This Steering Committee is chaired by the Head of Pastoral

Care, the most senior Ministerial figure in the structure, second to

Pastor McCauley.

ii. Managerial Steering Committee:

This Committee is a conglomeration of the following three “bodies” of

people;

1. Administration:

This department initiates various meetings weekly in the day-

to-day operations of the Administrative aspects of the

organization.

2. Project Planning:

This department initiates a number of “cross-functional”

meetings weekly to coordinate the activities of the church,

such as Sunday Services and Conference or Events. These

“cross-functional” teams are constituted of people drawn

from various positions throughout the structure, and are

custom-made to the event or activity to be discussed. As

such, loosely held “task-teams” form under the leadership of

the Project Planning Department, for the duration of a

particular project.

3. Media:

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This department initiates weekly operational meetings for the

department itself, plus various “briefings” with other teams or

departments in the structure in order to facilitate the servicing

of their needs.

The Managerial Steering Committee is thus made up of

representatives of each of these three Departments. The result is a

quorum of Managers that together address the Managerial realities of

organization together. This Steering Committee is chaired by the

Administrator, the most senior Manager figure in the structure,

second to Pastor McCauley.

Both the Ministerial- and Managerial Steering Committee provide the ideal “spaces”

for meaningful interaction at the “heart” of the organization. The result is access to

“grass-roots” information as well as “strategic insight” fromleadership. This synergy “in

the middle” is an essential component, as Floyed and Wooldridge rightly note, middle

managers today “…must become adept at spotting the strategic significance of

evolving … trends. Internally, they must lead, facilitating and championing innovative

strategic initiatives appropriate to an ever-changing context.” (Floyed and Wooldridge

1996:ix). Additionally, these forums contain a “vacant seats” used for the rotation of

non-members to these forums for the sake of exposure and development. In so

doing, minister and mangers are continually exposed to a “higher-level” of the

organization, facilitating communication, growth and the impartation of the Rhema

ethos throughout the structure.

iii. Executive Board

The Ministerial and Managerial Steering Committees are brought

together in the Executive Board, the most senior organizational body

within the structure. The Board is constituted of a representative of

each aforementioned Team and Department, resulting in a

collaborative symphony between Ministers and Managers. These

severally represent the ministerial and managerial needs of the

church and organization respectively, and do so under the leadership

of Pastor McCauley.

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Figure 7: Superimposed view of “Five-Fold Ministry” over the Proposed Structure.

At this point it is necessary to introduce the relationship between the “Five-Fold Ministry”

paradigm, Progressive Nature of the Church as Tri-Dimensional and the Structural Design.

We do so under the following heading:

h. Structural Cooperation, Balance and Synergy:

From figure 7 we see provision being made in the structure for the nature of

the church “Organism”, “God-Ordained Institution” and “Organization”. The

structure provides the freedom for the Ministerial “thrust” of the church, in this

case being Apostolic, to guide the Managerial reality of the church as

organization. The entire organization then is “tailor-made” to accommodate

the needs of the church. This approach requires an understanding on the part

of the Managers of their “calling” as being that of “service” to the objectives of

the Ministers. These managers “…become reservoirs of the organization’s

capacity to accumulate and deploy critical strategic resources. (Floyed and

Wooldridge 1996:ix) This understanding ensures a balance between

“spiritual” initiative and “material” pragmatism. The minister is in so doing

saying to the manager, “help me do the following…” as opposed to the

manager telling the minister “what can or can’t be done”. The goal here is

synergy, where the best of both realities are extracted in service of the

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institutionalized church. This illusive, yet necessary notion of synergy, is

described as “…a constant revision of the strategic situation…

Interpersonally, influencing the shared understanding of strategy within the

organization through interactions with subordinates, peers, and top

managers.” (Floyed and Wooldridge 1993:69) This requires the practice of

the Biblical notion of “submitting one to another, in the fear of the Lord.”

SECTION 4: Proposal and Implementation of the new Structure:

1. Proposal and Implementation:

The Proposed Structure was developed and presented to the following key individuals for

comment; Pastor Harold Black (Head of Pastoral Care), Pastor Alan Plant (Zone Pastor),

Joshua McCauley (Head of Media and Communications) and Pastor Ray McCauley

(Senior Pastor).

Once recommendations of these individuals had been considered and incorporated, it

was presented to the following leadership bodies; the Rhema Advisory Board and Rhema

Management Committee. Upon acceptance of the proposed structure by the

aforementioned bodies, it was presented to the general Membership Body of the Church.

The structure was implemented and currently constitutes the structure of Rhema

Ministries, South Africa.

2. Benefits of the New Structure:

The new structure provides for the following contextual benefits;

- Eliminates the prevalence of ministerial and managerial individuals, teams,

departments or initiative being “swept under the same brush.”

- Provides for the structural and ideological “space” for the “other-worldly” and “here-

and-now” realities of the church to be contemplated and accommodated.

- Creates “pockets” of opportunity, in the form of the various committees, for ministry

and managerial gifts to be fully realized and employed, based on strategic

consideration of their need.

- Allows for adequate “supportive” relationships to develop between the five-fold,

ministerial and managerial gifts.

- Accommodates the ethos of Rhema structurally, giving preeminence to the spiritual

while retaining a practical, yet missional approach to organization.

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- Affords adequate “freedom” to the transcendental ministerial “side” of the church,

while welcoming the essential managerial dimension.

- Facilitates cooperation between individuals with diverse skills, and the resultant

“sharing” of these as needed.

- Enables empowerment and development to take place organically, within the

organization, as part of its’ core functioning.

- Provides clear access for individuals, both within and outside of the structure, to the

structure, based on the nature of their needs.

- Ensures a relational association of individuals with similar interests on a regular basis.

- Provides access to “grass-roots” knowledge throughout the organization, ensuring

broad-based knowledge being attained at critical levels.

- Ensures quick decision-making at various levels of the organization, differentiated by

nature and implications, avoiding value conflicts.

- Facilitates the “passing” of the baton” across the generations though dialogue and

practical cooperation.

- Accommodates the Church’s “organic” and “systemic” nature.

- Gives pre-eminence to the “meeting of the needs” of the people, as opposed to the

“needs of the organization”.

- Ensures broad-based, “transitional support” in the development of prospective

organizational participants.

- Eases change management and communication through interactive, function-

orientated committees.

- Places the organization bodies at the center of the operational reality of the

organization, providing “cycles of interaction” through which real-time management

becomes possible.

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F. Conclusion:

I believe this project has been of immense benefit to me, in that it facilitated the

documentation of my current theological praxis, while allowing me to incorporate numerous

insights and competences accumulated not only through my theological studies but other

experiences and reading. I am certain that this project will both illustrate the manner in which I

have benefited from studying theology, as well as providing a resource to anyone who is

confronted with some of the “challenges of change and organizational leadership” of a mega-

church or church movement.

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G. Bibliography:

Wolfaardt. 2007, Congregation Management, UNISA Press, Pretoria, RSA

Dorr, D. 1991, The Social Justice Agenda, Gill and MacMillan Ltd, Dublin, Ireland

Schafer-Landau, R. 2004, Whatever Happened to Good and Evil?, Oxford University

Press, New York, USA

Villa-Vicencio, C. 1992, A Theology of Reconstruction: Nation Building and Human

Rights, David Phillip Publishers (Pty) Ltd. Claremont, USA

Duffield and Van Cleave. 1983, Foundations of Pentecostal Theology, L.I.F.E Bible

Collage, Los Angeles, USA

Carpenter, S.C, 1953, Christianity: An outline of the fundamentals and development of the

Christian Faith, its place in civilization, and its message to the modern world, Penguin

Books Ltd, Middlesex, UK

Water, M. 2000, The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations, John Hun Publishoing

Ltd, Hampshire, UK

Floyd and Wooldridge. 1996, The Strategic Middle Manager: How to Create and sustain

Competitive Advantage, Jossey-Bass Inc, San Francisco, USA

Charoux, E. 1990, Coaching & The Black Manager, Juta & Co, Ltd, Johannesburg, RSA

Adler, B. 2007, Ask Billy Graham, Thomas Nelson, Inc, Thennessee, USA