186 / Can good management be a moral issue?
Can good management be a moral issue? My discussion with Pastor Wimberly has moved right along from the (moot) question of God or no God to the issue of good management in the church, and how it can become a moral issue.
When I became aware of his book (as yet unread) ‘The Business of the Church’, I commented: “This is a fascinating topic … I have always been aware that the church is a huge multi-national. Their investments probably have not always been prudent. Wasn't the church entangled with businesses that had investments in weapons manufacture?”
His response:
Yes, the church has been entangled financially with everyone from the Mafia to the Nazis. In our denomination, we have responsible investing guidelines that help congregations not invest in companies who profit from everything from cigarette smoking to weapons manufacturing. We use them conscientiously here at Western. Unfortunately, a lot of congregations just go for the highest yield, irregardless of how the money is produced. Shame on them.
All of the pedophilia stuff is a moral issue on one hand but a management issue on the other. Poor basic personnel policies has resulted in the bankrupting of entire dioceses. Again, they deserve it for what they failed to do and what they tolerated in their midst. However, if they had strong personnel policies outlining what is acceptable and what is not, much of this tragedy for the children could have been avoided.
All of this is a long way of saying that I think non-profit organizations need to employ best business practices to insure that our funds are used effectively and for the reasons our donors contribute them.
John W. Wimberly, Jr.
Pastor, Western Presbyterian Church
Washington, D.C. USA
The Business of the Church
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/1566994047