APPLICATION OF MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES TO CHURCH GROWTH: A CASE STUDY OF GLOBAL EVANGELICAL CHURCH, AMAKOM-KUMASI

Abstract

This work was a study of Application of Management Principles to Church Growth. The Global Evangelical Church was used as the case study organization. The research sought to find out the impact of the application of management principles on the church‟s major policies, programs and projects in her effort to achieve its Vision, Mission, Core Values and Strategic Plans. There was a need to conduct this study because there was a dearth of literature in the area. It further looked at the managing of the “Five Church Growth Pillars” – namely Policy, Programs, People, Projects, and Purse Management. It takes into account the application of management principles to the 10% Numerical Growth Policy of the GEC to bring about the expected growth. In brief the research dealt with the GEC‟s major policies, programs, and projects toward growth, the impact of application of management principles on growth, the gaps and challenges identified to be addressed. The respondents were thirty four consisting of Top Management (Head Office), Middle Management (Kumasi Presbytery) and Lower Management (Amakom Parish). Questionnaires and interviews were used. The study revealed that the GEC has been applying some of the basic management principles to its growth policy, program and project, but the impact on growth was not very good. Also there were some gaps and challenges identified which must be addressed through the effort of all the three management levels. Therefore, it was recommended that the GEC should intensify education on its vision, mission, core values, strategic plans and policy decisions to enhance members‟ commitment toward the expected growth, both numerical and conceptual or quantitative and qualitative growth.