President of the Church Administrators Society of Nigeria (CASON), Pastor Seyi Oladimeji, has lamented the preponderance of disorderliness and waste in the church, saying the issue informed his new book, Church Administration Practices.
Oladimeji, a leading church consultant with a passion for orderliness and management within church congregations, said in a chat with Church Times that many of the challenges in churches stem from a lack of management and effective administration. “A pastor should be able to manage crisis, people, and resources. If that skill is lacking, that pastor can’t go far,” he said.
Using the biblical account of Jesus gathering the leftovers after feeding the 5,000, Oladimeji noted that a lack of management leads to a waste of resources in the church.
Administration, according to him, is a calling into the “help ministry”—designed not to create bureaucratic bottlenecks, but to empower leaders and streamline decision-making so pastors can focus on their core spiritual calling.
He emphasized that while anointing brings growth, administrative structure sustains it. “The reason many churches fail is not because the pastors are not anointed, but because they lack the necessary skills to manage people,” he said.
Speaking further on the new book, he added: “Church Administration Practices was put together to address issues of management and administration in the church. I implore pastors to get the book so they can explore the nuggets shared in it as revealed to us by the Holy Spirit.”
He stressed that being anointed for God’s work is not enough to sustain a ministry. “There is a skill to it, and the Holy Spirit is the one who gives that skill. Jesus spent his life teaching his disciples and exposing them to management principles through the way he handled situations. It is those principles we have explained and explored in the book.”
Admnistrative skills
He highlighted several administrative skills demonstrated by Jesus, adding that the corporate world actually borrowed its core management principles from the Bible. “Unfortunately, the church—which should be leading in using those principles is lagging behind.”
According to him, every great move of God requires both spiritual fire and structural order. Preaching, prayer, and evangelism may ignite revival, but administration preserves it.
”The church is a spiritual organism birthed by Christ, but it also functions as an organization within society. Without administration, the church risks falling into confusion, disunity, and poor stewardship,” Oladimeji stated.
He added, “With administration, the church reflects the orderliness of God Himself. And order brings growth in any human organization—be it a family, society, church, community, or nation.”
He explained that pastors who read the book will learn the biblical and practical foundations of church administration, alongside key skills in leadership, financial stewardship, and organizational management.
He assured that pastors who put the book’s principles into practice will be equipped to manage people, resources, and structures effectively. “The book teaches how to build a transparent, accountable, and mission-driven church system, along with many other valuable lessons.”
Oladimeji, who is widely known for his teaching on structure, order, and governance in ministry, firmly believes: “If a ministry has no structure, it has no future. Administration is the live wire of a local church. No matter how anointed a pastor is, if there is no structure, the church will collapse—it is just a matter of time.”
He urged church leaders to dedicate time to read quality books that help navigate turbulent times. “God will not bless disorderliness. Where there is structure and order, there is maximum utilization of resources. Remember, order brings increase. God will not give you what you are asking for, but what you can manage!” He said.
The book is available both in hard and soft copy. Follow the link for details; https://www.amazon.com/dp/9786909607
