McPherson University has distinguished itself as the first university in Africa to offer an online executive certificate course in church management.
The pioneer set of certified church management experts, 42 in all, will graduate on Friday, February 28 at the university campus in Seriki-Sotayo, Ogun State, Nigeria.
The graduates will then be set to unleash their wealth of knowledge in their various churches and places of assignment.
Christian Leadership Skills
The course is done in collaboration with Christian Leadership Skills Inc., a training institution founded by Pastor Albert Aina.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday, February 18 at the university campus. Aina said the institution signed a memorandum of understanding with the university on the course in July 2022 to run a course in Executive Diploma in Church Management.
The course is a three-month online ministerial development and training programme designed for church leaders including General Overseers, pastors, Christian business executives and a host of other people working in the church environment who may be interested.
The institute provides the technical details for the course, providing the curriculum while the university is responsible for the administration and the certification of successful candidates.
Some of the graduating students were present at the press briefing during which Aina underscored the essence of the management course.
Church management
A seasoned leadership coach, Aina noted that management at the church level is a whole lot of difference compared to management in the business world.
He said this is so because church work is volunteer-driven and people are at liberty to cooperate with leadership or act otherwise.
He explained further that the peculiarity of church management makes it imperative for church leaders to take courses in management.
‘What we have done with the course is to provide useful resources for church leaders to help navigate the management curve in our churches.’ he said.
The course according to him has helped to greatly bridge the management gap in churches and helped pastors to harness resources at their disposal for the good of the body of Christ.
Rev Albert O Aina, Chief Executive Officer, Christian Leadership Skills Inc. ( the Promoter of Executive Diploma In Church Management) (second to the right Deputy VC, Prof. Olatunji Okesola; Registrar, Mr Olufemi Adebowale; Dean, College of Postgraduate Studies, Dr Babatunde Lawal
The course content
The courses explored during the programme include church human resources management, church management fundamentals, digital technology and computer operation in church management, church social media and church marketing, church communication and public relations, church financial management, contemporary church laws and statutory laws and a host of others.
Aina explained that the “church management course exposes pastors to the practical side of how to run a church. The courses are practical and not what they get in the seminary. The courses we teach here are value-neutral. They have nothing to do with doctrine.”
He explained that the church marketing course for instance does not mean people will be taught how to market church as a business entity. “The idea behind the church marketing course is to expose preachers to the need for them to explain the purpose of the church. Many people want the goodies of life and so they want to come to God. But we know that salvation is the purpose of God for their lives. So we teach pastors how to navigate the felt needs of the people and their real needs.”
He said any church leader who wants to make a difference needs to take the executive management course. “The purpose of the church is to make participants see the connection between church on Sunday and work on Monday. The course is a back-to-the-New Testament alternative for training Ministry leaders.
How churches are run
On his views about how churches are run in Africa, he said, many church leaders are far removed from reality. They promote spirituality over reality. They are handling human beings but are far removed from what obtains in day to day life of the people they are leading.’
Aina stated that anointing is not enough to run a church. ‘Anointing will bring people, but it is the management of the people that will retain them. And this thing has to be learnt. When church management is lacking, God withdraws because God is not a waster of resources.’
According to him, statistics have shown that 60 per cent of church leaders have management problems. They win souls and bring them to church but the same people they win don’t stay in their church because of their inability to manage them.’
He said further that the idea of personalising the church is wrong. ‘The church is a public trust that must be managed.’
Being able to start a church according to him does not mean that same person can manage the church. ‘Management is a skill that has to be learnt. Our job is to train church leaders to be managers of resources at their disposal.’
The three C’s of management
He stated, ‘There are three C’s that have to do with church management. The first C is character. If character is lacking in a church leader, everything is lost. People don’t forgive leaders who have lost character. That is the first thing that is emphasised in the course.
The second C is competence. A leader can be faithful. If he is not competent, it will show in the running of the church. There is a need to be trained on the hows of management.
The last C is chemistry. A leader must be able to relate and be a team player. The leader must have the capacity to carry people along.’
Why Course is unique
He stated that the resource persons for the management course cut across denominations and disciplines. ‘Many of our lecturers are CEOs of their organisations. They bring their wealth of experience to bear on the course.’
The course is being run online. The pioneer graduates of the courses spread across the African continent, Europe and the US.’
Aina urged church leaders to take advantage of the huge benefits of the course which he said is the first in Africa because of the way the course is being run. ‘it is an online course and it gives room for participants to be digitally exposed. Our students who were not digitally savvy before the programme soon are better off after the programme.
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