Organizing for Ministry and Mission: Options for Church Structure

Every congregation needs to determine how it will organize to best proclaim the Gospel, administer the Sacraments, and care for its members. While organizational details are never the main thing, if the mission and ministry of the Church is to advance, leaders need to give attention to organizational matters.

Rev. Dr. David J. Peter, a professor of practical theology at Concordia Seminary St. Louis, draws upon more than 20 years in the parish, experiencing the realities of pastoral ministry and insights from students, practicing pastors, and others about the realities of administration and leadership in congregations.

Dr. Peter identifies the theological and practical reasons for organizing staff, lay officers, and congregational volunteers. He presents three dominant models for organizing churches—The Working Board, The Managing Board, and The Governing Board—and carefully examines the advantages and disadvantages of each. 

Pastors, professional staff workers, congregational officers, church council members, board members, and students preparing for parish ministry, will gain insights and best practices for more effective leadership of their churches.

About the Author

Dr. David J. Peter has spent twenty-three years in the parish, experiencing the realities of pastoral ministry and researching congregational dynamics. As a professor of practical theology and the dean of faculty at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, he regularly leads courses for practicing pastors. He has also gained many insights from students about the realities of administration and leadership in congregations.