DO YOU THINK YOU CAN MANAGE A PARISH?

A Walk Through Parish Management

Irineo Alvaro, Jr., Ph.D.
CONTENTS
Foreword iv
Preface ix
Messages xi
Acknowledgement xvii
Introduction xix
Chapter One: MAN Functions of Management 1
Chapter Two: "AGE" - The Manager as a Leader 23
Chapter Three The Final Letter "R" as in Rhythm 41
Conclusion 45
References 50
 FOREWORD

By: Rev. Celestino I. Cancio

District Superintendent, South Tarlac District
United Methodist Church.

"Leaders are people who do the right thing;

Managers are people who do things right."

Warren G. Bennis,
(American Leadership Expert March 8, 1925-July 31, 2014)

The moment you read this book, you have already made the right choice and the
wise decision to become the best of what you can be as a parish administrator.
Congratulations and thank you! This may be one of the best materials and most
effective tools that will tickle your mind in the field of management.
FOREWORD
This is a by product of a serious work on how to become a prudent, an
effective and most especially, an inspiring manager. I must assume that I am one
among those tens, hundreds, and thousands of men and women who were caught
by surprise by the great demand of being a religious leader tasked to preach and
teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ; mandated to lead, to direct, to administer, to
manage and to guide the Church founded by Christ.
I started responding to the call of my ministry as a local pastor in 1977 at
the age of 17. Commissioned and assigned to a local church where I was expected
not only to preach and teach but to administer, I had to admit and accept my
limitation as young spiritual leader managing a parish bereft of knowledge, skills,
competence and experience to the post. Having my first church assignment in
1977 and at the same time completing my bachelor's degree in Community
Development, I was guided, directed and at the same time learning in the
classroom about theories of organizing, strategic planning, and goal setting.
Having concluded the course in 1981, I had the feeling I still needed to equip
 myself more. This compelled me to continue my theological training in the
doctoral studies in the effort to fill the empty space I felt and discovered as I
pursued my pastoral ministry.
I can say that I am a home - grown penstock while doing the job at the same
time learning the process. My earned skills in management were "learning by
doing" to say the least or by "trial and error" and "hit and missed" stroke. My
exposure and struggle in church management has made me an experienced
pastor and found myself just enough for the demand of my church assignment.
However, when I became District Superintendent (in 2007-2011 and 2016-
present) I observed that the clergies under my supervision yearned for skills and
knowledge in management for situation. I found most of them longing for
capacity- building to further home their leadership skills specifically during the
advent of information technology as well as the digitization of the management
process. They turned out to be skilled preachers and teachers but not fully
equipped for the great demand of leadership and management which are vital in
church administration. These observations bothered me so much which led me to
conduct instant local church administration and management training/workshop
capitalizing on my seminary training. But my competence in the area may not
have been really sufficient to address the entire need.
Managing and leading in the world today is dearth of simplicity. Leaders of
today must not only be well - informed, but tried and knowledgeable about the
generation gap issues and realize the complexities of the prevailing circumstances.
We are in an era of multiple and diverse generations. For instance the Gen Z
(born in 1996 and later) or the "Centennials" make up the majority. This
generation appeared to be more liberal in terms of finding meaning in their lives.
The Gen Y (born in 1997-1995) or the so called "Millennials" are described as
"narcissistic". This generation tends to be more self-referential in terms of doing
things and accomplishing tasks. However, this generation appears to be multi-
taskers and appeared to be innovative. Included in the list are the Gen X (born in
1965-1976) or whom they call as the "slackers" because they appeared to be
pragmatic and individualistic. People belonging to the Gen X are not impressed by
titles and authority unless their belief tells them that the position is well-
deserved. The Baby Boomers (born in 1946-1964) are still here. They are the
 oldest generation. These Baby Boomers have three key trends that shaped their
personality: parenting, technology and economics. However, despite the
developing generations there are still a handful of people who were somehow
fixated in the past we call them the traditionalists (born in 1945 and beyond).
They always see things in comparison with what had happened in the past that
made it somehow difficult for them to accept the current tides.
With these heterogeneous composition of the congre- gation, it is
demanded from managers and leaders to be more flexible, creative and
discerning. The tides of the time is dynamic and often unpredictable. Thus,
mediocrity in handling people or a parish must not be allowed to take the driver's
seat.
My journey in the ministry enabled me to discover the great need for
church leadership and management: as young pastor, I have learned to depend on
what is before me and bring it to a useful cause (1977-1981); as a budding
administrative pastor, I submitted to what is in store to "patch a hole"; as an
idealistic seminary professor (1997-2001), what is in theory, became a praxis; and
as a district superintendent, my education was centered on "experience is the
best teacher". Although I must admit that the experiences I had, the challenges I
faced in fulfilling this ministry given to me, one thing is clear: God has been so
compassionate to me. It is God who provided the discernment to see all the
wonders that this ministry can give not only to me but also to the pastors I lead
and more so to the people I serve. And it is my responsibility together with many
other pastors and clergy in my district, in the entire nation, and to the whole
world to proclaim the Gospel of Love, Forgiveness, Salvation, Grace, and Mercy
not only through our preaching but most especially on how we handle and
manage the flock entrusted to our care.
Brought by my earnest desire to improve my lot in the field of managing my
district (2016 to present), I was compelled to seek and learn more. I asked a
Christian friend during my college years at Wesleyan University-Philippines, now
engaged in multi-business and huge companies, Brother Bong Alvaro, to do me a
favor by sharing his wisdom on management and administration. However, his
very busy schedule did not match any of the prescribed time and space my district
and I had.
 I suggested to him therefore, the idea to share his mind by writing a
simplified version, just like a 'Coffee Table Book format simplifying the essence of
management so that pastors and laymen under my supervision in my district and
the res of other pastors throughout the region may use as a basi reference. And
here is the product, the book simply entitled:
"Do you think you can manage a Parish? A Walk Through Parish
Management." A piece that talks about a Manager who is the 'Man' of 'Age' in
'Rhythm' with his time.
 PREFACE
During my First year in college at the University of Santo Tomas (UST), there
were a number of us (mostly coming from the remote provinces of the country)
that were not allowed to take English 101. Instead, we were required to take a
non-credited Basic English subject which was labeled English 100. One of the
reasons why we could not take the regular credited load was that we either
flunked or got a very low grade in the English part of the entrance examination
while passing the other areas. Hence, this became the same compelling reason
why I pursued my bachelor's degree majoring in the same subject which I found
out to be my weakest field, "English".
This book entitled "Do you think you can Manage a Parish? A Walk Through
Parish Management", just like taking English 100, is intended for the local church
workers who admit an inadequacy or feeble proficiency being managers of their
own parishes. This book may also serve said workers who desire to improve their
current strengths as shepherds of their flock. It is not intended to be used for
deepening an academic or theological appreciation in the field of the parish or
local church management, rather a simple and practical tool for those who intend
to start from the very basic tenets of parish management.
If you believe that you are equipped enough or well- versed on this subject
matter, THIS IS NOT FOR YOU AND PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!
 MESSAGE
Do you think you can manage a parish? A walk through parish
management" is a book written by a lay person who was once a pastor in his little
parish but evolved into a manager in the corporate world. Dr. Bong Alvaro, the
author, shares his talents, gifts and rich experiences in corporate management
and leadership and applies them to the church setting.
This book inspires me as a leader of our church and I honestly believe that
every clergy and lay person should take time to read and learn the management
and leadership theories and principles and put them into practice. Moreover, it is
a must for every lay person whether in the church or in the corporate world in
order to be equipped with the practical as well as the spiritual side of
management and leadership.
I believe the insights and wisdom gained from this boo are born out of
commitment and dedication to our Master, our Almighty God and Jesus Christ
who called us to be manage of His kingdom and His creation. Reading this book
made me realize that pastors/church workers should invest not only in the Bible
and in Theology but in the areas of leadership and management as well. In this
view, the church should support their workers if they are interested to pursue
higher levels of learning and expertise in the field of leadership and management.
Furthermore, this book is an answer to the questions of pastors and church
workers young and old alike in the ministry who aspire for effective and
meaningful service to God and community.
Finally, I recommend this book to be read by the laity as partners of the
clergy in the ministry entrusted to us by our Lord Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that
this book will be an instrument for everyone in advancing the kingdom of God.

(Sgd.) BISHOP CIRIACO Q. FRANCISCO

Resident Bishop Manila Episcopal Area
 There are many management books in the market. We T can find volumes
and pages written on this important subject. So, why is there a need for another
one?
First, this book is faithful to the message of the Gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ is
proclaimed as our Savior and beloved Son of God. The Lord Jesus Christ is exalted
as our risen Lord, the Lord of our life. We are not managing for a corporation
under a CEO. We are managing a parish to honor the head of the Body of Christ -
our Lord Jesus Christ. We are accountable to Him.
Second, it goes through the usual processes of management - planning,
monitoring, implementing, etc., but it also focuses on our God-given mission and
the ministry of the parish. The usual technical language is made more simple and
easier to understand. It challenges the Pastor and all leaders of the Church to
strive for excellence in the vocation of parish management.
Third, it inspires Pastors to engage in creative and innovative ways of
managing the affairs and ministries of the Church. But such initiatives are not
done in isolation. True to the communal nature of the Body of Christ, the
"network" or the importance of the team is emphasized. When reading this book,
there is a growing awareness that we are being molded to become effective
players in God's team.
May the Holy Spirit of God bless you as you discern new and exciting ways of
managing the parish through this book. Among the books of its kind, it will
become the gold standard for continuing education courses and training programs
for many years. I can't wait to see our parishes in the Baguio Episcopal Area use
this book.

(Sgd.) BISHOP PEDRO "PETE" M. TORIO

Bishop
Baguio Episcopal Area
 With great expectation and excitement, I welcome the publication of the
book, "Do You Think You Can Manage a Parish? A Walk Through Parish
Management". I believe that this project is a PRICELESS GIFT for the clergy and lay
leaders who experience the daily challenges of running local churches of various
sizes and diverse dynamisms.
As Resident Bishop of the Davao Episcopal Area, I encourage all workers and
lay leaders to have a copy of this book and include your reflections and
experiences in your daily journals as part of our intentional "KARUNUNGAN"
program.
I congratulate Brother Bong Alvaro and his team for coming up with such a
wonderful project that will not just give us practical tips and advices on parish
management but more so an effective instrument of evangelization.
Finally, allow me to impart a gentle reminder- as workers in the church,
whether pastors or lay servant leaders, all of us are expected to do what is right
following the best practices from the only Good Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ!
To God be the glory! I remain

Your Servant Leader,

(Sgd.)BISHOP RODOLFO A. JUAN
Davao Episcopal Area
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book was not intended to be written, but for some reasons through the
promptings of the Dr. Celestino Cancio, the District Superintendent of the United
Methodist Church South Tarlac District, I was compelled to write this modest
piece.
It started when he invited me to speak in a forum on Parish Management
organized by his district. But my time was not much giving during that period.
Aside from my hectic schedule in the office, I must fulfill my travel obligations in
Europe. Therefore, as a gesture, I promised him to write a manuscript of my
speech. However, when I started working on it, I was inspired to move further of
which the very product is this humble book.
Also, this book could not have been made possible without the able
assistance of my personal assistant and researcher Brother Omar Niño V.
Defensor. Bro. Omar is a graduate of Philosophy at the Mother of Good Counsel
Seminary in the Archdiocese of San Fernando, Pampanga. Aside from being an
outstanding student in his college years, he is now preparing for further studies in
preparation for his ministry. His untiring energy in supplying the needed materials
especially in the spiritual aspect of this book, to say the least, is extraordinary.
My post-graduate studies classmate and best friends at the University of
the Philippines, Dr. Dolores Quiambao and Prof. Antonio Pangilinan respectively
are the other pillars of this book. Just like their contribution as editors of the book
FIONA A Journey with an Angel, the same scholarly fashion was provided in
making this product appear as it is now.
June Peña, a veteran animator, comic and children's book writer and artist
provided excellent illustrations while Ariel Borlongan, a four-time Carlos Palanca
awardee, also contributed in the long hours of brainstorming sessions.
Our most esteemed Bishops in the Methodist Church, Rev. Ciriaco Q.
Francisco of the Manila Episcopal Area, Bishop Pedro M. Torio of the Baguio
Episcopal Area and Bishop Rodolfo A. Juan of the Davao Episcopal Area who, in
spite of having been given a short notice came up with their uplifting messages.
My able technical assistant, Mr. Belteshazzar Rivera who is always available
and generous to share his computer h hardware and software skills to make life
easy for me.
My wife Irene provided several criticisms and valuable i inputs aimed at
improving the final quality of the manuscript. She, with my two sons, Karlo and FJ,
 provided the much needed encouragement and inspiration in completing this
book in the midst of my busy schedules and heavy workloads here and abroad.
This book was not planned but God creates a straight line out of crooked
lines. To my Creator, my deepest and sincerest thanks for using me and choosing
me to be a channel of your love and wisdom for your glory...I am deeply
privileged!
 INTRODUCTION
In the beginning of times, the creation story was the first documented
management activity of a a God who in seven days tried to look for the best way
to house his creation and further place them in their rightful space. Managing is as
old as the times, something that man cannot do without.
In the Scriptures, Creation is a story of management. The mind of God took
the initiative to put into action whatever He
had in His disposition. The Creation Story, (Genesis 1:1- 2:3) is a narrative of
how God, in his infinite power and glory made use of management to put order
into chaos and light to darkness.
God, through His artistic mind as an architect, designed the universe, put
everything He created into its proper place and use, hence maintaining the beauty
of the created world. The cycles of life, rhymes, and rhythm of sounds, the
revolution of the firmaments keep and sustain the wonders of the created order.
Indeed, God was the first artist, architect, engineer, planner, goal-setter,
administrator and manager.
Managing is a way of life. Consciously or unconsciously we do management
even in the most basic instances in our lives. When one wants something to be
accomplished well, he manages his actions. When he wants to maximize the time
for the day, he does time management. When he decides to save from his
monthly income, he does financial management. When he is the head of the
company, he manages its directions, and so on. Thus, from the smallest event of
one's daily lives up to the most complicated activities, there is management.
The genius of God's mind created the whole world's order. As the creator
designer, God knows how to sustain the order and to assign the rightful trustee to
maintain that order. When God finished creating everything, He began forming His
masterpiece - the human being. He was then given the power and authority, and
dominion over His creations as steward-manager.
The Scriptures has clearly defined man's role in protecting the whole
creation of God: When God finished all His creation and put everything in its
proper places, He found pleasure in it "And God saw that it was good" (Genesis
1:21). After which, God told human beings to have dominion over the created
order and bring it under his control. "Then God blessed them, and God said to
them, 'Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over
the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves
 on the earth" (Genesis 1:28) because "through the greatness and the beauty of
creatures one comes to know by analogy their maker" (Wisdom 13:5); indeed,
"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so
that they are without excuse, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as
God, nor were thankful, but be futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts
were darkened" (Rom 1:20-21).
Parish or local church management is part of our human response to the
continuing desire of God to maintain order in the community of faith whom He
loved so much. A pastor or a minister serves as the spiritual overseer and
shepherd of His herd. The clergy's major task is not necessarily enhancing
economic gains for the parish, but what makes him different from his secular
peers, is that aside from the task of supervising the affairs of his local church, he
must ensure the spiritual, social and environmental nourishment of his flock. In
short he plays a greater task to take care not only of the soul but also the whole
being of his parishioners.
A shepherd risks his life to protect his flock. In ancient time shepherds were
known for intimate concern for their sheep, an image descriptive of how God
takes care of His people (Psalm 23:1; Ezekiel 34:2-6, 11-16) "Jesus said, I am the
good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10:11). This
is perhaps a fitting pattern of how God would want His clergy to look after for His
church.
This is what makes the clergy as shepherd of the herd in his parish above
and unique from the rest. His task as the manager by and large may be greater
and wider. Hence by looking at the very instructions from the Scriptures, it does
not only concern the spiritual eminence of man but touches the desire for an
order and further secure his total redemption.
Simplifying the understanding and the richness of this concept, it is
essential to revisit and grasp the fundamental sense and functions of a manager.
The term MANAGE R serves as a reference to further understand the underlying
essence of management. This may be divided into three chapters "MAN", "AGE"
and the "R" which shall be explained further in each of the preceding chapters.
Chapter 1 focuses on the basic functions of management namely, Planning,
Controlling, Directing and Organizing Other management books like "the
Principles of Management written by Luther Gulick and Lyndall Urwik would
 describe these functions in an acronym "POSDCORB" representing Planning,
Organizing, Staffing, Coordinating, Reporting and Budgeting. However for the
purpose of this chapter, the discussion is limited to the basic functions of
management namely; Planning, Directing Controlling, and Organizing as
exemplified by Koontz and O'Donnel in their book Principles of Management.
To simplify the discussion and in order to avoid being too technical, the first
three letters "MAN" is to describe these functions. The discussion will facilitate
and simplify the understanding of said fundamental functions using some
examples mostly taken from the Scriptures supported by some basic management
concepts.
Chapter 2 dwells on the different attributes of a manager being a leader of
the Parish. Using the next three letters "AGE" as an outline shall illustrate the
meaning and importance of such qualities.
Chapter 3 on the other hand, the last letter "R" depicts in on the various
issues of today's parish manager vis-à-vis the modern world where he operates.
 Chapter 1:
"MAN"
As
Functions of Management
The first letter "M" represents the Mind. It pertains to the planning function of
management.
A Manager is considered as the mind of an organization. The mind is defined as
the part of the body that feels, thinks con and reasons. It is the core, the central
area where thoughts for flow, where the most important directions and
prospectives emanate.
This first function of management of Planning is likened to the Mind which sets
the direction and the path of the organization's journey. The manager being the
"mind" of the organization, the local church for this matter, plans regarding the
directions and goals for his parish. As a planner he is tasked to draw the path and
ensure the accomplishment of the foretold mission. Harold Koontz (1988) on the
other hand, simplified E planning as "deciding in advance- what to do, when to do
it and how to do it. Thus planning is a systematic thinking about ways and means
for the accomplishment of pre-determined goals".
The very first job that a manager and his group must do comes from this function.
Planning is actually one of the first 3 activities of the clergy upon hitting the
ground of his place of assignment. This is the act of defining and identifying sets of
actions and strategies that must be undertaken in order to reach a pre-
determined goal of the parish. A manager as the "mind" plays the biggest role in
the crafting, identifying and initiating of plans that shall provide the roadmap of
directions for the parish or local church. These are all geared towards the
achievement of the periodic initiatives up to its farthest objectives.
In the book of Nehemiah (2:1-10), in conceptualizing to rebuild Jerusalem walls, as
the mind-the planner of his people, Nehemiah showed that building confidence in
God will build confidence in him and in others to accomplish greater things for
God.
In other words, a parish manager must have a clear vision of where his
organization must journey along with its ultimate end point. He must possess the
ability to lead in developing a blueprint for the local church's expedition simply
 because as the "mind", he is the major fount of the aspirations that his
organization will try to achieve.
The very crucial stage in every management endeavor is planning because it is
conceived as one dealing with the futurity of the present. Every decision that will
be made in the present must have a foresight. Thus, aside from being critical, he
must base his decisions not only on temporal sentiments but more so on what will
be the effects of the decision in the future. He is the mind that constantly
assesses, evaluates and projects.
Planning is an attitude and away of thinking that whatever one will accomplish in
the beginning, its consequences can be envisioned into the future with hope and
optimism. Koontz (1988) describes it as, "the determination of courses of action
to achieve desired goals".
One of the major jobs of a clergy is to cooperate with the envisioned plan for the
Church (the body of Jesus Christ). A pastor's desire should always be attuned to
the light of Christ Gospel. The way of Paul's death to sin is Christ. "To live and to
die we are in Christ. The divine empowerment of Christ's indwelling is an
empowerment by God's Spirit. Consequently as Paul says, "I have been crucified
with Christ; it is no longer 1 who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I
now live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me
(Galatian 2:20).
Secular managing can plan for many objectives and many goals without
necessarily following the intent of Christ as written in the Holy Book. This is not
the case for the pastor, for in his planning endeavor, he must always focus his
mind, and his vision to what Jesus established, the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom
of Love. Paul, in his desire to make Jesus as the center of his life's existence, the
reason of his being, and making Christ as his all in all, he became all only to win
for Christ; "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippian 1:21). In
admonition to the Hebrews he exclaimed, "Therefore we also, since we are
surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the
sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set
before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...who for the joy
that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrew 12:1-2).
 Akin to this, everything that a clergy must plan and further undertake should be
based on and inspired by the Scriptures which is the core reference for all his local
church's journey. His task of discovering the will of God in his parish is his day to
day allusion in ensuring that its path is within the bounds of Christ's mission on
earth which is the ministry of charity and love. The Story of the Good Samaritan
on (Luke 10:30-37) emphasizes the meaning of loving one's neighbor.
On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the inauguration of the Methodist-
Catholic theological dialogue, Pope Francis said to the participants "Faith becomes
tangible above all when it takes concrete form in love, particularly in service to the
poor and the marginalized." This concrete manifestation of faith must be seen in
how the pastor or priest manages his parish. The parish must be the concrete
place of encounter where the people can see and experience the values of the
Gospel, where they can meet and discover Jesus, the fount of love.
This must be the center of the clergy's direction as planner- a plan attuned,
inspired and based on love that conquers all.
This is not only evident to religious people. Even the great scientist Albert Einstein
has also shared this conviction that love conquers all. In the late 1980s, Lieserl
Einstein, the daughter of the famous genius, donated 1,400 letters, written by her
father, to the Hebrew University, with orders not to publish their contents until
two decades after his death. This is one of the letters of Albert Einstein to his
daughter.
"When I proposed the theory of relativity, very few understood me, and what I
will reveal now to transmit to mankind will also collide with the misunderstanding
and prejudice in the world.
I ask you to guard the letters as long as necessary years, decades, until society is
advanced enough to accept what I will explain below.
There is an extremely powerful force that, so far, science has not found a formal
explanation to. It is a force that includes and governs all others, and is even
behind any phenomenon operating in the universe and has not yet been identified
by us. This universal force is LOVE.
When scientists looked for a unified theory of the universe they forgot the most
powerful unseen force. Love is Light that enlightens those who give and receive it.
 Love is gravity, because it makes some people feel attracted to others. Love is
power, because it multiplies the best we have, and allows humanity not to be
extinguished in their blind selfishness. Love unfolds and reveals. For love we live
and die. Love is God and God is Love.
This force explains everything and gives meaning to life. This is the variable that
we have ignored for too long, maybe because we are afraid of love because it is
the only energy in the universe that man has not learned to drive at will.
To give visibility to love, I made a simple substitution in my most famous equation.
If instead of E = mc2, we accept that the energy to heal the world can be obtained
through love multiplied by the speed of light squared, we arrive at the conclusion
that love is the most powerful force there is, because it has no limits.
After the failure of humanity in the use and control of the other forces of the
universe that have turned against 145, it is urgent that we nourish ourselves with
another kind of energy...
If we want our species to survive, if we are to find meaning in life, if we want to
save the world and every sentient being that inhabits it, love is the one and only
answer.
Perhaps we are not yet ready to make a bomb of love, a device powerful enough
to entirely destroy the hate, selfishness and greed that devastate the planet.
However, each individual carries within them a small but powerful generator of
love whose energy is waiting to be released.
When we learn to give and receive this universal energy, dear Lieserl, we will have
affirmed that love conquers all, is able to transcend everything and anything
because love is the quintessence of life.
I deeply regret not having been able to express what is in my heart, which has
quietly beaten for you all my life. Maybe it's too late to apologize, but as time is
relative, I need to tell you that I love you and thanks to you I have reached the
ultimate answer!".
Your father, Albert Einstein
 The second letter "A" represents the Anchor- The "Controlling and Directing"
functions of Management.
A manager is considered to be an anchor. An anchor is a device usually made of
metal attached to a ship or boat by a cable and cast overboard to hold it in a
particular place by means of a fluke that digs into the bottom. Anchors are usually
used for ships. A ship that has to stay afloat in stationary position will drift and be
lost in the middle of the ocean if it is without an anchor.
In every organization, the manager is always considered an anchor. An
organization without a manager is like a ship without an anchor. It is unstable and
can easily drift and get lost because of the tides and currents of the ocean's
vastness and power.
Firstly, one major functions of a manager is directing. Koontz call this "the life -
spark of the enterprise", which denotes as a process of instructing, guiding and
overseeing performance of workers to achieve pre-determined goals. Just like an
anchor, directing, makes sure that the boat is properly guided and would not drift
away from the changing tides and currents of the ocean's vastness and power. An
anchor provides the guidance and the limits of boat's movement ashore. It means
a manager as an anchor sets not only the limitations of movement but also
assures that whatever force or drive the outside environment should impose, or
whatever muscle the influencing forces may inflict, its anchorage on the set forth
objectives holds firmly. Directing assures that individual or cooperative activities
are harmonized with the group/organizational objectives.
Secondly, one of the basic tasks of every manager is to take control. Take control
of each situation to ensure that whatever dispositions he and his assemblies may
take, they are within the framework and congruent to, the set forth organization's
goal/s. This is a fundamental function of management Like an anchor it prevents
the drifting away into the sea of complications.
One of the pastors in our local church approached me one day. With disgust in his
voice and an apparent tone of exasperation, he was relating his serious frustration
over a retired "intellectual pastor" in his parish who he felt was dominating and
influencing every discussion in the local church. My quick response to his wailing
was "Sir, every decision you make must always be anchored on our agreed
direction in this church. You must be in control and do not lose your grip, assess
 the situation and find a way to convert his so called intellectual dominance into
contributing to our set forth goals. Never lead him to what you feel but always
direct him to what we agreed to achieve before as a local church. "
The controlling process is one of the determinants of how closely organizational
plans and objectives are achieved; one can see well on how things are done when
there is control. Donnel's contention on this is: "Just as a navigator frequently
takes reading to confirm whether or not he's relative to planned action, therefore
a business manager ought to frequently take reading to assure himself that his
enterprise is on the right course."
It is always important that the manager is anchored on the vision set from the
very beginning or else he will just be drifted away by the fickle of people or public
demands. A cue from the account of the Psalmist, "Blessed is the man who hater
walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits
in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in at the law of the Lord, and in His
law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:1-2). The righteous is diligent in the
study of The Law (Torah), he delights in it and meditates on it day and night.
During the Psalmist's time, the Law serves as the lighthouse of his life connected
to his call and an assurance that his being connected serves as his guarantee of
firmness and vigor to his eternal attachment.
Controlling is also a process wherein one can monitor performance which in turn
can more or less ensure desired results or achieve predictable results for every
action/s under. taken. The Controlling function shall ensure that objectives and
accomplishments are consistent with one another and that varied though they
may be, in the end they shall serve the pre-set goals of the organization.
Furthermore, a good control is always useful in aiding and maintaining compliance
with organizational standards and policies, all of which are to serve foretold
missions ultimately. By submitting to the rules and norms as a control measure,
the organization is assured to be on the right track leading to the correct path of
its journey.
Jesus did not lose His anchor to the will of God. And neither should the parish
manager. On the night when Jesus a good will." (Matthew 26:39). Jesus is very
much aware of His call was betrayed by Judas, He prayed, "Father, if it is possible,
let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You and He never let
 any single minute of an hour of His life be lived away from the presence of the
Father, where the source of His power and strength comes. His will must not come
from Himself but from the Father's will, doing not His will but the Father's will.
Jesus, being anchored to His Father, has the clear vision of His ministry. He knows
who sent Him, He knows what the consequences of His mission were and He
adheres to the challenges of such mission being an obedient Son. "The Spirit of
the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and
recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to
proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:18-19; Isaiah 61:1).
The Church where the pastor serves should not lose its anchorage to its head-
Jesus Christ. The primary role of a parish manager is to make sure that his Church,
his people are anchored to Christ. The parallelism of the vine and the branches is
a vivid description of an endless anchorage to Jesus, He said, "He who abides in
Me, and I in him, bear much fruit , for without Me you can do nothing." (John
15:5, "If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you, you will ask whatever you
desire and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7). A Church that is not anchored to
Christ, nor its visions anchored to what He preached, is no different from the
charlatans who go around the streets teaching about God but in truth do not
know anything about Him.
Controlling function serves as the anchor that holds and ensures the church'
attachments to set forth policies and standards towards the achievements of the
goals of the organization. In local Church management, it is the assurance that the
herd is anchored in Christ as the "Solid Rock" that cannot be moved. As the classic
hymn of Ruth Caye Jones entitled In Times like These describes:
In times like these you need a Savior,
In times like these you need an anchor;
Be very sure, be very sure,
Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock

This Rock is Jesus, Yes He's the One,

This Rock is Jesus, the only One;
Be very sure, be very sure,
 Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

Thirdly, being an anchor may also mean a continuing learning process derived
from the experiences and even mistakes borne from the varied encounters along
the way. It is a continuing enhancement of skills all aimed at achieving the goal/s
of the parish.
Edward Brech, a British Management consultant has this to say: "Control is
checking current performance against pre-determined standards contained within
the plans, to make sure adequate progress and satisfactory performances". As to
Harold Koontz "Controlling is the mensuration and correction of performance so
as to form positive that enterprise objectives therefore the plans devised to
realize them are unit accomplished".
In this regard, it is always demanded of a clergy to never no stop from monitoring
and assessing every action, undertaking In and initiative of his parishioners, not
only to ensure alignment to the directions but also to learn from every weakness
as well as error that may come up. Managing is a never ending learning process.
Complications, mistakes and other deterrents are part and parcel of everyday
learning. Every unpleasant experience must not be disregarded but be treated as
part of the learning lessons so as errors will not be repeated.
To describe this further, Adam Sicinski in his article wrote, "Mistakes present
opportunities to analyze your decisions. Sometimes the decision you make might
be out of line with the goals you want to achieve. A mistake will alert you to the
fact that you are on the wrong path. Therefore use it to
redirect yourself back onto the right path."
Henry Fayol has a more vivid description, "Control of an endeavor consists of
seeing that everything is being administered in accordance with that has been
adopted, the orders that are set down. Its object is to mistakes so as that they'll
be corrected and prevented from becoming revenant".
Therefore, the sum of all of these, even the errors commit ted must be regarded
as stepping stones to address challenges. The important lessons these
assessments bring including the inadvertent lapses are very crucial in a sense that
they do not only prevent past mistakes from being repeated but they also
 guarantee a "level up position" and a "heads up" to the right course of
organizational directions. Take a nugget of wisdom from Theodore Roosevelt a
great American President: "The only man who never makes a mistake is the man
who never does anything.

The third letter "N" from the word manager and final letter for "MAN" represents
the Network- the "organizing and coordinating" functions of management.
By definition, a network is a group of people or organizations that are closely
connected and that work with each other.
In simple terms a manager being a network of his organization acts as the weaver
of actions and interests. Although issues and actions may be varied and different
interest may arise in time, the pastor, being the manager has a task to weave all of
them into an all useful materials and have them work together in the fulfillment of
the parish goals. He must have the capability and discernment to link them to
further serve the organization's purpose.
Robert Calia defines networking as "the coordinating function ensures all activities
function together for the good of the organization. Coordinating typically takes
place in meetings and other planning sessions with the department heads of the
company to ensure all departments are on the same page in terms of objectives
and goals. Coordinating involves communication, supervision and direction by
management."
On the other hand, all institutions or organizations whether political, social,
educational and religious have their respective goals which are sought to be
attained by groups of people operating through what is known as organizations.
Organizing function is putting people, machines and resources in their proper
place and order. This is to achieve efficiently and effectively the organizational
goals. Simply stated, it is a function of creating a network that will eventually spin
each initiative directed towards the fulfillment of set objectives of the
organization.
Networking in management is akin to the coordinating function. In an article
written by Satyendra Sarna (2015) in an online blog Ispatguru, networking is
described, "It ensures unity of action among individuals, workgroups and
departments, and brings harmony in carrying out the different activities and tasks
so as to achieve the organizational goals efficiently... It involves synchronizing all
efforts of various departments so that planned objectives are achieved with
minimum conflict".
Just like a network it refers to coordination of each element of different roles and
synchronization of toils and of differences may be overcome, all towards the
efficient achievement of objectives.
To surmise, organizing and coordinating means building relationship among
people so that conflicts, brought about by the various cultural, human and social
differences can be avoided, and to a certain extent be translated into viable
means to efficiently and effectively achieve goals.
Going back to the story of the disgusted pastor over the retired intellectual, today,
that old man is an alternate preacher and a Sunday school teacher and also his
closest ally in pursuing the dreams of the local church.
Coordination specifically, is about building a good relationship with the members
of the organization pursuing similar objectives. A manager with poor relational
skills can never prosper and will most likely be ineffective in his organization.
Building relationships in the organization are one of the means to unite people in
one goal, to create the necessary coherence, just like a network that is
interconnected, interrelated and interdependent in the effort to achieve goals.
People have different views, different opinions, and ivities different styles. One
major task of a local church manager is to gather these differences, where, instead
of colliding with one another, the challenge is to unite them like a web under one
central core.
In my early days at Wesleyan University, Rev. Dr Celestino I. Cancio, now a District
Superintendent of South describes relationships he would quote the story of the
"hole” According to him: "In our human existence hole is so important. Our
Human bodr needs a hole in nose for us to breathe, a hole our ear for us to hear,
hole in skin pores for us to perspire, and more holes needed for the human body
to perform well. However hole in human body performs best, while on the other
hand hole is a sign of imperfection, a defect, a shortcoming, handicap or
limitation. In it is a blemish on a certain person."
 The disciples of Jesus Christ were not chosen because they the perfect people,
rather, they were called to have a relationship with Him. In the manner of
following, trusting and abiding their lives have been perfected, being made new
each day and every day. The Disciples' lives are holes of imperfections made
perfect as Jesus gathered them together, weaved them together like a net. Turning
that human hole of imperfection into a fishing net that no longer catches fish but
human souls. The moment they responded to the call of Jesus, "Follow Me, And I
will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19) these fishermen who decided to
commit their lives to follow Him, became indeed fishers of men.
Networking is the strengthening of relations with people with the end goal of
furthering ties with the Creator. Jesus' mission here on earth is not to bring up an
empire of people or an army of soldiers that will defend him from his enemies.
Jesus came to be with the sick, the lowly, and the sinners. The common defensive
misplay of religious leaders is defining "pastoral" as mere act that can be done for
the maintenance of a parish. But pastoral work is not just about preserving the
status quo, but more on enriching web of a profound relationship of "man to God,
man to man, man to world". Local church pastors' greatest task is to enhance this
web of the relationship first to his God and second to his flock, that of, his
community and also his physical environment.
Parish management is coordinating and organizing. It is the weaving of varied
interests and enhancing relationships to create a network of efforts and actions. It
is also the continuing learning process culled from the lessons of periodic
encounters and experiences. All these are geared towards the achievement of the
parish aspirations.
 Chapter 2
"AGE"
The Manager as a Leader
The fourth, fifth and sixth letters of the word manager form the word-
"AGE". "Age" can mean several things But for the purpose of this chapter, age as a
verb connotes growing older or maturing. When applied to a manager, it describes
a maturing man, a person coming of age.
This chapter shall deal with the manager as a person who has ripened
through years just like an elder in the church, he is considered a leader- the Man
that is of "Age", the leader of the local church. This will take us to the discussion
on the fourth letter "A" which represents an A for an "Artist".
It describes the flexibility and skillfulness of the manager as a leader.
In most management books, managing is not only considered a science but
it is also an art because aside from following set forth guidelines, a manager must
also have the artistic acumen to suit and align himself with the calls of the fast-
changing time. Managing being an art is not a "cut and paste" or a "one-size-fits-
all" activity. The manager lives in a dynamic environment with diverse
personalities who are exposed in a personal or relational surroundings. As a
consequence, change in many ways happen every now and then. Taking the story
of Moses leading the Israelites after their deliverance from slavery in Egypt,
several complaints from the people had to be confronted/managed by his team.
In the book of Exodus, the various encounters in the long journey of the
Israelite people in the desert became a test of Moses management skills. The
Israelites thought that they were aimless wanderers because of the misery they've
been in desert They complained to Moses about their condition. (5:1-22). They
were thirsty but there was nothing to drink (15:22). They were hungry but they
had nothing to eat (16:1- 4). They came to the point wherein they blamed Moses,
the leader of their deliverance, for these miseries. They even came to the extent
of opining that it could be better for them to have remained in Egypt rather than
starve to death in the desert. However, a leader like Moses, with his spiritual
discernment. through his confidence in his God, did not lose his grip and was able
to find ways to rise above these complications.
The Story of Moses' leading the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land
was an experience that marks the trust and confidence of the servants of God to
 obey His salvation plan for them. The unshakeable hope in God assured the
Israelites Side for His presence amidst uncertainties and anxieties through their
have leader Moses.
In the book of Nehemiah, it was written how Jerusalem was rebuilt after
the Jews returned from the Babylonian Captivity. It's about leadership, hard work
and organization. It shows a servant who understood his own role and would not
or distracted from fulfilling allow himself to be discouraged his mission.

In the Online Etymology Dictionary we can find that Art came from the Latin
'ars' meaning skill or ability. It is defined as a process or product of a skillful
making. A manager is an artist because on many occasions the things he will do
and the decisions he will make requires his varied and sometimes skillful moves
and unconventional strokes. He does not appreciate things entirely from the
technical jargons of books but at times ready to think and work outside the
traditional norm. His varied ways of thinking and doing things are his inherent
advantage over the rest in the organization. The wisdom is not limited to theories
but considers pragmatic resolutions all in the attainment of his organizational
directions and goals. These remarkable traits and competencies are acquired not
only from formal studies but also on the experiences that he accumulates as he
progresses through life. program
Some of the requisites of a true leader- being an artist who can see and act
beyond the traditional ethos and can find ways and solutions even to complicated
situations using his mature (aged) outlook of things aided by his inherent artistic
astuteness.
Being artistic is a leadership quality of a manager who does not always limit
himself to the norms. Rather, he has the ability to create or discover measures to
achieve more promising results in most of his undertakings.
Additionally, one of the characteristics of art is timelessness. A true work of
art does not lose its value as it ages, rather, its value, just like a masterpiece,
increases as it gets older.
Brother Omar Defensor, a seminarian on a regency program who helped me
craft some portions of this book has a good experience about this. According to
him, some time ago, in the streets of Ermita, an antique shop displayed art image
of the crucified Christ at the glass window. It has a price tag of a whooping Php
55,000.00. To his suspecting mind he uttered: "A simple woodwork that costs a
 fortune?" The clerk upon hearing his distrust, simply replied, "It is 100 years old,
Sit. It has endured the test of time that is why it is expensive."
We often hear people saying to an old friend whom he had not seen for
quite a time: "Uy! ang tagal na pero parang wala ka pa rin kupas." (You've aged
but you seem to be the same.) A manager is like an artwork that is "walang
kupas." He may age chronologically but his skills and wits increase in value as time
passes. Just like a true work of art which becomes valuable as it ages.
The word of God is timeless. The role of a parish/local church manager is to
preach the word of God in a way that he can project its timelessness, in order to
sink deeply in the lives of his people of whatever age and time. Pastors are
considered elders in the faith or the leaders of conviction. They are expected to
project ageless creativity in order that the people who long for his word might find
nourishment within the Church he leads.
Furthermore, a manager must not lose his sense in terms of experiences
and wisdom It is of values interesting to note that the role to manage is a
composite of two words "man" and "age". Seemingly, it connotes a man getting of
age. As person of age is commonly described as someone who has reached a time
of life at which some particular power, or capacity arises or rests. Therefore the
term "man -age" purports a man of age. As the definition suggests, "a person who
has reached a certain period of his life endowed with some power and capacity
certain is able and capable to handle anything that comes his way." In short,
possessing the ability to hold on a given power and take mature responsibilities
over it.
Interestingly, in Filipino, people of old age is called as "matanda"; the root
word came from "tanda." A tanda means sign points out to a mark. A manager is
considered to be a ma- tanda, "ma" is a common prefix used to connote
"madami" (many). Matanda is maraming tanda, - many signs. It connotes maturity
not only because of his chronological advancement in age but also due to his
various experiences which enabled him to mature and rise above the test of time.
He creates a "tanda", a legacy where he can be remembered even in the passing
of time. A legacy poses an indelible mark, a "tanda".
For pastor/ parish managers, the challenge is not only to avoid being
forgotten when they leave or retire from their place of assignment but also to
reach that spirit of engraving a legacy or the deepest yearning to belong to one of
the "tandas" a mark, an encapsulation of matanda (a elder) to the local church
 However, this being a "tanda" can only be achieved when the clergy directs
his whole inspiration and the totality of his being to the only "tanda", the real
source of wisdom-Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Alpha and the Omega. The same
Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. A sign to remember of all times, "And His name
will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).
The fifth letter in Manager is "G" which describes the manager as the
Guardian.
To be a leader is to be a guardian. By definition, a guardian is "someone that
watches and protects, someone who takes care of another person or another
person's property"
The definition suggests that, a guardian or a true leader will organization.
One organizational always assure security and safety within the sterling quality of
a good manager is always being equipped with determination and courage in
protecting legacies and ambition. He must be alert and ever ready to give up all
things for the sake of achieving those goals.
As guardian of the parish, a pastor is considered to be the keeper and
protector of the parish doctrines. As the keeper he ensures not only the safety of
the sacred deposits of faith but guarantees that the faith of people he has vowed
to serve, is nurtured and protected.
Psalm 23, gives us the image of Jesus as our Good Shepherd. It portrays the
safeguarding of the sheep under the directive and guidance of the shepherd. In
Him nothing is lacking: His leading restores our souls, even in the darkest time of
our lives there should be nothing to fear. "Even when I go through the darkest
valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort
me... Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I
will dwell in the house of the LORD as long as I live" (Psalm 23:4,6)
Manager/Shepherd/Guardian must assure all that had been mentioned in Psalm
23 is working for the best interest of everyone in the flock.
Evidently, there is a consolation in the words of St. Paul in his letter to the
Ephesians "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his
might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,
against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the
whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having
done all, to stand" (Ephesians 6:10-13).
Paul is exhorting the people of Ephesus to be on guard and prepare for a
battle against the desires of the body and the flesh. It is not enough that they
receive the grace through faith but He must use the same faith that he had to be
armored against the forces that seek to take it away from them.
Faith of our Fathers (1849) written by Frederick W. Faber a noted English
hymn writer is sa vivid description forefathers guarded the faith we profess today.
of how our
Faith of our fathers, living still,
In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;
Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene'er we hear that glorious Word!

Refrain:
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death.

Our fathers, chained in prisons dark,

Were still in heart and conscience free;
How sweet would be their children's fate,
If they, like them, could die for thee!

Faith of our fathers, we will strive

To win all nations unto thee;
And through the truth that comes from God,
We all shall then be truly free.

Faith of our fathers, we will love

Both friend and foe in all our strife;
And preach thee, too, as love knows how
By kindly words and virtuous life.

The pastor must always wear the full armor of God as exemplified by our
forefathers so that as the leader of parish he can truly be the guardian of the faith
 The sixth letter of the word manager is "E" which denotes as the epitome.
Operationally defined, Epitome means, a perfect example, an example that
represents something very well. This thouble leads us to the three important
qualities that are required o true Church leader today.
First, an outstanding leadership quality that is highly demanded today is
that a leader "walks the talk". Being the person in charge of the parish and a
leader of the people, he must be a perfect exemplar of what he preaches. A
leader who does not insist on his own preconceived values gained from his social,
familial or traditional upbringing, rather, he carries with him the true essence of
his "being sent" by Jesus who is the perfect example of humility and obedience.
Thus, this function of management demands a leader who is the epitome of
lowliness and obedience. "But he who is greatest among you shall be your
servant" (Matthew 23:11).
The world is changing fast. The advent of social media broke down the
barriers of culture. As one who will lead the parish, the pastor's primordial trait is
to be ultimately grounded on authentic values of the church as taught by Christ;
that is the need to come to the real self and overcome oneself. In other words,
leading is living by example which means a true assessment of oneself grounded
on the soil of lowliness.
In his article entitled The Circumcision of the Heart, John Wesley said,
"Circumcision of heart implies humility, faith, hope, and charity. Humility, a right
judgment of ourselves, cleanses our minds from those high conceits of our own
perfection, from that undue opinion of our own abilities and attainments, which
are the genuine fruit of a corrupted nature." (Sermon 17, no. 2 pal
A vivid example of overcoming oneself is the parable of the two sons found
in Luke 15:11-32, When the younger son came to himself, he overcame pride and
realized his picture of himself, "Father I have sinned against heaven and against
you, I am no longer worthy to be called your son" (vv. 18. 19). He came to himself
and found out that he was not only hungry and helpless, but he had sinned
against his father who loved him so deeply and against heaven which is the source
of his entire being.
The second son on the other hand, perhaps can be what John Wesley is
referring to on the "undue inion of our abilities and attainments, which are the
genuine parallel its of our corrupted nature". "And he said to him, 'Son, you
always with me and all that of that have is yours" (v.31)What an unfortunate
 imagery lack of discernment and obvious that sightlessness! her. He missed the
beauty and prosperity of being with his father because of his exceeding belief in
himself is being better than his returning brother
The parable is the clearest depiction of failing to see the nearness and the
richness of God when senses are blurred by the curtain of pride, usually by our
"undue opinion" and the wrong assessment of our own abilities and capabilities.
In parallel, a manager, a leader should be an example of a person who has
realized his true feeble self. Unless he will be like the Prodigal who "came to
himself", He can never be fit to lead his flock. Or to be like the second son, who
was engulfed by the cloud of vanity, He may miss the whole point of being with
the father throughout his life.
Second, obedience and humility are two inseparable words. One cannot
exist without the other. Obedience is a manifestation of one's true surrender to
Christ. This is one vital quality every pastor-leader must possess. But without
meekness, there can be no obedience and without obedience there can be no
true faith. The great act made by Abraham in offering his son as a sacrifice per
God's instruction is one of the best examples of a true human obedience in the
Old Testament. (Genesis Chapter 22:1-14)
This is what obedience is all about, it is a total surrender to the will of God.
Another story of Divine submission is found in the book of Numbers,
Chapter 13: 17-28. Moses was facing outright rejection from the Israelites on their
journey to the Promised Land. The news was that indeed the place is flowing with
milk and honey. However, it is fortified and the dwellers were huge and strong.
There were notions from the many to reverse the exodus because of fear. But
obedience and trust of Joshua and Caleb to instructions of the Lord to proceed
despite all odds, prevailed. "If the Lord delights in us (because of our trust and
obedience), then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which
flows milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of
the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them
(because of their wicked ways) and the Lord is with us, (we have His favor), do not
fear them" (Numbers 13: 17-28, the holy Bible- Prophecy study edition, NKJV).
Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, a renowned Biblical scholar in the Philippines
has a beautiful way of presenting what obedience is. He will use the Latin
etymology of the word obedience. It came from the root word to hear" or "to
listen". Obedience is about listening. There be no true obedience without an open
ear to what the Lordan saying- to listen to the living word of God that is constantly
nourishing the ministry. As articulated by Rev. Ivan Casteel's sermon "Faith
without obedience is dead" Obedience is the nametag of faith, No obedience -no
faith. You will not live in obedience without faith, and neither will you live in faith
and be disobedient. Jesus instructed his disciples, "If you love Me, keep My
commandments" (John 14:15)
Jesus is our epitome for obedience. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He was
able to overcome himself and submit to the will of the Father. Despite His plea to
be spared from the cup of suffering, eventually, He turned into a total surrender
saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My
will, but Yours be done" (Luke 22: 42). Therefore the pattern of ministry should
always be that of Jesus. "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." (Jn. 20:21)
The Pope of Ecumenism, Pope Paul VI in his Apostolic Letter entitled
Evangelii Nuntiandi issued on December 8, 1975 wrote, "Modern man listens
more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is
because they are witnesses" (41). Aside from someone to teach them about the
faith, much is the demand for someone living out the Gospel.
A true leader is a genuine witness as he walks his talk about how God
transformed his life. That is evangelism in action, a true leader on the go- willing
to deny himself, taking up his cross every day and follow Jesus. Then Jesus said to
come after Me, let him himself, and take up his cross and follow me" (Matthew
16:27)
People will always look up to him as the manager and as the leader of the
parish. People will always emulate him, therefore, his actions must always match
his words.
Third, a manager should also be an epitome of wisdom. To be an epitome of
wisdom is not to be content solely with the knowledge of yesterday. The world is
fast changing, with the advent of the internet, barriers to the entry of varied
things that influence man's daily living have become a thing he must keep himself
abreast with the issues of a fast changing of the past. With this phenomenon of
the manager as leader, tide. He must update his know-how and get along with the
change or be doomed with the illiteracy of the times.
Today, literacy is no longer measured by one's ability to read, write and do
arithmetic (the old 3R's). The barometer for literacy has been elevated on the
level of one's ability to use and exploit the "cloud", such as internet and forms of
 social media. Hence, expiration of knowledge is faster than the rate of change of
android and i-phone models brought about by these evolutions. Therefore, it is
required of a manager to equip himself and align his pace with the current trends
and developments confronting his parish or he will be left behind and be trapped
in antiquity and depreciation.
However, in his search for more knowledge while using these media, he
must be on guard lest he becomes overdependent on this new technology and
debilitates his ability to think deeply which is a requisite for one's refinement. The
pockmark of "cut and paste" and the "one-size-fits-all" attitude normally are
consequences of too much subordination to these media. Many had fallen into
the pit of forgetting the practice of stretching one's mind because of too much
reliance on the "instants" that Google, Facebook, Twitter and other social media
provide on their fingertips.
A modern management writer in the person of Cal Newport in his book
Deep Work calls this a "state of fragmented attention". According to him, "deep
work requires a long period of uninterrupted thinking. Perhaps, to be epitome of
wisdom is being able to exploit modernity and at the same time stretching the
brain to think deeply and independently.
Managing the parish and preaching the Word of God in a most effective
manner, the Pastor must not stop learning and searching for means to catch up
with the tremendous issues confronted daily by his parish. Living in a world
rivaling with humongous "attention-getters" and puissant human alternatives, a
pastor must be an epitome of wisdom by exploring his never- ending quest for
new knowledge and innovative and effective approaches to his ministry. Through
this, he can bravely accept the change and align God's words efficiently and at the
same time pull himself out from the quicksand of stagnation.
 Chapter 3
"R"
as Rhythm

Rhythm is defined as an ordered recurrent alternation of strong and weak

elements in the flow of sound and silence in speech. In parallel, the total role of the
manager can be aptly described using the above definition. Just like putting the rhythm
on musical instruments, a manager can create harmony amidst disparity and diversity.
In an orchestra for instance, where there are varied musical instruments, though
the types of sounds may be distinct from each other, they do not create chaos. Instead
they produce harmony when given the rightful notes and measure. A manager must not
only put things in their own places, but also make sure that there is harmony created in
each place. Just like the work of the musical conductor, he has the ability to balance the
strong and the weak using his extraordinary ear, listening while directing the flow of the
proper rhythmical patterns and sounds.
Pay attention to a group of people who sing together. The contrast of high and
low pitch: soprano, alto, tenor and bass (SATB) create a perfect harmony.
Mark Carpio, the musical director of the famous Madrigal Singer, has this very
sharp sense of hearing that what seems to be perfect to other people's hearing often
times may be faulty to him. His ears have the ability to hear things no ordinary ears can.
Perhaps, it is a description of a "super eardrum.
In a similar manner, a manager who is also called a "supervisor" connotes
someone possessing the same extraordinary capabilities. The term supervisor is a fusion
of two words "super-visor". It describes one that possesses a super vision, the ability to
see extraordinarily, the faculty to see things beyond words, the ability to visualize
feelings beyond expression and the ability to notice sounds beyond what is said/heard.
An extraordinary vision that sees through the depth of senses. A super vision that
can be used as a tool to create harmony- all directed towards the achievement of
organizational goals.
It is in this sense that the manager extraordinaire is depicted. Not all people are
created equal in this aspect, as it takes some extra skills to be one. Not all employees or
people in a parish has this type of credentials, but only special people with extra vision
and extra sense of appreciation can be managers.
Pastors should always remember that they are not mere human creations nor
simple managers for that matter. An ordinary manager can always be effective and
efficient by studying all possible theories that can help him understand the art. Or in the
secular set-up, as long as he can increase the numbers associated with this organization
that would be enough measure of his efficiency. However, more is demanded from a
pastor-manager. He, should be one who draws inspiration from Jesus himself as the
Pastor Bonum- the Good Shepherd. The job is not limited to raising fund for the parish,
nor preaching a good sermon on a Sunday or visiting the sick and praying for the flock
but it shall also involve creating the harmony inside and outside the four walls of his
parish.
CONCLUSION
Pastores Dabo Vobis
I will give you shepherds after my own heart - Jeremiah 3:15

The late Pope John Paul II, issued on March 15, 1992, a very beautiful exhortation
for the priests and clergy of the world entitled Pastores Dabo Vobis meaning, I will give
you shepherds after my own heart. This Scripture Passage was taken from the book of
the Prophet Jeremiah 3:15. In the context of the Babylonian captivity, when God saw the
unfaithfulness of the Israelites, He heartily expressed the need for them to go back to
Him and He said: "And I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who will feed you
with knowledge and understanding."
The task of a pastor is not only important but justified. It is not just an ordinary
task that can be given to anyone. More than a profession, the task of a clergy is a
vocation. It is rooted in his ability to listen to the voice of God, the one who called him.
Because of this, a clergy must always be in communion with the one who called him.
Being assigned in his place of ministry, a clergy is not there entirely because he wanted
to be there but because God is sending him there. If the reason for being in the place of
assignment or in the place of the mission is inferior to the essence of him being sent by
God Himself then there is no reason at all to continue his ministry.
However, a pastor is not just called to be in he is called in communion and he is
called sent to a mission. The privilege of being called does not end there. The call of
discipleship always leads them to participate in the mission that the Lord himself did. So
Jesus said to them again, "As the Father has sent Me, so I send you" (John 20:21). A
priest or a pastor is sent according to how Jesus was sent by His Father. A pastor is sent
after the very heart of Christ, the Good Shepherd. His task of evangelization is of the
highest consequence in the community of believers because through him leading the
ministry, the Church may be able to recognize its fundamental obedience to the mission
of realizing the Kingdom of God here on earth.
Although human frailty and weakness may at times seem to take over, and
instances of the dryness of faith may occasionally come into play, the burning passion of
a Clergy's conviction and the constant voice of his calling are enough antidote in
revitalizing his ardor to persevere and endure the test of times. Every clergy's
consolation is the assurance of God's omnipresence and never ending compassion. As
revealed in the Great Commission: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and
Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you and surely I am with you
always, to the very end of age". (Matthew 28:19-20, New International Version, British
Isles, 2011 edition)
Lastly, priests and pastors are called to become faithful, disciples and are sent into
obedient transformation a mission to participate of the world. Therefore Go! Our world
today needs the Word of God. The Word of God that is not in the lives and the rest of
the whole world. Jesus said. ""...but whoever rinks of the water that I shall give him will
never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water
springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:14). The world of today is greatly influenced by
the swiftness of changes not only in technology but also in the attitudes and
appreciation of the man. There are occasions where religious obligations and religious
norms are treated as outdated by many people. And when religion and culture slowly
take the minuscule role in the society, the clergy's role becomes even bigger and more
challenging. The more that he must be vigilant and be the first and foremost sign of
hope amidst the changing tides of times.
Pastors and priests should always remember that "they are sent according to the
heart of God" and if one is sent according to this attribute, there is no room for
mediocrity in terms of handling the sheep entrusted to his care. He is sent according to
the heart of God: a source of wisdom so that his parish may understand and appreciate
the faith that Christ has exemplified, a specimen of hope that the evidence of the
omnipotence and omnipresence of the God he professes stays alive and real in his
parish; a source of strength and fortitude that come high or low he will never succumb
to challenges and grief; finally, an epitome of lowliness with Christ being his model and
example.
Come to think of it just to be considered one among the the class of those who
were "chosen" by the "Master" is an even thought that my boss", employer" and "my
supervisor" is God Himself is a matchless grace and a privilege that is second to none.
The task of handling a parish is not and will never be an "ordinary thing". It is
more than a job, it is a vocation, it exceeds passion and dedication and it surpasses the
conventional and the average.
Again, please....A "MAN" of "AGE" in "R"
 The Mind that plans Anchored to Christ. Weaving a Network of believers in most
Artistic ways. The true Guardian of our depository of Faith and the Epitome of
lowliness...in Rhythm with the Lord's mission on earth...