A strategic planning model and plan for an enterprise-wide information system supporting a church-based organization

Churches and other religious based organizations have over the years used very traditional means of providing information to their own membership and to attract new members. Although there is growing evidence of increased use of new information system technology in church-based organizations, it also indicates that the use of this technology is not being fully exploited or integrated into the church's overall vision and subsequent planning. The goal of this dissertation was to develop a strategic model and plan for an enterprise-wide information system in a church-based organization that will enable them to support their vision, mission, objectives and goals. The problem addressed in this study consisted of several facets. These were as follows: (1) churches have not kept up with technology, (2) they have not planned well and therefore resources are not used effectively, (3) the majority of churches with computers still use them for basic administrative tasks as opposed to using them to enhance worship and support Christian education and training, and (4) church officials have a lack of understanding of the importance of strategic planning for information systems and their integration into the mission of the church.; The approach adopted by the researcher to accomplish the goals and objectives of this study included a literature review that provided an overview of strategic and information systems planning, both in secular and non-secular organizations. The study was also supported by a survey component. A research survey questionnaire package was distributed to 300 churches in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. The survey provided information on their information system capabilities and applications: current, planned, and future; their planning process; and current information system configuration. A significant survey question was the determination of how the computer information system equipment was being utilized within the churches.