Clergy Business Skills Training and Ministry Performance

American churches are suffering a decline in finances and attendance, and attrition among clergy is at an historic high. Some scholars believe a lack of business skills training within pastoral education programs is a contributing factor for this attrition. In this study, clergy of the Appalachian District of the Assemblies of God shared their insights and observations regarding the business skills needed for ministry success. Building upon the competing values framework and strategic management theory, and using participant interviews and participant-observations from a sample of 12 clergy as sources of data, this study identified themes and skills, based on cross-case analysis, that clergy perceive to be critical to pastoral and church performance. Themes included the church as a spiritually unique business, leadership and managerial deficiencies within theological education programs, and the necessity of real-world application of business skills. Clergy also identified the required knowledge and skills areas of (a) organizational strategy; (b) marketing management; (c) human resources management; (d) accounting and finance management; (e) culture, conflict, and change management; and (f) general business and leadership skills. Dissemination of these findings among clergy, educational leaders, and congregations across denominational lines in both academic and ministerial settings could result in transformative training programs to include a focus on the revealed themes, resulting in stronger church leadership that is able to devise effective church offerings matching community needs. This leadership will promote positive change in church performance, the social health of American communities, and pastoral longevity.