Henry (Hank) Loyd Copeland

Seminary Flaw and Solution Henry (Hank) Loyd Copeland

The main purpose of this book is to achieve the objective of getting seminaries to include a management course that includes: leadership, planning, organizing, staffing, motivating, and controlling in their curriculum. The lack of a management course in the seminary curriculum is a very serious flaw. This book also includes valuable church program management information for church pastors and lay leaders. The reader of this book who has theological educational background most likely is both aware that leadership is taught in seminaries and has taken the course; however, it is apparent that leadership education takes lower priority, as it should, than theological education. There also is an internship course where the student works in a church for maybe a year for a very little time. This is where the student is to get exposure to the actual functioning of a church. Neither of these is sufficiently intense as one of the theological courses. Not only is there a lack of intensity but also the content of a leadership course is inadequate as compared to a management course that covers the basic functions of managementnamely, planning, organizing, staffing, motivating, and controlling. As a result, the student, upon ordination, is not prepared to effectively contribute in using the basic functions of management. This can result in poor performance as noted in the cases included in this book. It is a fact that without effective management education, a pastor will be significantly less effective in applying theological education. The lack of a management course in the seminary curriculum is a very serious flaw. Pastors and Lay leaders need to recognize the need for and seek management training. This is highly evident as exposed in this book where there is so much poor management. Many churches seem to be satisfied with what they are doing and continue with business as usual. The degree to which progress beyond business as usual is understood depends on the depth of understanding how to implement the basic functions of management in the church.