7 Key Skills Needed by Every Church Administrator
A church administrator’s role is essential to your church’s daily operations. Because church administrators are important, you need the best person for the job. Scripture even emphasizes the importance of hiring the right person in Proverbs 26:10: “Like an archer who wounds at random is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.”
Are you wondering what kind of person you should hire to be a church administrator? Read on to learn more about what a church administrator does and what key skills are needed in the role.
What Does a Church Administrator Do?
A church administrator is responsible for the daily operations of your church. An administrator’s specific duties vary depending on the specific church’s needs, but common tasks church administrator performs include:
- Managing and operating church management software
- Taking notes of staff meetings
- Assisting the treasurer in monitoring the bookkeeping process
- Scheduling church events
- Maintaining the church member database
- Maintaining the church office and ordering supplies if needed
- Hiring new staff or volunteers
- Meeting with potential sponsors or partners for church activities
- Handling the church’s social media, website, and newsletter
Some smaller churches don’t have a dedicated church administrator, so a pastor or management member may take over these duties. However, mid-size and larger churches almost always have a church administrator to handle all these tasks.
Important Skills for Church Administrators
As the saying in Proverbs 22:29 goes, “Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank.” Skilled people stand out from the crowd, but you might not see them if you don’t know what kind of skills you’re looking for.
To help you identify the best administrator for your church, here are several essential skills an administrator must have:
Organization and Attention to Detail
Organizational skills and attention to detail are essential for church administrators because they handle many tasks with numerous moving parts and elements. Some tasks that benefit from good organizational skills and attention to detail include office maintenance and paperwork filing.
Communication and Negotiation
A major part of a church administrator’s job involves talking to staff, church members, and external stakeholders. Good negotiation skills ensure the administrator can win sponsors, make church members feel valued, and defuse potential issues.
However, it’s important to note that you need somebody with healthy negotiation skills – not just somebody who’ll do anything to win a deal. A good negotiator strives for win-win solutions in every situation, as outlined in 1 Corinthians 10:24: “No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.”
Planning
While church administrators are expected to execute the manager’s plans, they also need good planning skills of their own. Managers are usually big-picture planners, so they typically only outline an activity’s general details and goals. Meanwhile, administrators are responsible for filling in the blanks.
Good planning skills help the church administrator translate the manager’s requirements and objectives into concrete steps, which staff members and volunteers can then execute under the administrator’s watch.
Delegating
Delegating is closely related to planning. A church administrator can’t do everything alone and shouldn’t be expected to. Instead of shouldering the entire workload alone, they delegate the task given by church managers to other staff members.
Moses’ father-in-law Jethro explained why you should delegate in Exodus 18:21-23:
“But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
Financial Management
Church administrators work with the church’s treasury staff to monitor fund usage. This task usually includes budget planning, income tracking, and financial statement prepping, so a church administrator must be financially literate.
A good understanding of financial management is essential because administrators are responsible for spotting errors and preventing fund misuse that can hurt the church’s financial health.
Computer Proficiency
These days, many churches use church management systems to take care of their administration, meaning administrators must know their way around computers. Even if a church doesn’t use church management software, the administrator still needs a computer to maintain digital staff records, financial data, and other important information.
Trustworthiness
A church administrator is responsible for dozens, if not hundreds, of employees, volunteers, and church members, so trustworthiness is essential. They often handle confidential information that may harm people if leaked, like member donations and staff payroll, as well as large amounts of money.
Therefore, a church administrator must be honest and trustworthy, following the example set out in Proverbs 12:22: “The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in people who are trustworthy.”
How Church Management Software Helps in Church Administration
A church administrator has many responsibilities, so things might sometimes get overwhelming. Fortunately, church management software like Breeze has you covered. With features like church member management dashboards, giving trackers, and event organizers, Breeze has everything you need to ensure smooth daily operations.
Better yet, you don’t even have to be in front of a computer to use Breeze. It comes with a handy mobile app you can access on smartphones and tablets, so you can check your church’s finances and search for member data anywhere.
If you’re still on the fence about using Breeze, consider signing up for a 30-day demo with free phone and email support. We also provide pre-loaded sample data for you to explore the software’s features.
Closing Thoughts
A church administrator helps ensure daily operations of your church go smoothly. They’re responsible for many things related to your church, so you need to find the right person for the job. The most important skills for a church administrator include planning, delegating, and negotiation.
