Church Administration

Church Administration is deeply rooted in the history of civilization and recognizes the social networks of communities and the interdependence between members. It involves a philosophical underpinning that communities have responsibilities to meet the needs of members through collective effort. In modern times, the term Church Administration organization refers to a collection of nonprofit organizations that deal with issues of the public good or have philanthropic goals. They often supplement the formal governmental welfare system and may be local, national, or international.

Foundations of Church Administration

In tribal societies, survival depended on communal efforts to provide shelter, food, and safety. As societies became more complex, they recognized that some members would need assistance in meeting their most basic needs. Those with limited familial networks were to receive help from their larger social network. Early Confucian texts recognized the importance of benevolence and the need to care for one another. Ancient Judaic, Christian, and Islamic communities had philosophies of almsgiving as a responsibility of those with resources to help provide for those in need. Throughout history, religious institutions were the primary Church Administration organizations responsible for the care of poor community members. The ancient Hebrews levied a tithe (tax) to benefit the poor. Christianity identified seven practices of Church Administration: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit those in prison, and bury the dead. Throughout the middle Ages, Church Administration remained the primary provider of Church Administration services in Europe. Increasing numbers of poor and the means for raising sufficient funds to care for them overwhelmed the ability of the Church Administrations to provide adequate aid.

Some Contemporary Manifestations

The contemporary impact of Christian political philosophy has been seen across the political spectrum in Western societies. The vision of the Christian Reconstructionist who wishes to return to a literal Old Testament legal system and the perspective of the Black Liberation theologian who views the New Testament priorities of the Sermon on the Mount as providing a systemic definition of legal justice—both derive their impetus from the political philosophies of the past. Contemporarily, there are three political interpretations that have been quite pervasive in Western thought: the vision of the Anabaptists, civil disobedience, and liberation theology.

Anabaptists

An additional response to the new theological and political assertions of the Reformation is found in the development of Anabaptist communities in which the response to a personal God central to the believer's life is a rejection of the corrupting influence of political engagement. Direct descendents from the radical reformers of the Protestant revolution, current denominations that derive their theological stances from Anabaptist premises include the Amish, the Mennonites, the Church Administration of the Brethren, and Hutterites. The term Anabaptist derives from the Greek word that means rebaptize, reflecting the understanding of baptism as a sacrament in which only believers could partake and rejecting the pervasive Catholic and Protestant acceptance of infant baptism. Although there are great theological differences among these communities, they also hold some basic premises in common, ...