I am so thankful that the Lord called me to be a minister rather than an administrator.
I know I shouldn’t, but I tend to grudge every minute I have to spend compiling reports, answering email, filing paper, answering email, writing references, and answering email. Did I mention answering email?
I’d far prefer to be preparing sermons and lectures, writing blogs and books, and shepherding believers and unbelievers.
That’s why I am so, so, so grateful for those God has called to be administrators, especially those I work with at Puritan Seminary. I have huge admiration for their gifts and for their servant hearts. I’m stunned at the enthusiasm with which they go about their jobs, the quality of work they produce, and the extra miles they are always willing to run.
What a blessing for any church or institution to have men and women like this. Most of them have no idea how immensely and immeasurably valuable and vital their work is. But for every minute they spend on administration, that’s one more minute for pastors to spend on ministry (Acts 6:4). Every minute they give to paper is one more minute for pastors to give to people.
One of the greatest services you could do for your pastor is to ask him, “Is there any administration that I could take off your desk? Is there any office work that I could remove from your to-do list.” You’ve no idea how much that might help to improve his sermons and increase his counseling availability.
And if you’ve got one of those weird creatures, a minister who actually loves and seeks out administration, you’ve got to take him by the scruff of the neck and force him to hand over the paper, the files, and the paper clips. There are sermons to write and souls to be evangelized.
Administrators need ministers and ministers need administrators. As pastors already have an “Appreciation Day,” I’d be all for organizing an “Administrator’s Appreciation Day,” except of course that would involve me in administration.