Managing Congregations in a Virtual Age

In Managing Congregations in a Virtual Age, John W. Wimberly Jr. draws on the experience of the business community, and on a diverse group of skilled pastors and rabbis, as he lays out the opportunities and challenges of working from home for congregations and staff, offering principles and best practices for successfully managing remote workers and ministries.

The move toward working from home is part of a rapidly changing work environment for employers and employees alike. Large parts of the business world have mastered managing their staff, located around the country and the world, virtually. For many faith communities, however, the sudden move to working from home amid the Covid-19 pandemic involved significant upheaval. Fortunately, various forms of technology and productivity tools can make this shift easier.

Wimberly focuses on how congregational leaders can ensure accountability and productivity, create a sense of staff as a team, help older staff members learn how to work from home, and determine what hardware and software staff members and the congregation need to support effective communication.

This comprehensive guide will serve congregations well into the future, even as technology and circumstances change.

John W. Wimberly Jr. has served congregations for forty years, thirty of those years as pastor at Western Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC. He is the author of two books: The Business of the Church: The Uncomfortable Truth That Faithful Ministry Requires Effective Management and Mobilizing Congregations: How Teams Can Motivate Members and Get Things Done. He consults with congregations on issues such as the creation and implementation of strategic plans, congregational growth, financial management, and staff designs for the twenty-first century.