A Church, not a business

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Oct 27, 2008

 Tom Szyszkiewicz, a fine Catholic journalist who wrote for me frequently when I edited Catholic World Report, has an interesting piece in Business Week, on the work of Geoffrey Boisi and the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management (NLRCM)-- a group of corporate executives who seek to help Church leader operate on a more businesslike basis. There's no question that parishes and dioceses can profit from the use of proper management techniques. So far, so good. But the NRLCM goes further, with suggestions about how Church leaders should formulate their overall goals. Here Szyszkiewicz draws the line. The Church doesn't need corporate CEOs to help define her ultimate goals. (And especially not executives whose credentials include a term on the board of Freddie Mac.) As Szyszkiewicz puts it:

There is no doubt that Mr. Boisi and the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management (NLRCM), which he started, mean well. Indeed the group's executive director, Kerry Robinson, says they love the Church. However, what isn't clear is what their understanding of 'the Church' is.