7 Solutions for the Overworked Church Operations Manager

Picture this: A family visits a church for the first time. The worship is awesome, the service runs smoothly, the hospitality team is on it, and the kid’s ministry is a big win. Who’s the guy (or gal) responsible for this resounding triumph? While a successful service always takes a village (and the Holy Spirit), the church operations manager is the likely hero of the day. 

Otherwise known as the “Pastor of Operations,” “Church Administrator,” “Director of Church Operations,” or even “Church Admin,” the Church Operations Manager is the person responsible for making sure weekend services work. They might oversee the day-to-day schedule of the lead pastor, supervise staff, manage facilities, execute marketing and communications, direct volunteers, and more. In smaller churches, a church operations manager might have a wider range of tasks; in a larger church, he or she might have more specific and streamlined duties. 

Regardless of the role, nearly all church operations managers have stressful jobs. Their responsibilities are myriad and never-ending, and the stakes are high in an environment with constant event planning. In the following article, we’ll discuss solutions for overworked church operations managers–making their work easier, more efficient, and, ultimately, more effective.

‍

What is a Church Operations Manager?

A church operations manager may be responsible for overseeing the administrative, financial, and logistical functions of a church. They ensure that the ministry runs smoothly by managing resources, coordinating teams, and implementing processes that support the church’s mission.

‍

Their responsibilities often include:

• Administrative Oversight – Managing day-to-day office operations, maintaining church records, and ensuring compliance with legal and financial regulations.
• Event and Service Coordination – Assisting with logistics for worship services, special events, and ministry activities.
• Facilities and Maintenance – Supervising building upkeep, coordinating repairs, and ensuring the church campus remains safe and functional.
• Technology and Communication – Implementing church management software and maintaining the church website and social media platforms.
• Event and Service Coordination – Assisting with logistics for worship services, special events, and ministry activities.
• Human Resources and Volunteer Management – Recruiting, training, and scheduling staff and volunteers to support church operations.
• Strategic Planning – Working with church leadership to develop operational strategies that align with the church’s mission and long-term vision.
• Supporting Pastoral and Ministry Teams – Assisting pastors and ministry leaders with resources, scheduling, and administrative tasks to free them up for spiritual leadership.

Some church operations managers work closely alongside the lead pastor, managing their schedules and facilitating decision-making. They may also help manage finances and the church budget. 

‍

7 Solutions for the Overworked Church Operations Manager

#1: Get an assistant

With so many tasks and responsibilities, a church operations manager can easily get caught in the weeds. An assistant–even a virtual assistant or church intern–can help an operations manager offload minor administrative tasks and better manage their more critical responsibilities. 

#2: Build systems

Perhaps the most important skill a church operations manager can learn is building systems. These can include systems that are formalized through a church management software–such as a workflow that delegates tasks out to staff, or informal systems that act as SOPs for church staff–such as communicating directly with specific ministry leaders (rather than the operations manager). In any case, the right systems will save time and increase effectiveness. 

#3: Draw boundaries

Drawing boundaries is a soft skill that requires finesse, kindness, courage, and strength. For a church operations manager, that can mean refusing to let scope creep into tasks or responsibilities that aren’t appropriate for the role. It can also mean clearly communicating with coworkers how and when to be contacted. 

#4: Get an all-in-one church management software

An all-in-one church management software can help simplify the job of a church operations manager by:

• Streamlining a church’s tech stack so that one tool is linked to database management, giving, communications, volunteer management, and more. 
• Bringing critical information under one roof, including contact information, giving history, and volunteer roles of each church member. 
• Smoothing out staff communication with a single platform that makes information easily accessible. 
• Making it simple to contact church members with appropriate information with linked tools for database management, texting, and email. 

#5: Prioritize health

Unfortunately, burnout is all too common in ministry. That doesn’t just apply to the lead pastor. Church operations managers can easily become overburdened without proper practices of self-care in place. Make sure that the role of operations manager is reasonably balanced and compensated, with allocations for time with family and friends. Regular check-ins can also prevent an operations manager from becoming overworked. 

#6: Take a sabbatical

In some cases, a church operations manager may need a genuine sabbatical, with a few weeks (or months) off of work. Seasons of intense busyness in a church (like a building transition or renovation, conference, or church merger) may call for a period of rest and intentional time off for the operations manager. It is better to rest a burned-out manager for a few weeks than to lose a burned-out manager permanently.

#7: Delegate

If a church is fortunate enough to have a highly competent operations manager, he or she may end up with too many tasks. In some cases, a church operations manager will need to delegate existing responsibilities to the appropriate ministry leader or staff member. For example, all financial tasks may need to be shifted to the lead accountant or pastor of finance. 

‍

Over to You

Like with any ministry role, the work life of a church operations manager will have ebbs and flows. That being said, it’s essential to build a sustainable role that won’t inevitably result in dissatisfaction at best and burnout at worst. The good news? It doesn’t take a gargantuan effort to ensure success by ensuring systems, software, standard operating procedures, and self-care. 

‍