The business world can teach us

by Letters Editor · June 7, 2012

From Frank Bompas, Johannesburg

I would like to thank Fr Ron Rolheiser on his insightful article �Recipe for New Evangelisation�, May 23. It is very easy to say that evangelisation is needed, but accomplishing it, especially in the context of those who have had some contact with Christianity, is problematic.

Effective evangelisation demands the spiritual power that comes from a lot of prayer, faith in God and the ability to relate and communicate well. We can learn it best from those individuals and groups that have been successful in this area, even if they are not Catholic.

Evangelisation is however but one aspect of a successful Church; sometimes by gaining members all we are doing is replacing those who have left. I think that as a Church we need to learn some lessons from the secular world both on how to attract and retain �clients�.

The first point that I think we need to realise is that in common with secular organisations we must be ceaselessly campaigning for new members because whether we like it or not any organisation (including the Church) is continuously losing members, often to competitive groups; and in today�s world the number of competing Christian denominations and alternative ideologies is legion.

However, we need to realise that in the Catholic Church we have a very deep and pure spirituality and theology that some people will appreciate and want to adopt if it is presented to them in an attractive and convincing manner.

Businesses have to ensure they hire the people with the talents and capacity to perform their tasks. After that they must skill them, train them and constantly scrutinise the quality of the work of employees and managers to ensure they are competent and productive. We must ask whether we are placing people in clerical and lay ministry who have a real calling and capacity for caring for souls.

Further we must question whether we are giving them the training and encouragement they need to act as pastors and spiritual leaders. Finally we must query if the work of those in ordained and lay leadership positions is properly supervised and evaluated.

The Church and the domain of government and business exist in the same world and what produces lasting success in the secular domain usually does the same in the Church.

Excellent service and real care for people work wonders in the secular world and they do great things for the Church. Choosing the right people for the tasks they are given as well as managing, training and skilling them is central to business success and just as vital in running a credible Church.