Balancing Ministry and Management: An Exploratory Study of Pastoral Work Activities

Five evangelical Protestant clergy were studied by use of a structured observation protocol with the goals of defining the work activity characteristics of the pastors and developing a working role composite. The pastors' work activities were found to be taxing, fast-paced, and unrelenting. The patterns of activities were marked by brevity, fragmentation and variety. The pastors showed a preference for live action over reflection and a clear preference for verbal media over written. A working role composite emerged that reflected both the managerial and ministerial demands of the position and included thirteen specific working roles organized into four broad categories: Interpersonal Roles (figurehead, leader, liaison), Informational Roles (monitor, disseminator, spokesperson), Decisional Roles (entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, negotiator), and Professional Roles (mentor, care-giver, preacher).