Fast Facts: September/October 2008

"Eighty percent of the work is done by twenty percent of the people," according to the Pareto Principle. For years, this formula has been used to dramatize Nazarenes and their churches: "Perhaps 80 percent of our people are in only 20 percent of our churches." or "Maybe 20 percent of the churches raise 80 percent of the funds." Recently, the research center checked this principle out for the Church of the Nazarene. Overall, the church "balances" at about 30 to 70 percent for membership and worship attendance, whether in the U.S. or worldwide. Click here to view chart *Currency conversion and reporting inconsistencies do not allow a financial comparison for worldwide Churches of the Nazarene. But can the Pareto Principle really apply to the Kingdom? The principle focuses on efficiency in business models. In one extreme example, managers are told to ignore the 80 percent who take up so much time and concentrate on the 20 percent. A flaw exists in this reasoning that may not matter in business, but is problematic for the church. In business, dropping the 80 percent of unproductive customers this year may mean a drop of 20 percent in revenue. This is supposed to be offset by greater efficiency in the office or factory. But applying the same principle the next year, revenue will drop another 20 percent, or 36 percent less than the original level. Within three years, the business has potentially sacrificed 48 percent of its revenue for the sake of greater efficiency. When a denomination, district, or local church aims for efficiency, it is not unproductive customers who make up that 48 percent, but individuals for whom Christ died or churches where the called-out gather. It is important to prioritize Kingdom resources, and understanding the 30/70 ratio is helpful. But let us be careful not to apply business principles too readily to Kingdom realities. Remember, we serve a God whose arithmetic doesn't follow strict accounting principles. "Give me the tithe and you'll have more" cannot be explained mathematically. Compiled by Dale Jones.

 

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