The Pastor as Leader & Manager: Stewardship of the Mission

The Church is the oldest and most complex organization in the world. While her mission is supernatural, her daily operation relies on the stewardship of material, human, and financial resources. For the pastor, "Management" is not a secular burden—it is a vital component of the office of Governance.

This course introduces you to a broader, ecclesial notion of leadership through the practicalities of management. By integrating the best practices of modern business leadership—including insights from the Harvard Business Review—with the timeless mission of the Church, we equip you to lead your parish with the precision of an executive and the heart of a shepherd. When you lead, manage, and administer well, the mission flourishes.

Course Content - Online, Self-Paced Getting Started Golden Voucher Time Saver

This course is an online, self-paced course including the following modules:

Module 0 – Course Introduction and Orientation
Module 1 – Pastor as Leader
Module 2 – Pastor as Manager
Module 3 – Pastor as Boss
Module 4 - Pastor within Ecclesial Structures

What you will be able to do:

Adopt the Leadership Mindset: Transition from "doing the tasks" to "leading the mission," utilizing proven executive frameworks for new leaders.
Integrate Business Wisdom: Learn how to translate "Business School" principles (efficiency, accountability, and strategy) into a parish context without losing your pastoral identity.
Maximize Mission Effectiveness: Identify how better management of material and financial resources directly leads to more effective evangelization.
Master the "Manager’s Handbook": Apply top-tier professional advice to your role as pastor to ensure high performance of staff and volunteers from day one.

Online, asynchronous through Brightspace at The Catholic University of America.

No in-person or specific course days/times required.

Start and end when you want.

Completion of this course grants a $149 voucher toward our Graduate Certificate or MCA (Masters of Church Administration). Enroll for $149. If you choose to pursue a Graduate Certificate or MCA later, your $149 will be applied as a tuition credit. Most dioceses offer reimbursement for clergy ongoing formation of this kind. Contact your Vicar for Clergy to confirm this course applies to your diocesan policy.

MCA Ladder

Total Time: 8 Hours

Completion Time: One Clergy Formation Day

Time Saved: Countless Hours Every Week

Solve a Problem: Take a self-paced non-credit course.
Stack Your Skills: Earn your Digital Badge and a tuition credit.
Lead the Church: Apply your tuition credits toward a MCA degree.

This introductory course is the "Philosophical North Star" that bridges the perceived gap between "Theology" and "Administration." As we embrace stewardship as a sacred duty, we no longer hold management as a "secular distraction", but rather as a "Mission Multiplier."

MCA Ladder

Is your parish facing financial hardship? We believe no priest should be denied formation due to budget. Click here to apply for a Parish Excellence Grant to your enrollment, or send an email to busch-cmp@cua.edu.

Most dioceses offer reimbursement for clergy ongoing formation of this kind. Contact your Vicar for Clergy to confirm this course applies to your diocesan policy.

"Seminaries have to teach us so much, but once we get ordained we find out how little formation we received in being the leader and manager of a multi-million dollar operation called a parish. Here I present the tried and true principles and methods that helped me fulfill the mission of priest, prophet, and king as pastor of a parish."

Fr. Anthony Stoeppel - Vicar General, Pastor, School President & Seminary Vice-Rector

Click HERE for Biography

Associate Professor of Church Management
The Busch School of Business
The Catholic University of America (Washington, DC)

This course is taught in English. Other languages are available upon request. Please email busch-cmp@cua.edu for more details.