Thoughts on the "Managerial Revolution" and the "Feminization of the Church"

Over the last century, American institutions have been reshaped by what sociologists call the ”managerial revolution.” If you’ve never heard of that term, it is the replacement of substantive, convictional leadership with procedural and bureaucratic control. The shift is visible everywhere. We have witnessed government agencies expand while statesmen become passive, corporations prioritize compliance over courage, and universities value administrators more than professors. Furthermore, this revolution has damaged the church.

Its effects are not primarily stylistic or generational, but they strike at the nature of spiritual authority, the elders' calling, and the masculine character of biblical shepherding. When examined closely, the managerial revolution reveals deep ties to another massive cultural shift: the feminization of American culture. Together, these trends have reshaped the modern church into something more like a nonprofit corporation than a household of faith.

Understanding this transformation is essential if pastors and churches hope to resist it and recover the biblical model of leadership entrusted to Christ’s undershepherds.

Admittedly, I was somewhat unaware of the negative impact that this revolution had on the church. So, I listened attentively to a recent podcast hosted by Aaron Renn on the topic. The following are some thoughts I’ve had since listening to this episode. Hopefully, my thoughts will be a help to you. 

The Rise of the Managerial Mindset in the Church

The managerial revolution refers to the prioritization of methods, systems, and administrators as the primary drivers of institutional life. It is the triumph of technique over truth, policy over principle, and process over personal authority. 

In corporate life, this meant the rise of executives and HR departments who govern by procedural manuals rather than inherited wisdom. In the church, this revolution expresses itself through new expectations for pastors and elders. Pastors once recognized for holiness, courage, shepherding, and biblical conviction are now often evaluated by:

• their strategic planning abilities,

• their emotional intelligence,

• their conflict-resolution techniques,

• their vision-casting skills,

• and their ability to maintain institutional stability.

Ministry becomes professionalized. Pastors are no longer primarily fathers of a household (1 Tim. 3:4–5) but managers of a religious organization. Sessions become boards. Elders become administrators. Church members become clients. Slowly, sometimes indiscernibly, the church begins to operate according to principles alien to Scripture.

Maybe you're asking, "What's the problem?" Well, let me state it: the managerial revolution assumes every problem has a procedural solution. If the congregation is struggling, implement a "healthy church model." If discipleship is weak, design a pipeline. If pastoral care feels thin, create a system to support it. If unity is threatened, conduct a survey.

None of these tools are sinful in themselves, but the managerial mindset elevates them above the biblical means God has ordained—faithful preaching, prayer, discipline, shepherding, and shepherding oversight.

Therefore, the church begins to drift from the convictional, courageous leadership scripture demands (Acts 20:28–31) to a safer, smoother, more predictable form of organizational maintenance.

How the Managerial Revolution and Cultural Feminization Intersect

As I listened to Renn's podcast episode I mentioned earlier, I had a thought - the managerial revolution does not stand alone. It arose in lockstep with the broader feminization of American culture. The feminist movement is responsible for cultural norms moving away from traditionally masculine virtues (fortitude, decisiveness, principled confrontation) toward values coded as feminine (emotional management, safety, consensus-building, risk aversion).

This cultural transformation helped create the emotional climate in which managerialism thrives. Think about this with me: 

1. Bureaucracy Replaces Conviction

Historically, institutions were governed by paternal authority. Fathers, elders, landholders, and pastors were responsible for the people under their care. Authority was personal and moral.

But as society has moved toward egalitarian and therapeutic norms, leadership became procedural rather than paternal. Instead of asking, “What is right?” leaders ask, “What avoids conflict?” “What reduces emotional discomfort?” “What minimizes risk?”

Such questions, while sometimes appropriate, reveal the dominance of a feminized ethic of safety and harmony rather than a masculine ethic of responsibility and truth.

2. Therapeutic Values Shape the Church

As therapeutic culture spread, the church adopted its assumptions. Sermons became encouragement sessions. Sin became brokenness. Repentance became self-awareness. Church discipline became unthinkable.

The managerial model, which thrives on organizational calm and client satisfaction, pairs perfectly with the therapeutic model, which prioritizes emotional comfort. Together they produce churches where:

• clarity is avoided because it might cause discomfort,

• discipline is avoided because it might create conflict,

• courage is avoided because it might generate risk,

• and shepherds become counselors instead of overseers.

3. The Decline of Masculine Virtues in Church Leadership

Biblically, elders are called to exercise masculine virtues like strength, vigilance, courage, doctrinal clarity, and a willingness to confront wolves (Titus 1:9; Acts 20:29). But managerialism devalues these virtues. It prizes managers over protectors, facilitators over fathers, and mediators over watchmen.

As a result, churches increasingly seek pastors who "fit" the organizational culture rather than men who embody biblical masculinity. This is not incidental. A feminized culture produces a feminized leadership environment, which in turn creates a managerial church.

Why This Matters: The Stakes for the Church

The managerial revolution has not merely made the church less efficient or less biblical; it has altered its identity.

When a church becomes managerial:

• The gospel becomes a product rather than a proclamation.

• Pastors become professionals rather than shepherds.

• Elders become board members rather than spiritual fathers.

• Members become consumers rather than disciples.

• Success becomes measurable rather than faithfulness-driven.

Worst of all, managerialism erodes the church’s courage. The very masculinity God designed for the protection and health of the church is sidelined. A managerial, feminized church may look impressive, well-organized, and widely appealing—but it lacks the spiritual power that flows from biblical authority exercised by godly men.

If the church is to recover its strength, it must resist both the managerial revolution and the feminization of its ethos. We must return to:

• the authority of Scripture,

• the centrality of preaching,

• the necessity of discipline,

• the courage of conviction,

• and the masculine, fatherly nature of shepherding.

Christ did not commission His church to build systems, but to make disciples. He did not command His elders to manage processes, but to guard the flock. He did not establish His church as a corporation, but as a household—God’s household—ordered by His Word, governed by His officers, and built upon His authority.

Only by rejecting the managerial impulse and embracing biblical masculinity in leadership will the church regain the strength, clarity, and courage required for our age.

Matt Adams is the senior minister of First Presbyterian Church in Dillon, SC, and serves as an editor for Reforming Men.