The final part of this study will be to try to find the best way to fit staff specialists -- the minister of education, especially -- into the overall structure of the church educational program. Throughout this study the emphasis will be upon the minister of education whose position is closely akin to that of the staff specialist in instructional supervision as defined in public education circles. There will also be the need to deal with the minister of education's work in relation to the preacher and elders of the congregation.

Considerable research has been done by behaviorial social scientists, organizational theorists, educational administrators, and others concerning the relation of specialists to administration. Most of this has been done in the context of large business where many specialists are used -- such as the technical engineer, chemist, physicist, computer technician, personnel manager, etc. Public education has also contributed to this study in the past decade particularly. The lafter has borrowed heavily from the former. Public education has been such that it is rich in experience in testing a variety of organizational patterns toward fitting the specialist into their school systems.

The working assumption of this study is that leaders in church administration can learn much from business and public or secular education in regard to the use of specialists and positioning them in the overall organizational structure. For several decades now the concept of a multiple ministry has been growing. Many larger churches have a multiple staff. But there also comes with an enlarged staff multiple problems.

The focal point of many of these problems, according to research related to business and public education, is upon the relationship -- and therefore organizational positioning -- of specialists to administration. Thus, the primary method of this study will be to cite the major research findings concerning this problem and to sift out whatever is deemed to be applicable and helpful to church administration. As noted, this will be done with particular attention to the objective of clarifying the position of the minister of education specialit in the church.

We live in an age of specialization. Technical advancement makes it necessary for large organizations to have an increasing number of specialists. In reference to secular education it is observed that: "The need for specialists is great and will grow rather than decrease.1

The Lord's church has used "specialists" from the beginning: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.2 In Romans 12:6-8 seven specific gifis or specialties are named: prophesymg, serving (the inference is in special ways), teaching, exhorting, giving, leading, and showing mercy (or perhaps the ministry of benevolence?).

During the past few decades there has arisen the use of such specialists as the song director, associate minister, personal worker, youth worker, educational director,3 orphan home superintendent, student center director, singles minister, minister of involvement, and age-group specialists, to name a few. As is noted in a work from a group of educators.

It is also clear that these (stall specialists in secular education) positions are being added without a careful consideration of how each one fits into the overall organizational Structure of the school district. In man~ districts, curriculum administrators are being added because "It is the thing to do" or because a superintendent thinks another administrator will strengthen a weak instructional program. 4

It has been the observation of this writer that among churches of Christ specialists have been "added without careful consideration as to how each one fits into the overall organizational structure" of the local church. But some church leaders have regarded it as "the thing to do," and often also the elders think another such minister will strengthen a weak church program. (If not done properly -- position and duties well defined -- it likely will add problems and further weaken the church program).

The specialist or expert is a person who has developed his talents in a particular area, usually defined as one that is considerably narrowed. As such the specialist is commonly regarded as one who gives advice, counsel, guidance, and in various other ways helps those individuals and groups within the organization who do not have the time, skill, or experience to do for themselves. In administrative terminology the specialist is called "staff" and those with authority over him are called "line."5

Thus on a given day a foreman may be contacted by the time study man from the standards department, the cost accounting specialist, a production control engineer, a training man, a chemist from the research department, and a computer programmer.6

Or, in a public school the assistant superintendent for instruction, or supervisor of instruction as he is frequently called (himself a specialist), may have a chat with a speech therapist, a psychologist, and perhaps a psychiatrist from pupil personnel services, a remedial reading expert, and a coordinator of adult education. In business and in public education a major trend is the introduction of more and more specialists.

In the Introduction it was noted that the church has used and is using specialists. With a growing concept of the multiple and shared ministry, backed possibly to some extent by the influence of business and public education, it is increasingly being accepted by many that one may use his talents to befter advantage in the church not as the preacher but as an associate, an elder-shepherd, or minister of education, or personal evangelist, or in some other area of specialization in church work.7

In the context of discussing the denominational minister or pastor, Herman J. Sweet comments:

That many experienced men in search of some degree of specialization and a deeper, more satisfying service are now choosing to become assistants (to the pastor). Some recognize that they are more productive if someone else carries the chief administrative load. There is no doubt also that a place on a large church staff often affords more salary and more status and richer experience than a small pastorate.8

The recommendation of a public education textbook which is based upon research in both business and education is that there are "three basic positions necessary for the improvement of instruction."9 The titles suggested for these three positions are "assistant superintendent for instruction, coordinator, and consultant."10 This studied approach, with some modification which shall be introduced shortly, defines quite well the staff specialist positions in a local church of Christ.

Minister of education

The "assistant superintendent for instruction," or supervisor of instruction,11 compares closely to the "minister of education" in a local church of Christ as it is deemed best from this study to define him. The public education position is described as follows:

The position would be filled by a "staff specialist," whose line authority would be restricted to the coordinators and consultants reporting to him. The primary function of this position is the leadership of staff personnel whose responsibility it is to improve the overall educational program of the school system.12

A description of the "staff personnel" named in the above paragraph will further serve to identify the minister of education's position and task. The "staff personnel" also refers to the next two positions.

Department coordinator

The "corordinator" as defined for public education compares in some measure with the department supervisor or coordinator now quite commonly used in church education programs, pre-school through adult deparrments. The specitic difference is in the context of relationships. The department coordinator in the staff specialists area is one who works with the consultant staff specialists (to be named next) to coordinate their services as they are requested by the regular education departments. Thus, there will be two sets of "coordinators," one of the regular education departments and one of the consultant staff specialists. As the emphasis in this study is upon the minister of education, no further description of this position for the church school shall be given.13

(In the next issue the third basic position will be studied -- the consultant. An incomplete but representative list of specialists in the local church educational program will be given. And, a brief study of the nature and mission of the church is made in order to befter understand the setting in which it is recommended that "every member of the church . . . specialize. . . ." Five more articles are to appear in this series.)

FOOTNOTES

1 DanieI E. Griffiths, et. al., Organizing Schools for Effective Education, p. 189.

2 Ephesians 4:11. The New Amertcan Standard Version will be he used throughout.

3 Or, minister of education, which designation shall he used from here on out. The term "director" connotes too much "line" authority to suit the emphasis which is believed best in this study, the minister of education is viewed as a "staff specialist."

4 Griffiths, op. cit, p.190.

5 More wIll he said in reference to these aspects of organization in section three. Be it noted at this point that there is an ever increasing body of literature which is questioning and criticising the use of the "line and staff' type of organization in public school and business. The concept of line and staff was borrowed from the millitary and applied to manegerial activities in the 1920's. The concept therefore is certainly one to he most cautiously used, if at all, in defining church organtration and administration -- and. that particularly in light of Matthew 20:25-28. For some of the latest secular literature on the controversy see Melvin Dalton. "Changtng Staff-Line Relationships," Personnel Administration, March-April, 1966, pp. 38ff., and Peter Dabno, "Ambiguity in Line-Staff Relations." Personnel Administration, July-August, 1966, pp. 47-51. The terms and concepts are used in this study, however, for the reasons, ftrst, that they do describe much of the existing relationships, and, secondly. many churches of Christ are so organized and functioning. Another study (for studies) would he needed to deal wtth this problem itself.

6 See John M. Pfiffner and Marshall Feis, The Supervision of Personnel, p. 73.

7 Being the preacher is itself a very special calling and requires a great deal of specialization. Yet that this is only one of many callings or ministries should he readily recognized by all.

8 Herman J. Sweet, The Multiple Stall in the Local Church, p.24.

9 Griffiths, op. cit., p. 191.

10 Ibid.

11 Note the popular text. Glen G. Eye And Netzer, Supemision of Instruction.

12 Griffiths, op. cit. p. 191.