(This second of a series of six articles being reprinted from 1968 merely pickes up where the first artcie left off. It has been pointed out that there is a p1ace for specialists in the local church, and that that is in keeping with scriptural traditon. In the educational program three basic positions for specialists ared designated: the minister of Education, the department coordinator, and the consultant which is now presented.)

Consultant

Those in educational consultant positions in public education are the specialists who work direcily with classroom teachers in the improvement of instruction. They may be "general" consultants in that they are individuals capable of improving in struction in any of the age-groups. Or, they may be "highly specialized" or "technical" consultants with a much narrower area of specialization such as in a particular age-grade-department, or in art or song. Or, in the technical realm, they may he specialized in audio-visuals or radio and television education-the latter two areas are in serious need of development.

Another dimension, which is borrowed from the business ouilook and terminology, is an expanded concept of staff formulated in two broad senses. First, a staff person is regarded as one who is an expert consultant. This kind of staff person is at the beck and call of whoever can legitimately use his services. This consultant literally waits to be consulted, "or follows a long-range program of gathering and maintaining information that may conceivably be useful at some future time."14

The second way in which the staff concept is used is in talking about: "Certain activities of an organization that have become functionally distinct. Furthermore, these distinct functions are viewed as auxiliary to accomplishing the main purposes of the organization The functionally distinct groups that carry out these specialized activities are usually designated as staff groups."15

An example of this last staff designation is given as the personnel department of any organization. In application to a church education program, an art department or audio-visual aid department would compare. Neither are in themselves expressive of the main purpose of the educational work of the church, but are distinct functions to help the program better accomplish its end.

In turning back to comment upon the three major types of consultant staff spedalists-the general consultants, the highly specialized and technical consultants, and the functionally distinct groups-several observations need to be made. First, one must be cautious in transferring concepts from one type of organization to another. This is observed to be true even from one congregation to another. Differing situations can prevent identical programs from being successful. Alvin J. Lindgren points out some serious drawbacks to a "fixed program approach."

"1. It does not and cannot take into account the considerable differences among local situations and personnel.

2. It cannot take into account what happens to persons as they participate in the project, and this factor is of fundamental importance.

3. Fixed programs rob the local committee of initiative, both in diagnosing its ills and evolving a prescription for the cure.

4. It is fallacious to assume that there is one answer for the problems of every church. . . . The inescapable conclusion from this experience is that there is more than one "right" way to administer a congregation and to approach any given proglem in the church."16

One must therefore exercise extra ~aution in an attempt to transfer program or organizational concepts from such divergent institutions as business or public education to the church.

Lindgren also notes that differing concepts of the nature of the church have a direct bearing on the organization and administration of the church program.17 The natures and subsequent programs of worldly institutions and the divine institution, the church, are very much more widely different than that between churches. Yet there is much influencing and borrowing, the worldly from the divine and the divine from the worldly. Caution is particularly urged in regard to the latter which is consciously yet conscientiously being done in this study.

Consultant Staff Specialists

As to the recognition of the use of specialists in the church and drawing up a modern list of educational staff specialists, it is not at all difficult -- except perhaps to find a stopping place. However, to make clear distinctions within the three major types named is not so easy. As recognized earlier, every situation is different; also, every person is different. Certainly the two, situation and person, make for a very complex affair, one which demands the admonition of allowing for much flexibility.

Thus the following list is offered without any attempt to designate into which of the three consultant groups any specialization may fall. Probably in most cases the specialization named could be further reduced for a more highly special or technical treatment, or, too, a distinct functional group of experts could be formed around many of the specialties. Only parenthetically will some of these be noted.

Specialist list

Overall curriculum, evangelism, records, song, art (an art department to serve all teachers); choral reading, audio-visuals, age-group specialists (can further specialize in instructional materials, methods-even one method-or age characteristics); correspondence courses, extension and "away from home" (departments); radio and TV education, library and instructional materials, special class teachers (mentally retarded, deaf, blind); specific training (such as personal evangelism, group work, speech, voice); special study courses (each of which can be further reduced) such as family living, youth problems, biblical languages, Bible geography, history, books of the Bible, doctrine or theology; general church history, historical theology for a particular denomination's history and doctrine; missions, leadership and human relations.

The list is incomplete. It is given mainly to convince one that there are many areas in which he can specialize, and that there is a great need for specialists This writer has the refreshing experience of knowing a few real specialists who are applying their talents to a local church educational program. An expert teacher of church music to children rotates among the children's classes and helps them learn songs related to their Bible lessons. She is in demand wherever she goes. Children, parents, and the church rejoice to have a Christian lady of such talent in their midst.

Another person has specialized in learning Mormon history and doctrine. He is an expert on this subject to such an extent that he has written several booklets about them People who know him feel that he is as capable as anyone in the entire country when it comes to dealing with Mormonism.

There is also the Christian lady who is expert in telling stories to children. She is often called upon not only to function in classes in this capacity, but to teach teachers the art of story telling. The high school speech teacher who specializes in training youth in choral reading, the physician and nurse who can talk to teenagers and young married couples about sex, the librarian who has charge of the church library and the filing and storage of instructional materials, and even the janitor who by his cheerful and helpful attitude endears himself to the teachers -- -all are specialists whose services are in great demand.

Such services as these help the church to reach a height in its educational work that would otherwise be impossible.

Every member a specialist

The belief of this writer is that every member of the church could specialize in something that would help the church. First, every member should seek to be a "general specialist" in such fundamental activities as worship and general visitation. These two activities all Christians can learn and grow in.

But each member could also specialize in an activity that would be most befitting to his personal talents and also that would be of particular benefit to the church. This would help create within the person a dynamic sense of worth, of self-fulfillment. It also would be a God-honoring and glorifying ministry.

Is it not written that God "will render to every man according to his deeds"?18 And is it not within the very nature of the church that as its members function as one body each member is to find his special gift, develop it, and use it to God's glory and his own salvation? The apostle Paul wrote:

"For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who &e many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly."19

Nature and Mission of the Church

Within the above comments the basic question which is being raised and answered is "why have staff specialists?" As indicated, the answer leads Into a consideration of the very nature of the church and its ministry. While the scope of this study will not allow much to be said along this line of thought, yet it must be briefly considered.

Although this study is not treating the problem of calling multiple staff, as Herman J. Sweet's book does, yet the answer he gives in the form of a question is still the answer to the calling of staff specialists, paid or unpaid: "Is it our intention to deepen the ministry of the church or to extend the institution?"20 Sweet's use of the term staff is of all paid personnel. Staff in this study is used in reference to specialists, paid or unpaid, but each highly trained and dedicated to serve in a very special way. Either way the term is used, Sweet's following paragraph makes good sense:

"The purpose and the meaning of ministry is essentially no different for a staff of two, or five, or ten, than for a staff of one. More staff can do more things, and that very fact makes critical judgment more necessary and more severe. Increased activity is not the primary test. A church cannot hire enough (or discover and put to work enough expert) staff to make a great church, else the richest (or best organized, equipped, and administered) would easily be the best. And not a few churches are actually impoverished or hindered by the addition of staff. If there is no clarity of purpose, no good and viable self-image, no clear goals, addition of staff may merely compound the confusion and for a time hide lack of wholeness and health."21

Clear purpose, viable self-image, clear goals-of the meaning of ministry in the whole church, the local church, the educational program of the local church, the place of staff specialists in the educational program of the local church-these are foundations upon which a successful staff ministry must be built.

The church is an organism. As such it has parts or organs more or less separate in function but mutually dependent. Such interaction, interdependence, and independence is described by the apostle Paul in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4. Sweet emphasizes that "the integrity of the organism dictates the unity of ministry."22 This unity responds to order, an order that s something different from and deeper than mere organization. This order, as in the church organism which is much like a family, depends upon such fundamentals as "commonly understood and accepted purposes, common agreements, often unspoken. It depends upon mutual love and trust."23

There is in the organism a "diversity within unity." But this diversity is not basically an institutional diversity-it is a diversity of personal qualities, talents, skills, and accepted areas of specialization. Thus the diversity that is possible within unity comes from an acceptance of this basic unity of the specialties, services, or ministry. RecognIzing this unity of ministry is a recognition that we are dealing with whole persons within a dynamic community, a community or church within which the paramount consideration is the relationship of persons to God in Christ, and to each other as a consequence of their commitment to God.

The nature of the church as an organism and the unity of the ministry in and through the organism, the church, suggests that no one should be called to a particular phase of the church's work to be isolated or working alone in it. No one can sustain a fruifful ministry in a particular phase of church life apart from a vital relationship to all other phases. There is no place for a loner in Christ's church, just as there can be no member of the body detached from the body. Just as the health of the whole depends upon the health of all the parts the organism, so must any particul ministry be properly related to all ministries --services, specialties. Cosequently attention to order, structure or organization as well as administion and leadership are basic found tions for church staff operations.24

When there is a dynamic function of a diversity of gifts in which an essential unity prevails as within an organism then the total ministry of the Lord's church is deepened and extended. The church is not merely an institution buzzing with activity, with everything done according to organizational correctness and approved administrative strategy.

Its product, persons shaped in Christ likeness, is found in various stages of development. No one person complete within himself, but all are a part of a whole that can work together in complete unity and harmony for the salvation of souls and to to glory of God.

Summary

A specialist is a person who has developed a certain talent so that he can help and support those individuals and groups within the organization who do not have the time, skill, or experience to do for themselves. Specialists in Christian education are being accepted in the church. More are needed. Addition of staff specialists can deepen and extend the ministy of the church. It is an opportunity for self-fulfillment, of being a part of the dynamics of the church-organism-body of Christ, and of thus glorifying God.

In the next article some of the problems related to staff specialists and administration will be considered.

FOOTNOTES

14 Robert Durbin, Human Relations in Administration, pp. 185. Footnotes are numbered consecutively throughout this series, from the first article to the last. The Bibliography will apear with the last article.

15 ibid, p. 186

16 Alvin J. Lindgren, Foundations for Purposeful Church Administration, pp. 21, 21.

Ibid., see chapter 11.

Romans 2:6.

Romans 12:4 - 6a.

Sweet, op cit., p 116.

Ibid.

22 Ibid., p. 105, 106.

23 Ibid., p. 107.

24 See Ibid., pp. 106, 107.