by Dr. Chilton McPheeters Trinity Methodist, Los Angeles
As a pastor I appreciate a Sunday school superintendent who: V iewpo in t: Pastor/Superintendent
tory, the theology and the working philosophy of his own denomination and local church will be helpful in working with the pastor. If the superintendent does not know where to start, the pastor will be pleased to pull a few books off his shelf and give some guid ance and instruction in this matter. That will be another way to cement friendship. 5) Recruits members for the church through the Sunday school calling program. If we are going to be interested in what happens to our boys and girls and young people after they have had these years of training in the Sunday school, then we must be interested in visitation programs and the need of the home to help in recruiting for the church. We must work with the pastor and those in charge of the church calling program. We need to encourage an active par ticipation and attendance in the life of the church. 6) Is alert to new ideas, to change, to pioneering. It is so easy to settle down in a rut because “we’ve always done it this way.” If we think back we’ll remember that the Sunday school movement was itself a radical revolutionary movement in the life of the church. For many years pastors were opposed to it as a lay movement. They were not certain that laymen could be trusted with this very important function for which they as pastors did not have time. The Sunday school superintendent needs to be an individual who is able to analyze his program, his problems and his needs and is willing to lead out in their solution. 7) Is a faithful Christian himself. He maintains his personal fellowship with Jesus Christ through Bible study and prayer as the foundation for his service. He is loyal to the chinch and the larger program of the church. The Sunday school superintendent must remember that his is not the only task in the life of the church. There are other people who have respon sibilities and are struggling with problems and who are meeting needs. We ought to let them know that we stand shoulder to shoulder with them, that we will cooperate with them. 8) Is an intercessor before God. Frequently those who are most active and busy in the life of the church are too active to get acquainted with the pastor. Never theless he needs to shepherd his people. It will help him tremendously if the Sunday school superintend ent will share out of his rich background and knowl edge. Together they can know, appreciate and pray for those who are presenting the gospel to boys and girls, youth and adults in the Sunday school. This joint friendship with God in behalf of undershepherds in the house of God is one of the richest treasures of any pastor. It is also the joy of the Chief Shepherd to have this kind of fellowship. END.
1) Encourages attendance at the worship services. It is common knowledge that the Sunday school is the educational arm of the church. It is not in competition with the church and does not exist as an end in itself. We must all recognize that the Sunday school per forms a very important function in terms of relating and preparing our boys and girls, young people and adults to take their place in the corporate life of the church—there to assume leadership. Anything which intimates that the church and Sunday school are in competition or that one does not exist in order to help strengthen the other breaks the fellowship of both. The Sunday school superintendent is in a key posi tion to help the pastor understand and cooperate with the Sunday school. It is the superintendent’s respon sibility to encourage his staff and pupils to attend the church services just as much as it is the pastor’s place to encourage the attendance of his congregation at Sunday school. 2) Enlists the aid of the pastor in planning for the Sunday school. The Sunday school superintendent who is aware of national statistics—that between 75% and 85% of our boys and girls leave the church be fore their 15th birthday—appreciates that there is too big a gap between Sunday school and church. The time has come when both pastor and Sunday school superintendent must ask themselves, “What kind of a job are we doing?” It is not enough to take pride because we can funnel more in one end than we’re losing at the other and therefore claim a certain amount of growth. We need to work as a team— Sunday school superintendent and pastor—to see why the chasm, why the loss in our church. Together we need to stop the leaks and stimulate new life under the direction of the Spirit of God. 3) Seeks opportunities to know his pastor outside the general routine of church and Sunday school con tacts. Perhaps he arranges golf, dinner or other social contacts out of which greater understanding can grow. Both pastor and Sunday school superintendent need this opportunity for friendship and relaxation occa sionally to keep a balanced perspective in relation to the church and the work of God there. 4) Acquaints himself with the total life and mission of his church. The Sunday school superintendent should be the best informed layman in the church. He ought to have enough interest in our common Christian heritage and his own denominational heri tage to know the total life and mission of the church. Where there are points of peculiar emphasis the superintendent should know why our denomination has emphasized what it has and be able to appreciate not only our contribution but the contribution of other chinches. A thorough grounding in the his
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