The Role and Value of a Church Minister of Education - Research Paper Example

The Role and Value of a Church Minister of Education The roles of a Minister of Education According to Ephesians 4:11-13, somepeople were given as apostles, others prophets while others as evangelists. The book also asserts that other people became pastors as well as teachers. All these spiritual leaders had one goal in common; to unite all people via faith and knowledge of Jesus the Son of God. From these verses, one can deduce that there exist diverse offices of the ministerial work of God aimed at equipping saints (Dunbar, 2012). From the verse, one can also deduce that part of the responsibility of the Ministers of Education is to assist in preparing spiritually in their congregation. This role however is enhanced through teaching people on how to minister, disciple as well as carry out crucial roles associated with the church. “General Board of Higher Education” (2012) uses the biblical explanation in Ephesians 4: 11-13 in expounding their understanding of the Ministers of Education. As introduced above, the book of Ephesians associates Christian education with helping people become believers, as well as help all believers use their spiritual gifts. Thus, the term Minister of Education ought to expound on the idea that the individuals in the post have specific responsibility in their respective churches (Dunbar, 2012). This assertion should signify that it is through the Minister of Education that people get informed about Christianity. From the teaching, one should become a Christian, learn how to grow as a Christian, how to convert others into Christians as well as how to expand that process. Who is the Minister of Education? According to Malphurs (2013), the Minister of Education can be regarded as a person who is called by God, undergone training as a Christian educator, summoned by a local church to foster educational aspects of the church’s programs, the church as well as regarded as one of the senior members of the church staff. The title Minister of Education is a bit general. Although many Christian institutions consider the staff members of their churches as Ministers of Education, it is evident that there are many other terms that are used to refer to the same post. This is as a result of the existence of many diverse churches in the world. For instance, it is evident that an individual can hold many titles at the same time depending on where he or she is educating. An Associate Pastor of Education in one church can also be regarded as the Minister of Education in a different church (“General Board of Higher Education,” 2012). In most occasions, the Minister of Education plays carries only church roles. In other words, majority of the Ministers of Education do not mix secular lifestyle with Christian practices. However, there are some who broaden their scope to include other areas outside church like Bible College teaching professions, as well as para-church organizations. Others also hold general positions in the society that have a close connection with the values of the church. In a society, there are those who consider the position of Minister of Education as the practice of eldership. Malphurs (2013) asserts that assistant pastors could be likened with biblical elder. The term elder was derived from the Greek word referred to as presbuteros. According to him, the term elder has many diverse meanings. However, the meaning that stands out refers to a consortium of men who were chosen to oversee the running of an office in the church with the intention of guiding spiritual activities. In most occasions, the use of the term elder is close to that for a bishop, with the term elder referring to a person whereas the term bishop emphasizing on the roles of an elder. According to Dunbar (2012), pastors are gifted differently. It is as a result of the variation in the pastors’ gifts that churches meet their goals. From this claim, one can deduce that the roles of the Minister of Education are also to ensure that the church has met its goals by employing his or her gifts in church activities. For instance, it is evident that some pastors are well gifted in the areas of preaching. It is also evident that some other pastors are also gifted in the area of administration as well as training volunteers. As a result of this, such pastors are considered Ministers of Education because they find themselves overseeing small groups. Qualifications of a successful Minister of Education In his book, Jerry Stubblefield provides some elements that define the qualifications of a Church Minister of Education. According to him, integrity that he defines as honesty as well as the portrayal of single-mindedness is very elemental in determining the direction an individual is taking in reference to ethical issues. The person who is called to carry out the role of teaching in the church is supposed to value integrity (Yount, 2008). According to him, it is the integrity that grants the teacher the sense of controlling as well as carrying out his or her responsibility effectively. Stubblefield also asserts that good people skill is also another attribute that a teacher needs to have (Malphurs, 2013). A sensitive and sympathetic teacher should portray good result when working with other people because he or she knows how to relate with people and lower himself or herself to their position. Sensitivity is also one of the elements that affect the advancement of Christianity because of the existence of different people practicing different cultural practices, from different ethnic, social, as well as religious backgrounds. For instance, it is evident that the sensitivity is the one that resulted to problems in Jerusalem when the Jews tried to force the Judaism among other members. According to Dunbar (2012), such as a problem needs to be handled cautiously; thus, from the case one can deduce that Ministers of Education ought to be very careful with how they handle some problems that emerge in churches. Professionalism is also one of the requirements in the current society. In other words, professionalism is the required standard today, and teaching is part of the rule. Teaching demands employment of more skills. According to Dunbar (2012), “we are living in a competitive society that demands the best out of you as a teacher.” Employers always seek for individuals who have teaching trainings in addition to other skills from different fields. In connection to this, it is evident that education roles in the church also demand observance of the laws of the land (Tidwell, 1995). In adjusting with the current practices in the society, it is crucial for the church to have its administration run by qualified individuals. Thus, Ministers of Education are also obliged to portray professionalism in their work. Teaching is an unpredictable position. It calls for flexibility as well as dexterity. It also demands the firmness along commitment. In other words, teaching is a position that demands one to carry out multiple roles. As a good teacher, one is supposed to take challenging roles if the situation requires them to do so. From this assertion, one can deduce that Minister of Education is supposed to be in a position of playing different roles. Moreover, the success of Minister of Education is determined by his ability to plan his time effectively. Proper planning is the pillar of good management. According to Dunbar (2012), a person who spends more than enough time in planning spends the least time in delivering. Additionally, Dunbar claims that proper planning makes a given work easier. One of the elements that aid in preventing the occurrence of failures is proper planning. Planning enhances one not only to control oneself, but also to be in the top of things one is obliged to do. Thus, it is evident that the Minister of Education is also supposed to be a good planner in order to manage to carry out his responsibilities in the church. The relationship of the Minister of Education with other members The relationship of Ministers of Education with other members of the church is well defined in Ephesians 4: 11-12. According to this part of the Bible, God gave Ministers of Education the responsibility of equipping the saints with the information about the body of Christ as well as the essence of participating in the work of service with the intention of building the body of Christ. Training others on how to carry out some activities are one of the things that the Ministers of Education have to do (Dunbar, 2012). It is also their responsibility to enhance the growth of gifts as well as abilities. The caring and the shepherding role are also some of the activities that the Ministers of Education have to do in their daily lives. However, the best scope to deal with is the board, thus, a Minister of Education is entitled to relate closely with others members of the church in order to enhance the success of the roles given to the by God. The best ways employed by Ministers of Education in fulfilling the responsibilities given to them include having time with other workers occasionally outside the official meetings. This is also evidenced in the Bible; Jesus chose twelve disciples so that they can assist Him in carrying out His work. It is also evidenced that He often spent a lot of time with His disciples compared to other people (Stubblefield, 1993). It was as a result of this strategy that Jesus succeeded in all His activities. Communication between the Ministers of Education and other board members is also very elemental. This is also evidenced in Thessalonians 2:8; Paul and his colleagues shared God’s gospel in addition to other issues relating to their lives. Thus, the Minister of Education communicates effectively with other members in order to enhance the success of the Christianity practice. Importance of a Church Minister of Education on church missions According to Yount (2008), a Church Minister of Education ensures that other members know God well in serving Him. He also advises other members to be the students of the Bible in order to enable them learn and practice the norms outlined in the Bible. The Minister of Education also ensures that the information from the Bible is well presented in order to meet the main objective of the church. Additionally, he calls others into the ministries as well as informs them about the roles they need to play in order to meet the objectives of the church. The Minister of Education also ensures there is mutual understanding among individuals in the ministerial work. He achieves this by a creating a platform for sharing issues as well training other workers. It is also evident that the Minister of Education also enhances crop of trust among members of the church so as to enhance understanding. Just like the Apostles in the Bible who were commanded to teach all nations, the Minister of Education spreads the church ministry by teaching people the essence of truth and faith in the present life and the life to come. The Church Minister of Education also uses his office as his position in enhancing unity, an element that is regarded as one of the missions of the church. The ministerial work of the church is very involving and challenging. It requires one to be strong and dedicated to the service. It is as a result of this that the Minister of Education involves himself in encouraging the members of the church to carry out the evangelical work without giving up. He also motivates the workers into achieving the goals of the church. Additionally, it is evident that the Minister of Education is the one who empowers other members into carrying out specific roles, and as a result of this, enhance the achievement of the church missions. In conclusion, a Church Minister of Education has many diverse roles in the Church. Apart from educating people on ways of conduct, he or she also advises people to take part in enhancing the success of the ministries of God. A Church Minister of Education has diverse qualifications that enhance him succeed in his daily activities. Among those roles include portraying professionalism as well as good planning. A Church Minister of Education fosters the achievement of the ministries of the church. References Dunbar, E. (2012). Teaching and Understanding Pneumatology & Spiritual Gifts. New York: Xlibris Corporation. General Board of Higher Education. (2012). Guidelines for Leading Your Congregation 2013- 2016 - Higher Education and Campus Ministry: Connecting with Students in Schools, Colleges, and Campus Ministries. New York: Abingdon Press. Malphurs, A. (2013). Advanced Strategic Planning: A 21st-Century Model for Church and Ministry Leaders. New York: Baker Books. Stubblefield, J. (1993). The Effective Minister of Education: A Comprehensive Handbook. New York: Broadman & Holman Publishers. Tidwell, C. (1995). The Educational Ministry of a Church: A Comprehensive Model for Students and Ministers. New York: Broadman Press. Yount, W. (2008). The Teaching Ministry of the Church. New York: B&H Publishing Group. Read More