In terms of polity, the ordination of particularly qualified certified Christian educators to the office of Word and Sacrament with a specialty in Christian Education does nothing to dilute or threaten the integrity of the office of Ministry of Word and Sacrament. Rather, the provisions for ordination to this responsibility only raise the bar. First, educators will be challenged to even more stringent standards in their field. Second, Ministers of Word and Sacrament in areas wherein Christian Education is not the primary focus, will be challenged to recognize how very important is the ministry of educating God’s people in the life of faith. This can only lead to a fuller appreciation in God’s Church of the high calling to educate God’s people, and as a result, education in Presbyterian congregations becomes strengthened.
Regarding the concept of Minister of Word and Sacrament, it should be remembered that Christian educators are responsible for the daily interpretation of the meaning of the sacraments in the lives of Presbyterians, and Christian educators are responsible for introducing all ages to the Scripture, and to Reformed principles of study and interpretation of the Bible. Educators recommend curriculum choices to the Session; educators train the teachers of all ages; educators are responsible for developing particular programs and/or retreats related to issues of daily Christian living or understanding the sacraments. Some churches that employ Christian educators expect them to interpret to the families of candidates for baptism the meaning of that sacrament. In other words, Christian educators already are involved in the ministry of Word and Sacrament: the word through teaching; the sacraments through interpretation and educational programs. Although Christian educators may not stand in the pulpit or at the table and font, clearly they have great power to interpret Word and Sacrament. The ordination of highly qualified educators to Ministry of Word and Sacrament with a Specialty in Education recognizes the influence, which flows from what educators do, and increases their accountability for their stewardship in this arena. For this sake of accountability alone, educators ought to be ordained to Ministry of Word and Sacrament with Specialty in Education.
It is quite possible that opposition to the ordination of qualified Christian educators to the office of Word and Sacrament is related to two misconceptions: the first about who Christian educators are, and the second about how such ordination would fit into the Presbyterian way of being faithful to God’s plan for us.
Regarding the first misconception: some people tend to think of Christian educators as “glorified Sunday School teachers,” who have little if any knowledge of polity, practice, Scriptural interpretation, or sacraments. Such a concept is uninformed. Most certified educators can hold their own in a discussion about Calvin or Kierkegaard, the Niebuhrs or Bonhoeffer. They are as comfortable as clergy in discussing the minor prophets, the Messianic promises in Isaiah, the Messianic secret in Mark, or various styles of writing and authorship in Scripture. Most certified educators can verbalize in a meaningful and persuasive way their experience of God’s grace, and they know how to encourage others to examine their lives to discover God’s activity there. They are at home in the Book of Order, conversant in the confessions, and able to comfort the ill and bereaved. In addition, they hold solid working knowledge in human development (including faith development). They have been influenced in their teaching methods and theories by Nelson, Westerhoff, Osmer, Fowler, and Erikson. They know how to help people think about the Christian faith and they know how to help parishioners grow in faith experience. In short, while clergy may have greater skills and practice in preaching, educators have as much ability to communicate the Gospel, albeit in a classroom rather than a pulpit. In some arenas, the Certified Christian educator is better equipped to help people grow in their faith than are clergy, who may have received but one course offering an overview of education. As a result, granting ordination to Word and Sacrament with a Specialization in Education to educators such as these, only serves to strengthen the ministry of the Church.
Regarding the misconception that such ordination may not fit into the Presbyterian structure, I submit that the very opposite is true. Some suggest that since this particular focus has never been emphasized through ordination, it should not be so now. However, though “we’ve never done it this way before,” we have, from the very beginning of not only the Presbyterian Church, but the Church in its earliest roots in both Old and New Testament, always insisted that a solid faith education is absolutely vital for the well-being of the people of God. We cannot be obedient to that which we do not know. We cannot grow in a relationship with the One True God unless we learn to study the Scripture, to think theologically, and to pray faithfully. This is the very stuff of Christian education, and we have always insisted upon its value. The one difference in affirming Amendment A is a new means of affirming the necessity of solid educational ministry in the Church, a necessity the Church has recognized as long as the Church has existed.
At the end of the day, all of us can be exhausted by the arguments for and against this amendment. We can see both sides of the issue, and our desire to make the right decision means we have to wrestle hard with this angel. I have come down on the side of affirming the ordination of qualified Christian Educators to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament with a Specialty in Education for the reasons listed above, and for others not mentioned, but primarily because I am convinced that God is calling us to recognize through this action the vital impact which first-class Christian education should be having in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. today. I am convinced that the Holy Spirit of the Lord God is compelling us to take this action for strengthening the ministry of the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. in the world today, and in a culture which so desperately needs to learn what it means to be followers of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. When all is said and done, the reason to vote in favor of this amendment is not merely political or practical; it is a matter of being open to the fresh work of God in our midst.
Cynthia Weeks Logan is a Certified Educator and Minister Member, Grace Presbytery. She serves as associate pastor, First church, Dallas.
