Introduction

Adventist schools have been established under the direction of the Lord. “And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children” (Isaiah 54:13). It has always been God’s purpose to educate His children in a climate consistent with His will. The church operates a school system to provide children and youth with a balanced physical, mental, spiritual, social, and vocational education, with God as the source of all moral value and truth. The stated interest of the church is the restoration in people of the image of their Maker, resulting in the optimum development of the whole person for both this life and the life hereafter.

Early in the Old Testament God gave instruction that His followers were to be taught in all significant areas of life: healthful living, civic order, social justice, purposeful work and the deeper meaning of His divine character and law (Deut. 6:1-25). This is the continuing mission of the Seventh-day Adventist school system.

Adventist churches operate schools to bring about the salvation of children and youth through acceptance of and faith in Jesus as their personal Savior and, following that, to help them achieve growth in character so that they will become God-fearing, honest, stable, and productive members of society. The curricula in Adventist schools are designed to instruct students in a biblical view of the origin of life, human duty and destiny.

Paul compares the church to a body in which all of the parts “should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (I Cor. 12: 25-27). The educational system of the church includes some of the most important parts of the body. The education secretary has the vital job of helping the entire congregation minister more effectively to the children and youth of the church by encouraging, and in some cases making it financially possible for, each one who desires a Christian education to get it.

“Every man and woman in our ranks, whether a parent or not, ought to be intensely interested in the Lord’s vineyard. We cannot afford to allow our children to drift away into the world and to fall under the control of the enemy. Let us come up to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. Let us do all in our power to make our schools a blessing to our youth.” (Ellen G. White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Youth, page 210).

Duties of the Education Secretary

Responsibilities in the Local Church. North American Division Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists. Copyright © 1997, Revised 2017. Permission to copy for local church use.