A Study Of Role Conflict In The Experience Of The Pastor-Bible Teacher In Seventh-Day Adventist Boarding Academies
Authors:   ,   Andrews University, Smith Derrell 
Published: June 2023

Problem The pastor-Bible teacher in the Seventh-day Adventist boarding academy may be confronted with many role conflicts. His dual role as pastor and teacher multiplies the possibilities for conflict. What are some of the conflicts that may affect the pastor- Bible teacher's acceptance, or loss of acceptance, by the students as a shepherd-counselor? Are the conflicts such that the pastor- Bible teacher needs to experience anxiety concerning his dual role? Methods To better understand the problem and discover possible solutions to it, the following steps were taken: 1. A study was made of the nature of role conflict as generally conceived in the literature on role theory with application to the pastor-Bible teacher. 2. A questionnaire was developed and administered to determine the attitudes of students in five selected Seventh-day , Adventist boarding academies with respect to the unique role of the pastor-Bible teacher. 3. Interviews were conducted with adults and students in these same academies to broaden and enrich the data to be studied. 4. The data gathered from the questionnaires and interviews were compiled and studied. Results There was not always fundamental agreement among the adults as to the role of the pastor-Bible teacher and how that role is affected by his function as a disciplinarian, giver of grades, and his connection with the school. The study indicated that the majority of the students perceive the pastor-Bible teacher as an effective and acceptable pastor-preacher of the Word and that his spiritual effectiveness is not lessened by involvement in discipline, the giving of grades, or Bible teaching during the week. The students did not rate the pastor-Bible teacher very high as a counselor whether a member of the discipline committee or not in the situations used for this study. Moreover, the other counselor-types, with the exception of the dormitory dean, were not rated very high either. Conclusions The conflict of the pastor-Bible teacher in his dual role may often grow out of his perception and anxiety with respect to how the students relate to him because of his involvement in discipline, the giving of grades, his preaching ministry, and his relationship to the institution. The findings in this study show that the attitude of the students toward the pastor-Bible teacher is not adversely affected by such involvement. Further study is recommended concerning the pastor-Bible teacher as a counselor with special emphasis on the effect of personality as a determiner of acceptance. Since the relationship and rapport between the pastor- Bible teacher and the majority of the students was found to be very good in all areas investigated in this study, the writer seriously questions that pastor-Bible teacher-student relationships are a major cause of drop out for the pastor-Bible teacher. Further study to determine the causes of the high drop-out rate is recommended with the suggestion that parent-teacher and board-teacher relationships be studied.