Job Description for a Sunday School Superintendent

Sunday school programs at churches don’t just happen. They take a lot of work and planning on behalf of the Sunday school teachers and the people in the church's leadership. The people that head-up Sunday school programs at churches are generally called Sunday school superintendents. Without these individuals overseeing education ministries, Sunday school classes would quickly become disorganized and ineffective, and attendance would drop. Superintendent job descriptions vary from church to church, but there are some common duties.

Sunday school superintendents must survey and evaluate the needs in the Sunday School programs at their churches. This is done by talking with teachers, church leaders and attendees. Possible needs could be additional classrooms, breaking over-crowded classes up and making additional classes available, implementing new curriculum and areas of study, adding new teachers and assistants to the classes, and more. The needs must be evaluated by importance and prioritized. Important needs should be met as quickly as possible. This involves skills in long-range planning and the ability to follow through on those plans.

Sunday school superintendents also must select teachers for individual Sunday school classes and equip them with the training, literature and other materials necessary to meet the needs of Sunday school students.

Sunday school superintendents must ensure that the Sunday school facilities meet the needs of the teachers and students. This involves determining classroom space assignments based on attendance numbers, ensuring that the facilities are safe and in good working order, and checking classrooms after services to ensure the rooms have been returned to order.

An important role of Sunday school superintendents is visitation, evangelism and other activities that will grow participation in the church's Sunday school program. Superintendents should strive for at least a 10 percent enrollment growth each year.

Sunday school superintendents must stick to a budget and be able to meet the needs of the classes within the budget. The money that is designated for Sunday school programs is usually decided on by church leadership with input given by the superintendent. If superintendents cannot meet the needs of their Sunday school programs with the monies that are allocated, they need to submit an official request for more funds to the church leadership at a business meeting. Superintendents should be ready to show where the money that is disbursed to the Sunday school department is being spent and show where the requested money will be allocated.

Sunday school superintendents come under the authority of the church leadership and must be accountable for decisions made in the capacity of superintendent. Likewise, Sunday school superintendents must hold teachers and Sunday school volunteers they oversee accountable for their decisions.