The Role of the Pastor in God and Country

Pastors are often “caught off guard” when Scouts approach them about earning their religious award. Sometimes a pastor doesn’t know about the God and Country program until a Scout wants to earn it. What is the role of the pastor in the God and Country series? Is the pastor automatically the counselor? What are realistic expectations for the pastor when setting up the program? What options do pastors have?

What is the pastor required to do?

The God and Country program requires pastors to oversee the program and conduct a final review with the participants. As a church program, God and Country requires the signature of the pastor – not the parent, unit leader, or instructor. This is to ensure that candidates complete the God and Country program under the auspices of the church and meet with the pastor in order for them to receive their church badge.

What do most pastors do?

Most pastors choose to get more involved than just interviewing the children at the end of the program. There is a wide range of involvement by pastors, but it basically boils down to whether pastors prefer that the young people work individually at home with their parents or whether the young people attend a God and Country class at church.

How are pastors involved when the candidate works at home to complete the requirements?

Pastors typically meet with the family prior to starting the curriculum. They walk through the requirements, explain their expectations, make suggestions, and set deadlines. Depending on their preference (or depending on the family and their church background), pastors may require candidates to meet with them after every section, but many just require a mid-point check up or a final review at the end of the program. In this type of set up, the time with the pastor is not so much instruction, as it is discussion and reviewing the candidate’s work. Regardless of how many (or how few) meeting times, families have appreciated this one-on-one time with the pastor and the personal investment in their child’s faith development.

How are pastors involved when the church offers a God and Country class for young people?

Sometimes pastors have taught the class themselves. This is most often the case with small classes or when an established group (such as a Brownie Troop or Cub Scout Den) approaches their pastor. With the God and Church program for grades 6-8, some pastors have incorporated the curriculum into their confirmation classes so that all confirmants are eligible to receive the award.

When a church sponsors more than one God and Country class (either they offer more than one level or their enrollment is so big that they have multiple classes at each level), the pastor most often approves a coordinator who handles the scheduling, supplies, adult volunteers, paperwork, etc. The pastor can then choose the level of involvement, which can range from visiting different classes, teaching a session, or attending the “party” at the end of the program. The very least that the pastor would have to do is conduct the final review at the end of the program and get to know the children and connect with them in this way.

How do pastors conduct the final review?

Some pastors interview each child. Others do the final review in a group setting with the entire class. The purpose of the final review is not to quiz or “stump” the children, but to dialogue with them and help them express what they have learned. The final review is not a “test” but rather an opportunity for the child to get to know the pastor and have a conversation on faith issues at the child’s level.

How do pastors know what to ask during the final review?

If the pastor hasn’t been involved in teaching the children, there are sample questions available on line at www.praypub.org. The pastor should ask the counselor/teacher if there are any particular lessons or insights that should be brought up during the review. 

How can pastors build a God and Country or Scouting ministry in their church?

The pastor is a key person in interpreting the Scouting program as “ministry,” but the entire congregation – from the church council to the building committee to the newsletter publisher to the outreach committee – must embrace this concept. Click here to read how all the components of the church are involved in a Scouting ministry.

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