Involving Women in Sunday School Leadership | An Interview with Garret Shields & Monica Fell

Garret Shields has a bachelor’s degree in History and a master’s degree in Religious Education, and is currently working on a Ph.D. in History, researching issues and questions related to race and the priesthood in Brazil. He works in the Church Educational System as a Seminary teacher. Garret served in the Brazil Rio de Janeiro Mission and has since served in many callings in the Church including ward mission leader, high councilor, elders quorum president, bishopric counselor, Sunday School president, and nursery leader. He currently serves as a priest quorum advisor. Garret lives in Spanish Fork, Utah, with his wife and four energetic, adorable, and amazing children.
Monica Fell has worked as a registered nurse for almost 20 years, where she has had the privilege of loving and serving in many capacities from hospital settings to home health and hospice, and working with struggling youth in group homes. At church, Monica has also served in many callings, including nursery leader, librarian, Relief Society counselor, girls camp director, Primary president, Young Women president, and currently as a Young Women 1st counselor. She served as a "teaching advisor" while Garret was Sunday School president in their ward, working alongside the presidency to support teaching both in the home and at church. Monica is a single empty nester who calls Spanish Fork home. She had the privilege of raising two boys and identical twin girls, is grateful for a son- and daughter-in-law she loves like her own, and can't believe how much fun it is to be a "Nana" of an adorable, spirited 3-year-old granddaughter.
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Recognizing that most gospel teaching at home and even at church in their ward was done by women, Garret decided to include women in the Sunday School presidency. Monica, one of the teaching advisors in the presidency, highlights the success of their approach, especially in addressing the challenges faced by women in implementing Come Follow Me at home. The podcast delves into the structure of their meetings, the proactive nature of their leadership, and the emphasis on "Teaching in the Savior's Way". The dynamic and collaborative nature of their presidency meetings fostered a strong bond among the members and led to better teaching in the ward as a whole.
00:00:06 - Introduction and Welcome
00:00:24 - Garret's Background and Sunday School Presidency
00:01:53 - Garret's Excitement for Teaching and Learning
00:02:15 - Recognizing Women's Role in Gospel Teaching
00:03:08 - Including Women in the Sunday School Presidency
00:05:07 - Monica's Perspective on the New Approach
00:06:07 - Importance of Women's Voices in Sunday School
00:08:02 - Structuring the Sunday School Council
00:09:08 - Initiating Discussions on Come Follow Me
00:11:23 - Surveying Members on Come Follow Me
00:13:59 - Sunday School Presidency as a Resource for Teaching
00:16:38 - Cadence and Structure of Meetings
00:18:14 - Support and Perspective in Meetings
00:20:21 - Emphasizing Individualized Come Follow Me
00:22:03 - Focus on Jesus Christ in Teaching
00:23:34 - Different Dynamics in Teaching Different Age Groups
00:25:26 - Involving Empty Nesters in Discussions
00:26:33 - Rotating Teacher Council Meetings
00:28:57 - Proactive Approach to Supporting Teachers
00:31:38 - Building Relationships and Camaraderie
00:34:06 - Moving from Caretaker to Difference Maker
00:35:48 - Reflection on Leadership and Following Christ
00:36:54 - Praying for Attributes of the Savior
00:37:26 - Ministering One-on-One and Following Christ

[@catherinekennedy7579]

Introducing woman into sharing there in the Sunday School presidency helps also helps with inspiration for home as well.

[@floydfitzgibbons6959]

The Introduction for the "Come Follow Me" manual states: "Keep in mind that learning the gospel, at its best, is home centered and Church supported. In other words, your main responsibility is to support the people you teach in their efforts to learn and live the gospel at home. Give them opportunities to share their experiences, thoughts, and questions about the scripture passages. Invite them to share the eternal truths they have found. This is more important than covering a certain amount of material."
Imagine if each class started with the teacher saying, "What spiritual experiences did you have with the scriptures this week?" And, "were there any verses you didn't understand?" And then instead of the teacher giving a lecture, the class members took most or all of the time to share the insights they got this week, or helped each other understand the scriptures better. I've seen this done before and it's amazing what happens! No more boring classes. And it certainly edifies the class members and encourages those who are not studying the scriptures at home to begin doing so.
I think this is what "Home-centered and church-supported" looks like in Sunday School.

[@Student____2025__1]

I prefer informative, well-prepared lectures, not volunteer, impromptu discussions. Informative lectures are not boring to me.

[@brettmajeske3525]

It is interesting that when exploring the history of the Sunday School program, particularly in Areas where there is not enough Priesthood holders, women have served as Sunday School Presidents. The handbook, at least back in the 90s when I served my mission in France, stated that Priesthood holders was preferred, but that councilors must be the same gender so if a women was President so would be any councilors. Missionaries often served as Branch Presidency councilors, back then. During my mission instruction from the Brethren changed, so that Missionaries were not supposed to continue serving in the Branch Presidencies, and that Sunday School Presidents should hold the Priesthood whenever possible.
At the time the Branch President was from Paris, and his adult son who lived with him was the Elder's Quorum President. They were in effect the only active Priesthood in the Branch. There were many single mother's and part member families, so while there were fifty kids in Primary, there was no local Priesthood. The Sunday School President was the widow of the original Branch President from when the Branch was organized. At the time of her release she had been Sunday School President for close to 20 years.
With her release the Stake ended up sending a second family from Paris to the Branch every Sunday. Since the Branch leadership was only in town on Sunday, the Relief Society President was the only Branch leader in the town during the week.

[@hamletfan8]

I LOVE the creative approach to including women's perspectives. Women are more than half the church and the research shows that you need both men's and women's perspectives working together to find good solutions to challenges. Good inspiration comes from good information.
Also I'm not sure when it changed, but I'm in my 40s and I know my friend's mom was the Stake Sunday School Secretary when we growing up in Utah. So I'd be interested to know when some of thes changes to Sunday School being only available to ordained Priesthood holders were made.

[@brettmajeske3525]

Technically even today being an ordained Priesthood holder is not a requirement, just a very strong recommendation. Women are only to be called as Sunday School Presidents if there are not enough ordained Brothers, and even then the recommendation is non-ordained brothers before sisters. Councilors are supposed to be the same gender as the president, so a male Sunday School President is not supposed have female councilors or secretary. Which is not to say that Bishops and Stake Presidents always followed those guidelines.
I know back in the 90s while I was on my mission a letter from the First Presidency came out about trying harder to find worthy Priesthood holders to fill the role. A Branch had the same female Sunday School President since it was organized back in the 70s. She was the widow of the original Branch President. I have talk to people who knew female Sunday School Presidents in rural Canada and in Branches in South America. This was also the same time that an effort was made to keep missionaries out of Branch Presidencies, which in the 60s, 70s, and 80s had become fairly common.
From different records it seems it was far more common before the Sunday School organization was reorganized back in the 50s under Bruce R McConkie. Apparently, there was not even an official recommendation as to the gender of Sunday School Presidencies until McConkie became the Sunday School Superintendent, what is now known as the General Sunday School President. He seemed to be the one who felt that women should be the exception and not just an option. As far as I can tell, by 1980 there were no longer any sister Sunday School Presidents in the USA, although there would have been those who had served in such callings within living memory.

[@RichardChappell1]

Gee, I thought that's why RS, YW and Primary are part of Ward Council...

[@RichardChappell1]

Initially, I would suggest the idea that most of the gospel teaching that takes place in the home is done by the Moms is a stereotype based on a narrow definition of teaching, particularly based on the age range of the children. In fact, if that is the case, the family is dysfunctional and failing, and that should be a major focus in the ward. Research done by the Catholic Church has even shown the father being key in the adoption of faith by the children.
It's fine in a large ward to create new callings and spread the work, but the reality is that this concept is fully covered in the existing program. I think the key in this discussion is less creating the Teacher Advisors, but more the actual fulfillment of the program - such as the Teacher Councils for parents. The target for organizing these is the Ward Council - where it really should be, as those address key priesthood and RS concerns. It's particularly key in wards that are in demographically challenged areas and struggle with enough leadership to function. It is the process that is key rather than who is doing it.

[@Student____2025__1]

Honestly, I think things are better with less women in leadership positions. There's already too much feminizing, softening, watering down, focusing on sharing experiences rather than solid teaching, etc.

[@ethanevensen3752]

I don't think it's the number that is the problem. The YW, RS, and Primary have been lead by women for generations, but something has changed in the culture of the church to focus on the female aspects of the gospel. I hear that focus coming from male leaders at least as much as female leaders

[@csmusix]

The Church needs less callings not more. Time to go to 1 hour.

[@RichardChappell1]

Why even bother... You can have 0 hour church if you want...

[@stevenshields754]

Less callings because.....

[@csmusix]

​@@stevenshields754 A girl said it best in her primary prayer the other day she said "Please bless that it doesn't take so long so we can get home to our families."

[@stevenshields754]

@@csmusix so less meeting. Super down with that! To me, meeting and callings are different.