Shades Mountain Christian School

Spiritual leadership is servant leadership; the two are synonymous. Without spirituality there is no servant leadership. Without a servant mind-set, there is no spirituality in leadership. While it is true that leaders must have task behavior and relational behavior, true leadership is found in giving oneself in service to others, not in coaxing or inducing others to serve them. The focus of the true spiritual/servant leader is on the service he/she can render to God and other people, not on the perks of high office. Management and ministry are not contradictory concepts of spiritual/servant leadership but rather complementary approaches to what the Bible demands. Tough management decisions must be made and then the leader must shepherd (minister to) the people affected by those decisions. Leaders must be authoritative (responsible not authoritarian) because people desire and deserve leaders who know where they are going and are confident of getting there; however, a leader exists to facilitate (make easier, lesson the labor of, help forward) the ministry of others.
 
Administration
The Leadership Team of SMCS consists of the following members:

Rick Gardner Executive Director	Bio coming soon! You can email Rick at rickgardner@smcs.org
David Scherbarth Operations Manager	Bio coming soon. You can email Dave at davescherbarth@smcs.org.
Brian Benscoter Principal	Brian has been at SMCS since 1992 as a teacher, campus pastor, and administrator. He has been married for 22 years and has three daughters. His Bachelors degree is in Education, he has two Masters Degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary (Masters in Christian Education and Masters in Biblical Studies), has done post-graduate work in Educational Leadership at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Teaching & Learning at Liberty University. You can email Brian at brianbenscoter@smcs.org.
Jack Stevens Dean of Students	After a successful dual career in public education and the Army Reserve, where he retired as a Lt. Colonel, Jack joined our staff in 2002. A Vietnam veteran with Masters degrees from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University and Birmingham Southern, he was a teacher, coach, and administrator in Eustis, Florida, Nashville, Tennessee, and Homewood, Alabama for the 30 years prior to joining us. Jack has been married to his beautiful bride (who is a retired teacher) for 42 years and they have two adult children and three grandchildren. You can contact Jack at jackstevens@smcs.org.
Josh Caldwell Director of Student LIfe	Josh began his ministry at SMCS as our 5th and 6th grade science and reading teacher. Prior to SMCS he was the Community Outreach Minister at Church at Brook Hills here in Birmingham and the Recreation Minister at Valleydale Church. He has coached track at Spain Park High School, including coaching the 6A Discus State Champion. He has also worked with the Helena Middle School Football team and our Varsity Football team. Josh has a Bachelors of Arts degree in Family Studies from Samford University and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Liberty University. He is certified in Elementary Education and Middle School Science. Josh has been married for almost 7 years, and he and his wife are in the process of adopting a boy from Uganda. You can contact Josh at joshcaldwell@smcs.org.
Joel Dunn Athletic Director	Bio coming soon. You can email Joel at joeldunn@smcs.org.

School Committee
The SMCS School Committee is under the direction of the Chairman of The Official Board of Shades Mountain Independent Church (SMIC). However, another member of SMIC may serve in his place as Chairman of the School Committee if nominated by the Chairman of The Official Board, the Pastor, and the Headmaster of SMCS and approved by a majority of the Official Board of SMIC. The Chairman of the School Committee shall serve for a term of one year and is not limited as to the number of consecutive terms he may serve.
 
The School Committee membership shall include, it’s Chairman, the Chairman of the Committee on Church Education of SMIC, and additional Committee members in sufficient number to complete its work. At least two-thirds of the voting School Committee members shall be members in good standing of SMIC. The remaining voting Committee members may include active members of other evangelical churches who openly profess salvation by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ and agree to support the stated mission of SMIC and SMCS. These additional Committee members shall be appointed by the Chairman of the School Committee, the Senior Pastor of SMIC, the Headmaster of SMCS, and the Chairman of the Official Board of SMIC. The Committee members shall serve two-year terms and are eligible for reappointment at the end of a term.
 
Duties of the School Committed are as follows: (1) To develop and administer an effective Christian School program for the purpose of developing the whole child (Luke 2:52). The School Committee Chairman or his designee shall report back to the Official Board of SMIC on a regular basis regarding the progress toward this goal. (2) To assist the school administration in the creation of a financial budget for SMCS that will be submitted to the Official Board of SMIC for approval and adoption. The School Committee shall also monitor the adherence to said budget throughout the school year and report back to the Official Board of SMIC regarding any deviations from the expected income or the planned expenses. (3) To provide a policy and procedure manual to be approved by The Official Board of SMIC for the purpose of governing the overall operation of SMCS. (4) To serve as a resource for the Headmaster, administration, and faculty of SMCS in other initiatives or activities that contribute to the educational and spiritual well-being of its students as well as to the mission of SMCS and SMIC.
 
Our Current School Committee Members are: Mr. Craig Reeves (Chairman), Mr. Steve Flickinger, Mr. Steve Bargainnier, Mr. Richie Irvin, Mr. Bill Vandiver, Mr. David Belcher, Mrs. Cynthia Ramsey, Mrs. Gina Cody, and Mr. Curtis Brown. Please pray for these individuals that God will grant them wisdom. We are grateful to their spouses for sharing them with us.