The Dean of the Institute participated in the discussion of the doctoral thesis (Administrative Management Science in the Coptic Church – a historical study with a field study applied to the reality of church management)

The Coptic Institute for Church Management and Development participated in the discussion of the doctoral thesis submitted by Father Moussa Ansofiris Father Youhanna on Saturday, February 12, 2022, in the presence of His Grace Bishop Stephanos, Bishop of the Diocese of Beba, El-Fashn and Samsta, and the Papal Vicar for the Diocese of Beni Mazar and El-Behnasa-Beni Suef.

The discussion was held in the conference hall of the Institute of Coptic Studies. The thesis supervision committee consisted of: Prof. Dr. Gamal Shehata, Professor in the Department of Sociology and Education at the Institute of Coptic Studies and Head of the “Community Service” Department at the Faculty of Social Work, Helwan University; and Prof. Dr. Magdy Tardos, Professor of History at the Institute of Coptic Studies.

The thesis was examined by a discussion committee comprising: Prof. Dr. Magdy Latif El-Sandy, Dean of the Coptic Institute for Church Administration and Development and Visiting Professor at Cairo University and the American University; and Prof. Dr. Samia Barah, Professor of Community Organization at the Higher Institute of Social Service.

The discussion began with the researcher presenting a summary of the submitted thesis, which was conducted in the field using a questionnaire for priests and servants. It was implemented in the Diocese of Beni Mazar and El-Bahnasa across 22 churches (45 priests, 105 servants, and 60 church council members) during the period from March to June 2020. The study examined the concept of church administration among the study sample, those responsible for administration, and its importance in the church, as it contributes to meeting needs, planning, setting goals, responsible accountability, and developing plans in the areas of church activities. The researcher also addressed the difficulties of implementation from the perspective of the study sample. The researcher then presented a set of results from the field study, which are: the necessity of developing well-structured programs for church work and their follow-up by specialists; the existence of a relationship between pastoral care and church administration; and that modern technology plays an important role in achieving rapid communication between the beneficiaries, including servants and those being served.

At the outset of his discussion, Professor Dr. Magdy Latif expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the role of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II and the esteemed bishops of the Coptic Orthodox Church in disseminating and supporting the concept of church administration and reorganizing the internal structure. He also extended his thanks and appreciation to the reverend Fr. Moussa Ansoufirs (the researcher) for his field work, which is considered the first academic and field study on church administration, spanning three years. In his discussion, he addressed four main pillars: the structure of the study, the methodology, the content, and the results and recommendations. He concluded by emphasizing the importance of conducting future studies to complement this research by other scholars.

Professor Dr. Ishaq Ajban, Dean of the Institute of Coptic Studies, and Professor Dr. Adel Fakhry, Secretary General of the Institute of Coptic Studies, attended the discussion, which began at one o’clock and lasted for about two hours. A group of esteemed priests from the Diocese of Beni Mazar also participated, as did the family of the pious Father Moussa Ansofiros.

The administration of the Coptic Institute for Church Management and Development extends its congratulations to the researcher and his family.