context of the general ministry of the Church.
Ordination is a gift of God through the descent of the Holy Spirit. We are given the Spirit in baptism, not for some sort of personal comfort (though we well receive comfort from the Holy Spirit) but rather so that we might be empowered to participate fully in the ministry of Christ in the world. I believe that ordination is the calling of God. Ordination is a gift of God. It is not our idea. It is God's idea. God has challenged me to be who he wants me to be. He has challenged me to go as Jesus went. My ministry is my hearing Him and responding to his will for my life. (John 20:21) God elects and chooses us to be the instruments of his work on this earth. I believe God has chosen me as one of his representatives to the hungry and thirsty. I was once hungry and thirsty and have seen the Lord at work in my life.
The task of the ordained minister is a collaborative one, an enabling role. The leader aims to bring the best out of those who are led. I believe the service of leadership consists partly in provoking others to grow and experience movement in areas they have denied, or have not been aware of. The ordained minister should act in a critical and self-critical way, open to the ideas and corrections of others. It is this aspect which is so often absent in the understanding of collaborative leadership. The ordained minister's role will change as the collaborative nature of ministry becomes more of a reality, for its shape will inevitably be modified as new members are included and as different people move off and others join in.
Self-understanding is in key ways founded in the gospel of love and redemption. My own security and self-awareness, and the confidence to face the truths of self-knowledge, come from the love of God, the redemption Christ offers, and the empowering of broken humanity which the Spirit brings. I view the role of the church as providing leadership in the struggle for change, Christ as savior and liberator. The view of the church as a leader in the liberation struggle is most closely identified with "black theology," which gained prominence in the 1960s.
Theologically, this view of the church is influenced by the liberation theology which has developed in Latin America, and the works of James Cone. A reading of the Bible from the vantage point of poverty or oppression places emphasis on God's partiality toward the poor. Pressure on the church to take on the role of leader and spokesperson for change also comes from its milieu. The majority of Christians in America are black and poor. Young people, especially in today's increasingly militant atmosphere, are writing off the church as irrelevant because Christians have not been willing to be radical in denouncing injustice. While the church remains important, increasing numbers sense that the momentum towards liberation resides elsewhere and that the church is merely responding to it rather than leading it. Nonetheless, in my view, the church needs to indicate clearly which side it stands on in the struggle. I view my role as helping to continue the dialogue and showing the relevance of church and God in the struggle for liberation.
All of the major Christian denominations share a common brotherhood in Christ. The Methodist Church believes in Sanctification and Perfection. I hold that the wonder of God's acceptance and pardon does not end God's saving work, which continues to nurture me in grace. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I am able to increase in the knowledge and love of God and in love for our neighbor. New birth is the first step in this process of sanctification. Sanctifying grace draws me toward the gift of Christian perfection, which Wesley described as a heart "habitually filled with the love of God and neighbor" and as "having the mind of Christ and walking as he walked."
The Church has a strong focus on Faith and Good Works I can see God's grace and human activity working together in the relationship of faith and good works. God's grace calls forth human response and discipline. Faith is the only response essential for salvation. Both faith and good works belong within an all-encompassing theology of grace, since they stem from God's gracious love "shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit." I insist that personal salvation always involves Christian mission and service to the world. By joining heart and hand, we assert that personal religion, evangelical witness, and Christian social action are reciprocal and mutually reinforcing.
Scriptural holiness entails more than personal piety; love of God is always linked with love of neighbor, a passion for justice and renewal in the life of the world. The General Rules represent one traditional expression of the intrinsic relationship between Christian life. Theology is the servant of piety, which in turn is the ground of social conscience and the impetus for social action and global interaction, always in the empowering context of the reign of God.
Deepen my Christian walk in word and deed. Discover the roots of mission spirituality and justice. Act on issues of poverty, slavery, substance abuse, education of children, women's leadership. Methodism is well aware of the importance of personal religious experience. Religious experience is personal, but it is also shared.
- It is a fact of life - it comes from God and points to him.
- Through my experience, I have learned that my redemption is the work of God's grace.
- Through my experience, I have received assurance that I have been forgiven and am a child of God.
- I will share my Christian experiences with all men and women of all races.
A Christian is one who has the love of God shed abroad in his love by the Holy Ghost given unto him. One who loves the Lord his God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his mind, and with all his strength. God is the joy of his heart and the desire of his soul." Methodism stands for four particular emphases:
- All need to be saved - the doctrine of original sin
- All can be saved by grace through faith - Universal Salvation
- All can know that the are saved – Assurance
- All can be saved to the uttermost - Christian Perfection
Gifts come from the Holy Spirit. I wish to define a gift as "A gift is an ability given to an individual supernaturally by God through the Holy Spirit so that the recipient may utilize that ability to minister to the needs of the church and community." This is an important definition because it carefully notes that spiritual gifts are for the purpose of ministry to others. They are not for the purpose of self-edification.
There are Gifts and Ministries (what is called "service”). A ministry is the area in which a gift is performed or the group among which it is performed. It is where the gift is utilized. God puts some to the task of speaking to Christians, others he sends to minister to the world. To some he gives the job of teaching. Some minister to older people, some to children. I believe my gifts are those of Life, Wisdom, Knowledge, Teaching, Healing, Prophecy, Helps, Administration, and Discernment of the Spirit. I plan to implement these gifts in my ministry through Offering Christ through Worship, Education, Support, Service and Involvement. I consider my gifts to be.
- The gift of life. Four times in my life, my life was taken from me and the Lord chose to give it back to me.
- The gifts of wisdom, knowledge, teaching and contributing.
- The gift of wisdom is direct insight into truth. Knowledge is the ability to investigate and systematize facts. This gift often accompanies the gift of teaching and makes for thoughtful teachers and contributors.
- The gift of faith. This is essentially what I call "vision." It is the ability to see something that needs to be done, and to believe that God will do it, even though it looks impossible.
- The gift of prophecy. When a man has this gift, his words have power to build, by stimulating and encouraging others. That is to me the gift of prophecy being exercised -- the ability to speak with power, to build by stimulating and encouraging.
- The gift of discernment of spirits. It is the ability to distinguish between "the spirit of error and the spirit of truth," {1 Jn 4:6)
- The gift of helps. This is perhaps the greatest gift of all. This is the gift of lending a hand whenever a need appears.
- The gift of administration, those who organize and execute.
I view my role as helping to continue the dialogue and show the relevance of the church and God in the struggle for liberation. My belief is that servant leadership is a primary focus of my ministry and my relationship with the Methodist church will allow me to follow the Wesleyan tradition of social service and pursuit of social justice. The church is called to challenge its members to examine their behavior in private and social arrangements. Behaviors which perpetuate alienation and injustice, which creates the pent-up rage inside people and explodes as demons. Christianity in general is changing dramatically in American culture. Old paradigms are breaking down, and we need to explore fresh visions for what it means to be the church, and what it means to bear witness in our rapidly changing situation.
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord over my life. To me this means that He is in control and I am not. He knows better than I what I can handle, and what I need. I count on His supreme wisdom to guide me on my Christian journey through this earthly life. I think that most Christians would agree with the statement that I just set forth.
"Jesus Is Lord" What does God's Word have to say about the meaning of Lord as it refers to Christ Jesus? There is much discussion, and even dispute, today as to what it means to confess that "Jesus Is Lord." Jesus is Lord in many respects, whether we totally recognize it or not.
If we have already accepted Him, our practical sanctification and future rewards will be largely determined by how soon and how deeply we submit to this Divine Master. However, these two aspects of Christ's Lordship should not be confused. If man has to be totally submitted (or even willing to be totally submissive) to Christ as "Absolute Boss," as a requisite for salvation, one wonders if there will be any at all to enter the kingdom.
In our understandable eagerness to keep works of any kind out of the presentation of the Gospel, we must be careful not to give the impression that we are against Christ's Lordship. Far from it! We would be thrilled if all of us who are Christians were suddenly to become, like Paul, "bondservants of Jesus Christ." While we do not believe in Lordship Salvation, we do believe in Lordship, and in "Lordship Discipleship.” Jesus is also Lord in His titles of dignity. Except for the Book of Hebrews (which does use "Jesus" without the Lord or Christ title, perhaps harking back to the human Jewish roots in the Gospels), the New Testament from Acts to Revelation generally does give titles of honor to our Lord Jesus Christ. Each has a special emphasis—Lord Jesus, Lord Christ, Christ Jesus, etc. In the Gospels, when Christ heals on the Sabbath or allows His disciples to eat grain from a field on the Sabbath, He proclaims that He, "the Son of Man, is Lord even of the Sabbath" (Matt 12:8). This means that He is not controlled by the Sabbath, but the Sabbath is under His control.
We are all members of the priesthood of believers and we all have a right to participate in the worship service – in fact it is necessary that we all use our gifts to praise the Lord. I believe the Pastor isn’t the only anointed person. But he or she has a vital role in the development of ministry setting.
The pastor is key to the establishment of productive lay leadership. It is essential that his or her concepts, attitudes, and commitments be correct. Following are seven guidelines I use for the development of ministry and lay leadership in my setting. Commit myself and my ministry setting to an unlimited growth of faith. Christ continually taught His disciples that there is no limit to what one can accomplish with the proper growth of faith. "Everything is possible to one who has faith" (Mark 9:23, NEB). Recognize prospective leaders.
I must be able to recognize and appoint prospective leaders, who will share in the ministry of finding other receptive people. Delegate authority. I delegate both ministry and authority. Teach, train, and qualify. I search for students who has ministry passion and teach trained and qualify. Organize. Proper organization provides for a smooth flow of energies. It is a channel allowing useful direction of intents and purposes. Set definite goals and count. I try to set definite goals. They insure that an accurate reporting system be maintained, and do not shirk accountability. Motivate.
One of the most important responsibilities as pastor has is keeping students continually motivated. Their faith needs constant stimulation and encouragement, and their capacities full realization. When developing and nurturing students it is important to remember that God has a plan for the people with whom we work in this capacity. The person that I am working with might feel the calling to serve the Lord in the ministry.
I am always working toward perfection. But I also know quite well that I am a human being; which means I am frail and subject to temptation and weakness. I have been socially responsible my whole life and see the ministry as the chance to heighten this skill. I believe it is important for a minister to serve as a role model, to maintain decorum in all relationships especially those with members of the church. I have faced many personal challenges in my life – from being burned as a child and not expected to survive, to facing racism and the stigma of low-expectations, and I believe the Lord has been the source of my strength during these difficult times. I expect to continue to rely on Him as I face any challenges within my ministry.
The birth of a child to members of your congregation: When a Christian couple marries, it is usual for them to undergo a process of pre-marital counseling. The purpose of this counseling is to prepare the couple for the profound relationship into which they are about to enter, and to provide them with an opportunity to consider what Scripture teaches about the married state. It seems completely appropriate to do so, given the seriousness of marriage and the fact that entering into marriage completely changes one's life for the rest of one's life.
It strikes me as rather odd that, given the degree to which we try to prepare people for marriage, we do so little by comparison to prepare them for parenthood. The statement above about marriage also applies to becoming a parent: it completely changes one's life for the rest of one's life. Certainly it would seem to be desirable to prepare Christian parents for the task of bringing new life into the world and raising the children that God entrusts in their care.
First-time parents often are full of expectations that having a child will make their lives so much nicer. The parents look expectantly at the joys and love their child will bring. Down deep they believe that the child will bring healing to their marriage's sore spots and reunite them. And to a degree it works, at least for a short while. Special joys of life, however, do not solve problems but only delay or modify the context in which the old problems re-surface. Those old problems are not solved but instead further aggravated! Sleep deprivation does wonders for bringing out problems.
The heightened expectations are good and do help parents overcome some fears that would otherwise immobilize them. As others around them pour out encouragement and excitement, they are encouraged and bravely face the new situations with less apprehension. When the new parents encounter more difficult situations than expected, they can easily fall into disappointment. Their dreams are popped. Reality sets in. The key to stability does not rest in the hope it will all work out well, but whether they parent God's way. This is the snag that catches many Christians off guard. Sometimes they just hope but do not abide by God's ways. Good parenting just doesn't happen; it is a deliberate plan to obey God's program for parenting.
The process of dying and death of a member of your congregation: When someone is dying, or has died, it is clear that in many cases there is “unfinished business.” Not infrequently family members regret that they did not take the time, that they did not make a time for reconciliation with the person who died. The survivors continue to carry this burden. Once a person has died, we cannot go back and say we want to make peace. It is too late to say, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean what I said” - or “I regret that we fought, or didn’t find a way to achieve a better understanding.”
While death is the ultimate finality, there is a kind of finality in life as well. Think of the words we speak, and especially the words that we speak in anger. There is no way to retract them. Once spoken, they take on a life of their own. We can murmur phrases like “I’m sorry I expressed that badly” or “that is not what I really meant.”
Divorce of a couple within your congregation: The common complaint is that churches are focusing on the needs of intact families and ignoring the divorced. So many divorced people find a stronger faith in God, yet so few belong to the church. Those experiencing divorce often mistakenly assume the church will only judge them and there for avoid any contact with their church family. How can congregations help: Offer Forgiving Love, Continuing Guidance and Understanding Patience.
- Study the biblical basis of peacemaking and the meaning of nonviolence
- Help members develop the capacity to engage in creative and respectful conflict
- Include examples of peacemaking in sermons and prayers in worship
- Designate at least one Sunday each year as "Peace Sunday"
- Teach peacemaking as a way of life for all ages through the use of games, the arts, music, videos, and storytelling
- Create a peace mission statement and identify concrete ways to achieve it
- Incorporate sustainable ways of living and using resources
- Raise awareness on issues of economic justice, restorative justice, race and ethnicity, and global and cultural concerns
- Support victims of domestic and civil violence
- Identify organizations and legislative bodies adopting peace education and nonviolence policies that you can support
- Enhance members' understanding of God's peace and the biblical foundation for nonviolence and justice
- Support members' efforts to address current peace and justice issues
- Equip individuals and groups to model lives of nonviolence
- Establish peace and education for children and youth as an ongoing priority of the church
- Equip, support and recognize individuals and groups who are leaders in peacemaking efforts in their communities, nation and the world.
