My understanding of the servant ministry of the church.
- I believe that servant ministry is the truest testimony to living a life like Jesus did. Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:42-45) Jesus said, "Whoever exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew 23:12)
To make disciples is to teach the followers of Christ to live out their faith in all areas of life. This can only take place when we live out a biblical Christian worldview that brings redemption into every area of a person’s life. God has called us to serve in both the spirit and methods of Christ, the servant leadership of Christ through love and influence. He is our perfect example, and the source of all power and strength. The ultimate key to leadership is the full manifestation of servant-hood. The words of the Lord Jesus could not be simpler: "But the greatest among you shall be your servant." (Matthew 23:11) True greatness comes through serving others. There is no greater key - those who serve best are those who are worthy to lead. "Out in the world the Master sits at the table and is served by his servants. But not here, for I am your servant." (Luke 22:25-27)
Every Christian must follow Christ by becoming a servant to all. Now is the moment in history to accept the challenge of changing nations through Christian servant-hood. The world is crying out for leaders to guide them. But no answers will work except those of Christ. His is the pathway of obedience and servanthood. We must set our hearts on serving in the spirit and true servanthood of the Christ. If we properly emphasize serving God and serving people, we will give good leadership.
My vocation as a minister: I am presently convinced that ordained ministry is the best way to fulfill my response to God.
- To serve the Lord as a minister in the Church is not a career in the usual sense as its successes or failures can never be fully measured. To follow Christ, however, to be what He wants us to be and to do what He wants us to do, is to realize our greatest potential and find our deepest well of joy. The call to the ordained ministry is a call to share proclamation, service and sacrament. Its focus is announcing the Good News, in embodying the servanthood of Jesus among those who need his love and care, and in nourishing the people of God with the sacraments of Christ. At another level, ordained ministry is a call to seek God in the quiet places, to study the scriptures, to deepen personal faith and devotion, and to fashion one's own life after the self revelation of God in Christ.
The Lord’s church is universal and being ordained allows one to be as universal as the church – to serve without borders. The life of Jesus serves as a blue print for servant leadership and ordination in the church allows a minister to travel and follow this blueprint most authentically. Clearly then, much of my own sense of vocation develops from inner conviction, from the 'clues' which I perceive in my own life prompting me to the belief that this may indeed be the path God wants me to follow.
Vocation, however, also involves the whole Church and it is for this reason that our personal sense of vocation is 'tested' by the wider community of faith. This is a deeply biblical understanding. Our gifts, our personal characteristics, our strengths and weaknesses, our spiritual potential, are often more objectively identified when we explore our possibilities within the broader fellowship of the Church, mindful also of its distinctive beliefs, needs, and aspirations. Ultimately, it is the Church which authenticates ministry and it is therefore the Church which plays a vital role in helping to discern the will of God in relation to ordination.
I regard pastoral conversations of a confessional nature as a trust between the person concerned and God.
A relationship of confidence and trust within the religious community is essential to the full and free exercise of religion and cannot be maintained if members fear that their spiritual communications may be revealed.
The church and its pastors are called to a ministry of the "care of souls," by telling the good news of salvation by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ and presenting the claims of Jesus by "healing and reconciling and binding up wounds, ministering to the needs of the poor, the sick, the lonely, and the powerless giving itself and its substance to the service of those who suffer"
Effectiveness of clergy in counseling ministries is increased when communications are kept confidential. Clergy are better able to build a community of trust and caring and can be more effective in counseling ministries when they can assure those who come to them for aid and solace that the communications will be maintained in strictest confidence. Declaring God's forgiveness is a matter of the highest religious significance. Seeking forgiveness from God is highly personal and should not be clouded or restricted by concerns about whether one's pastor will later testify in court as to or make public what was revealed during such communications.
Biblical Basis: There are strong biblical roots for confession of sin before God and one's community. For example, reference to confession of sin as step toward redemption is found in Psalm 40:1-2. Many other Psalms refer to confession as a means of glorifying God (see, for example, Psalms 22, 30, 31, 36, 40, 51, 57, 116). There are other Old Testament references to the value and importance of confession. (See, for example, Jonah 2:2-9 and Isaiah 38:1-20.) Many of these Old Testament references to confession recognize the right of God to judge us.
In the New Testament, the importance of confessing one's sins is mentioned in several contexts. John the Baptist required those coming for baptism in the River Jordan to confess their sins. (See Matt. 3:6 and Mark 1:5.) James, instructs, "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (James: 5:16).
My understanding of pastoral care ministry and How that understanding demonstrated in the pastoral care I, give in this experience?
Today's world creates moral and ethical pressures that force people into conflict with their faith. Pastoral care is a theologically based and spiritually integrated care, with an understanding of holiness and its place in our lives. The primary effort of care is to bring the patient to a better understanding of what they believe is right for them. It should not be directed toward destroying belief, but at building, supporting and enhancing a personal belief system that will integrate and support a whole and healthy person.
The pastoral counselor utilizes all the tools of clinical intervention, but additionally emphasizes the blending of the person's spiritual and religious beliefs. Patient care involves the holistic integration of the psychological, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual dynamics of the human experience.
Unfortunately my current training does not prepare me to understand the depth and breadth of human dynamics, tomorrow. I am faced with a number of concerns of which I am sure this training will help me clarify.
There are two key elements that make patient care unique in its service.
- Where psychology uses scientific methods to observe, categorize and analyze behavior, parishioner care adds the theological element of redemption.
- Parishioner care recognizes God, to whom our identity is tied and who dialogues with us in our struggle to define who we are. Saying that we are creatures denotes that we belong to each other, and that we belong to God as a unique expression of God's creation.
My personal basic beliefs and experience as a Christian.
Servant leadership is the hallmark of my Christian beliefs - to make sure that other people's Christian needs are being served. My calling began with a very natural feeling that I wanted to serve in a different way than I had been. Conscious choice has brought me to this place; where I aspire to lead.
I believe that certain Christians are affirmed and called by God to be ministers - the spiritual shepherds of the community. They further serve God and the community by discerning a vision for the greater spiritual needs and empowering other shepherds to catalyze unity in the greater church and the world in general.
I also believe Christians are neither elected nor self-appointed, but rather raised up by God. These individuals that God has recognized as "among" the gate-keepers encourage a widening in the circle of Church leadership.
I believe there are six key elements of Christian-Leadership and they are: Practicing Christian leadership begins with the desire to change oneself; Listening receptively to what others have to say.; Acceptance of others and having empathy for them; Awareness and perception; Having highly developed powers of persuasion; and An ability to conceptualize and to communicate concepts.
The best test of Christian leadership, and the most difficult to discern, is:
- do those served grow as Christians
- while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become Christians
- what is the effect on the least privileged in society
- will they benefit, or at least, not be further deprived
- do they have an ability to exert a healing influence upon individuals and institutions.
How I discern my continuing spiritual maturity and growth in grace and the knowledge and love of God?
I continue to strive toward perfection; I continue to read and study Scripture and read other books on theology. I also learn from my discussions and exchanges with other ministers with whom I come into contact. I try to keep top of mind everyday as I go about my business to remain aware of my interactions with people – to help them see God’s grace in their daily lives.
I am willing to relate to all persons without regard to race, color, national origin, or social status and has always ben my practice.
My whole life has been one of attempting to accept and relate to everyone I come into contact with on their own terms – without regard to race, color, national origin or social status. I do this because it has been my experience – sometimes very painfully – that most people do not deal with those different from they are in this manner.
I grew up in a society and time where being an intelligent, caring black man was not a commodity. In fact in many situations people I came into contact with attempted to demean me – to say that I wasn’t all the things I knew I was – smart, caring, passionate – and that I would have no future – i.e. “not amount to anything.” While people flung these external messages at me I knew in my heart that I was a child of God – precious, talented and worthy of His blessings. I also knew that I had work to do for Him.
Perhaps as a response to all the negativity that I was surrounded with as a young man, my adult life has been focused on trying to make positive societal changes. Whether that meant marching as part of the civil rights movement and the struggle for national black pride, or working on a presidential campaign or teaching in a school setting, all the things I have done over the course of my life have been to help all people –without regard to race, color, national origin or social status.
My mission work is a good example of my belief in the equality of all people. I have traveled and taught all over the globe – from Central and South America to the Carribean to Africa – and my goal on all these missions was the same – to bring the word of God by speaking and example to my Christian brothers and sisters around the world. We are all equal in God’s eyes.
I have spent my whole life serving others, and now that I am in the ministry I will continue this practice – only now I have a new set of tools with which to achieve this goal. I have Scripture, my own experience and reason and most importantly, God’s help. I believe that everyone is a child of God and deserves to be loved and served thusly.
My rewards and blessings entailed in service in the ministry.
One blessing that I anticipate within the service of the Church would be the ability to walk with others on their Christian journeys and help them, if I can, become better servants of Christ. I also anticipate if I am successful in doing this within a group setting (the church) that the word of the Lord would be spread among those who I would encourage to become servant leaders within their own lives – extending the reach of the good news of the Lord. If I am blessed to lead a church I hope, like tossing a pebble into a pond, the messages of our Lord and Savior will ripple out and reach all those around us.
