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A disciple\u2019s theology of ministry begins with one\u2019s personal story. In order to appreciate someone\u2019s approach to ministry, you must first gain a sense of their background. Every disciple of Christ has a story that shapes the way they view life, the world, and God. Therefore, before sharing the theological framework in which my view of ministry travels through, it is important to gain some insights of the life that I have lived.<\/p>\n
Jesus Moved into my \u2018Hood\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cAnd the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father\u2019s only son, full of grace and truth<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n
My parents are from Haiti, and both of them were a part of a family that exceeded five siblings. In addition, both of my parent\u2019s fathers abandoned their families. When my parents got married, they did not have a High School education, yet they decided to move to the United States to position their children to have opportunities to succeed in life. They moved to Brooklyn, New York, where I was born. Given the fact that they did not have a recognized education, they were not given the opportunities to work jobs that would help their family survive. Therefore, they had to work two jobs to make ends meet.<\/p>\n
As a result of them working two jobs, my older sister (who is now deceased), myself, and my younger sister were left either home alone or outside on the street. The neighborhood we lived in was filled with gang violence, so my parents moved to South Jamaica Queens. Rochdale Village, a co-op in Queens, was also filled with gangs, drugs, and other sorts of negativity, yet there were security guards, positive and spiritual people who lived in the buildings. Apparently, my parents believed that this was a safer and more affordable place to raise a family than the apartment building in Brooklyn. Given that my parents worked two jobs, I was looking for a home. The apartment we lived in was not a home; therefore, I spent most of my time after school in the streets. I was easily persuaded to engage in negative activities with my friends and big brothers in the \u201chood\u201d (neighborhood). Nevertheless, my parents were Sunday church goers. Therefore, every Sunday, I had to put on my \u201cchurch clothes\u201d, \u201cchurch make-up\u201d, and my \u201cchurch good-boy character\u201d. When the brother said the final prayer, I was ready to take off the church clothes and spend the rest of the day in the streets.<\/p>\n
I constantly found myself in trouble. My entire demeanor made a statement that I was only interested in trouble. My baptism slowed me down, but I eventually got worse. There was a devout Pentecostal lady by the name of Mrs. Brown (now deceased), who would always call me over to her whenever she saw me. She would ask me questions such as, \u201cHow are you doing today?; Are you behaving yourself?; How\u2019s school?\u201d Normally, I was disrespectful towards senior citizens, but Mrs. Brown was someone special and apparently she thought I was special as well. Mrs. Brown would lay one hand over my head, raise the other hand, and pray for me and my life.<\/p>\n
As I continued to live the life of a \u201cwanna-be-thug\u201d, I found myself in situations that threatened my future endeavors. Slowly but surely, I decided to change my life. I decided to live into the significance and depth of my baptism and become a disciple. As of right now, I am a struggling sinner who is saved by grace, passionate about sharing the story of the Savior. As of right now, I am passionate about God, God\u2019s mission, God\u2019s Kingdom, and God\u2019s creation. The reason why I am so passionate about the entire story and mission of Christianity is because of people like the devout Pentecostal lady who didn\u2019t mind touching me with God\u2019s love. She was a representative of Jesus who put on flesh and moved into the neighborhood. It is from experiences such as this that has shaped the way I view ministry.<\/p>\n
Appreciating God\u2019s Work in History<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIn the beginning when God createdthe heavens and the earth,<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>swept over the face of the waters.<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>\u00a0<\/sup><\/i>Then God said, \u201cLet there be light\u201d; and there was light.\u201d<\/i>[1]<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n \u201cWhere were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?\u201d[2]<\/b><\/a><\/i><\/p>\n \u201cI am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.\u201d[3]<\/b><\/a><\/i><\/i><\/p>\n In addition to one being aware of their own story, an individual who desires to embrace the mind and work of God in the world, must appreciate the history of God working in the lives of other people.\u00a0 God\u2019s servants are workers in the Kingdom of God.\u00a0 God\u2019s servants are a part of a continual story that God is writing.\u00a0 The story of God working in the world today did not begin with the servants that are presently working; however, there is a history of diverse movements, philosophies, obstacles, theologies that have shaped the world and the church.<\/p>\n Ray Anderson, in his volume titled, The Soul of Ministry<\/i>, discusses the connection between God\u2019s work in history and one\u2019s current pursuit to develop a theology of ministry. He writes, \u201cAll of God\u2019s actions in history are what we mean by God\u2019s ministry. Ministry is first of all what God does by speaking and acting within the framework of human history.\u201d[4]<\/a> God was on Earth before anyone. Before humanity existed, God was moving and working. God knows more about this Earth than any individual on Earth. Therefore, it is important for a disciple to understand that God has been on a mission. If a disciple desires to be a part of the mission of God, he\/she must patiently pay attention to what God is doing in and around them and participate in the mission.<\/p>\n The Ministry of Christ<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord\u2019s favor<\/i>.\u201d[5]<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cAll this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation;\u00a0<\/sup><\/b>that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself,<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us<\/i>.\u201d[6]<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When God created the world, the Earth was in order. When sin entered into the world, the entire Earth suffered. Jesus Christ, who was God in the flesh, was sent to Earth to repair all that was broken and separated. The entire ministry of Jesus, while on Earth and after His ascension pointed to the ministry of Reconciliation. Throughout the ministry of Jesus, Jesus presented Himself as one who was interested in the lives of the least of these. Jesus touched lepers, healed the sick, fed those who were hungry, ate with sinners, engaged in conversations with those who were marginalized, and raised people from the dead. The disciples of Christ were introduced to the works of Christ, and they were also called to do the same things and greater. Jesus told his disciples, \u201cThe one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.\u201d[7]<\/a><\/p>\n God invited humanity back into a reconciled relationship through sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Reconciliation is a result of Christ’s sacrifice. Sin was an issue that separated humanity from Divinity. There was an unpaid cost for humanity\u2019s sin; therefore, God in the flesh decided to pay the cost for the sins of humanity. God dying on the cross was God paying Himself for the debt committed by humanity. Disciples are now ambassadors for Christ who proclaim this message of Reconciliation.<\/p>\n God has called disciples to preach the ministry of reconciliation. It is the disciple\u2019s duty to proclaim to both Christians and non-Christians God\u2019s message for reconciliation. This is a message of hope for the non-Christian and the message seeks to free them from the bondage of sin.<\/p>\n The ministry of reconciliation is then the greatest work in the world which God did for humanity. It is a great privilege to be given the responsibility to preach the message of reconciliation. This is what disciples of Christ should live and die for. The expected result is that the ministry of reconciliation might reach sinners.<\/p>\n The Church in Ministry<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201c<\/i><\/b>For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus\u2019 sake.<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>\u00a0<\/sup><\/i><\/b>For it is God who said, \u201cLet light shine out of darkness,\u201d who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.\u00a0<\/sup><\/b>But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.<\/i>[8]<\/b><\/i><\/a>\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n The formation of an individual\u2019s theology of ministry may be influenced and shaped by the individual\u2019s ministerial identity and vocation.\u00a0 Ministerial identity and one\u2019s vocational calling is significantly crucial to the formation of one\u2019s theological perspective of ministry.\u00a0 This is because, one must know who they are in Christ and what God is trying to do in his\/her life in regards to who people are.\u00a0 The realization of one\u2019s identity in Christ shapes his\/her character and calling.<\/p>\n Ministers are situated in one of the highest positions within humanity because of the calling they have received and accepted from God for humanity. Therefore, a Minister must fully engage his\/her entire being in the story of the gospel. It is the cross of Christ that forms and shapes the character and being of a Minister. In discussing the impact of the cross on an individual\u2019s life, William Willimon shares some insightful reflections of Augustine\u2019s thoughts on character and baptism.\u00a0 Willimon writes,<\/p>\n \u201c<\/i>Just as a Roman soldier was tattooed as a sign of his membership in the Roman army (character militae), so Christians, signed with the cross in baptism, have been indelibly stamped with the cross (character dominicus).\u00a0 This character, the cross, indelibly determines our character.\u201d[9]<\/sup><\/b><\/sup><\/a> <\/i><\/p>\n Therefore, it is the Cross of Christ that forms the character of servants who submit and surrender their lives to God. Ministers then must dedicate themselves to the Cross. When an individual\u2019s character has been conformed, cultivated, and culturalized <\/i>by the cross, the conclusion will be a Christian (servant) courageously living a victorious life while consecrated at the feet of Christ.<\/p>\n According to Miroslav Volf, belief<\/i> is the central and main conviction of a Christian.\u00a0 It is the sacred conviction of an individual that gives them a sense of who they are.\u00a0 Practice <\/i>according to Miroslav stems from the belief of an individual.\u00a0 He writes, \u201cChristian belief shape\u2019s Christian practices.\u201d[10]<\/sup><\/sup><\/a> Belief strongly shapes the practices of an individual.\u00a0\u00a0 Belief<\/i> and practice<\/i> are in a mutual and intimate relationship.\u00a0 When an individual has grown to embrace a strong conviction of his\/her theological theme, there should be some type of evidence (or practice) that demonstrates the belief.\u00a0 Belief<\/i> and practice<\/i> are hand in hand.\u00a0 Belief<\/i> wouldn\u2019t make sense separate and apart from practice<\/i>. Nor would practice<\/i> make sense separate and apart from belief<\/i>. Therefore, if a disciple\u2019s faith is grounded in the cross of Christ, there should be evidence that points to the cross. This will then shape their identity and calling.<\/p>\n When Ministers and Christians engage in a common understanding of their individual callings and identities, the church (Ministers and Christians) will be able to work together in the ministry of Jesus Christ. Drawing upon the Metaphor of Paul in 2 Corinthians 4, Jackson Carroll, writes, \u201cPaul is saying that in their congregational life \u2013 in their beliefs, practices, relationships, and the witness of their daily lives \u2013 God is revealed.\u201d[11]<\/a> It is an incredible testament to the power of God when churches are able to work together for the sake of God\u2019s mission. Ministers have the greatest task of cultivating Christians for the work of ministry. The Apostle Paul puts it this way,<\/p>\n \u201cThe gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.\u201d[12]<\/b><\/a><\/i> <\/i><\/p>\n This is the impulse of congregational ministry.<\/p>\n Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n The journey towards developing a sense of one\u2019s theological understanding of ministry is a lifelong discovery.\u00a0 Ministers with a heart for ministry must maintain an attitude of humble immersion within their context, seeking to see the work and life of God within their world.\u00a0 We must continue on with the story of God in this world.\u00a0 Though the story of God working in the lives of His people within the Bible has been sealed canonically, the story of God working in the world continues with His servants.\u00a0 God is still writing and orchestrating the narrative of His love. Ministers and Christians have been graciously invited to partner with God in His mission.<\/p>\n Ministry is about being able to touch the untouchables. Ministry is about positioning yourself in the messiness of people\u2019s lives so that they can have an encounter with God. My ministry is centered on being in the context of hopelessness. God sent a devout Pentecostal lady in the ghettos and houses of hopelessness just so she can touch me and let me know that God wanted to be in a relationship with me.<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Genesis 1:1-3 (New Revised Standard Version).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n [2]<\/a> Job 38:4 (New Revised Standard Version).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n [3]<\/a> Philippians 1:6 (New Revised Standard Version).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n [4]<\/a> Anderson, Ray, The Soul of Ministry: Forming Leaders for God\u2019s People<\/i> (1997: Louisville: Westminster John Knox), pg. 3.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n [5]<\/a> Luke 4:18-19 (New Revised Standard Version).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n [6]<\/a> 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (New Revised Standard Version).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n [7]<\/a> John 14: 12 (New Revised Standard Version).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n [8]<\/a> 2 Corinthians 4: 5-7 (New Revised Standard Version).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n [9]<\/a> Willimon, William, Calling & Character<\/i> (Nashville: Abingdon, 2000), pg. 35.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n [10]<\/a> Bass, Dorothy, and Volf, Miroslav, Practicing Theology<\/i> (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2002), pg. 250.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n [11]<\/a> Carroll, Jackson W. God\u2019s Potters: Pastoral Leadership and the Shaping of Congregations<\/i> (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2006), pg. 1.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n [12]<\/a> Ephesians 4:11-13 (New Revised Standard Version).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Theology of Ministry By: Steven Brice Abilene Christian University Theological Reflection in Practice Professor Chris Flanders March 18th, 2014 \u00a0 A disciple\u2019s theology of ministry begins with one\u2019s personal story. In order to appreciate someone\u2019s approach … Continue reading
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