International •fer Clere 1994 The Power of Narrative Preaching Letters Year of the pastor sheep." Today He urges His brought out is that the church is the While we are thankful that many undershepherds to do the same.— voluntary association of believers to good pastors are out tending the Samuel C. Young, Silver Spring, proclaim an ideology (unlike the sheep in the field (December 1993), Maryland. state as an involuntary association we cannot possibly ignore the fact of believers and unbelievers). As that many sheep have wandered • Mrs. Babcock's tribute "Hooray such, we need some mechanism for away and are lost. Otherwise there for Human(e) Pastors!" (December defining doctrines preached and would be no need to look them up 1993) reminds me of how fortunate lifestyles tolerated in our ranks. I and have a Homecoming Day I was that I also had been pastored accept some doctrinal disagreement especially designed for them. by three ministers she mentioned. as part of the process of reaching a The reasons for this phenomenon As a teenager I was overjoyed by more biblically enlightened consen are many, but one stands out above the solicitude Buz Menhardt sus (e.g., righteousness by faith in all and is worthy of our attention. In showed the youth of my church. 1888, the adoption of Trinitar- John 10, Jesus told us that He, the As a present member at the ianism). However, I have concerns Great Shepherd, knows His sheep Spencerville church, I am grateful about the idea of reducing the faith and sacrifices for them, and they to Rob Vandeman and his entire to "essential Adventism," which know His voice and follow Him. family, who contribute joyfully an can easily degenerate into "believe But too often we the undershep- abundance of talents to the pro what you want but don't disrupt the herds do not know or do not care for grams of the church. As a coworker unity of the visible church." The the sheep, especially the poor, the with Mike Stevenson, Jr., in the ultimate irony would be the rejec lonely, and the wounded—those youth division, I attest to his tion of a doctrinal creed but em who need pastoral care the most. indefatigable efforts to be available bracing an institutional creed, For this reason tens of thousands of for the young people in our church which raises questions in connec sheep are lost. and school. tion with the reformation doctrine Maybe some undershepherds Because Mrs. Babcock cited two of the church.—Ron Thomsen, need to reexamine their own role of the pastors at Spencerville, I Houston, Texas. perception. Are they supposed to sit want to give public acclaim to our in the office waiting for the sheep third pastor, Dr. Steve Wilsey. He • George Knight observes: "One to come in for counseling, or should and his wife, Allie, have showered suspects that in the process of they also go out and search for the the church with warmth and good preserving Adventism's historic lost? will by their grace and charm. I content, they might actually kill its Too many undershepherds pastor always feel I am the most important living spirit." This comment raises selectively for the rich, the power item on his agenda for the day. He a sharp concern. With respect to the ful, the influential. The visitors, the has never forgotten a name or face, new members of our various newly moved, the immigrants, those and that makes us feel important to congregations, many of whom are seemingly unpromising, and those him. He calls us on our birthdays to converted to Adventism by workers who are not in the "in" circle too tell us how much he appreciates us. who advocate strong conservative often do not get the attention of the That first year, on my son Jamie's views, a spirit of misunderstanding pastor. I personally know that third birthday he left a wonderful has developed between such precisely because of this attitude of message on the answering machine members and the rising and devel benign neglect, several families to which my thrilled child listened oping youth within the church. The have stopped attending church; I five times. Jamie will tell you many apostasy rate could probably be have also witnessed several spiritu things he wants to do when he stemmed if the effort to preserve ally dead sheep loved back into the grows up, but being a pastor like historic content gave way to the church. Elder Wilsey is the most recurring dynamic influence of the Holy It takes a lot of love to love and consistent. That makes a Spirit. This, in my estimation, will those who are unfriendly, unlov mother's heart glad.—Becki Joiner keep the church, especially with the able, different, poor, and unedu Timon, Laurel, Maryland. flood of new converts to this cated. A great deal of patience is wonderful household of faith, alive, required. The pastor, by the grace Dynamic present truth active, and successful in maintain of God, must be kind, not easily The dynamic nature of present ing the Christ-centered thrust of angered (or disappointed), not rude, truth, stressed by Drs. George the gospel to this generation. always protect, trust, hope, and Knight and Woodrow Whidden Thanks for a challenging persevere. He or she can do it only (October 1993), touches on the magazine.—Ebrahim Ishmail, because he/she does it for Jesus. basic question of the nature of the Sedavan, Heidelberg, South Jesus urged Peter to "feed My church. One point that needs to be Africa. MINISTRY/APRIL/1994 First Glance Sabbath in Bethesda with Jesus was a glorious experience. 2 Letters Perhaps the next best thing to being there is to hear Dick Duerksen describe what it must have been like to see, hear, 4 The evidence of the grace of God touch—even taste and smell—what happened in old Jerusalem John M. Fowler 2,000 years ago. Dick is one of the most gifted communicators in the Adventist Church. His article can help you tap into his 5 How much diversity can we stand? Spirit-given talent. J. David Newman O Needed: biblical preaching God cannot be mocked is a gripping testimony of a Robert S. Folkenberg mother's faith and her family's faithfulness after her husband was imprisoned during the dark decades of the hammer and O Visions and revisions, part II: sickle. editing the Testimonies Ron Graybill It©s nice to know that our world president has his priorities with the Word. Robert S. Folkenberg shares his vision for 14 Sabbath in Bethesda Dick Duerksen biblical sermons in the first of a three-part serial. .ZU The ministry and the market forces Always count on Ron Graybill to brew up a batch of D. N. Marshall Adventist history that nurtures our knowledge of the way God has led us in the past so we can learn lessons and gain LL God cannot be mocked confidence for the future. See "Visions and Revisions, part II." Michael Kulakov Thundering across the Atlantic comes D. N. Marshall Ministry Reports Authorr with "The Ministry and Market Forces." Don't miss reading it. L I Lessons from a tragedy James A. Cress 28 Biblio File 31 Shop Talk Cover illustration: John Williams Ministry is the international journal of the Sev EDITORIAL SECRETARY: Johannes Mager, Euro-Africa ADVERTISING SALES: MelynieTooley enth-day Adventist Ministerial Association. Dorothea Tone P.O. Box 219, CH 3000 Berne 32, Switzerland SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Larry Burtnett ASSOCIATION SECRETARY: CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Heikki Silvet, Euro-Asia James A. Cress Carlos Aeschlimann Isakovskogo St. #4, Korpus 1, Ministry, (ISSN 0026-5314), the interna Galen Bosley Stroghino tional journal of the Seventh-day Adventist EDITOR: J. David Newman Sharon Cress 123181 Moscow, Russia Ministerial Association © 1994, is pub James Zachary George Johnson, Far Eastern lished monthly by the General Conference ASSOCIATE EDITORS: 800 Thomson Road of Seventh-day Adventists and printed by John M. 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