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Angelica Torres

Dr. Palmer

Intro to Pastoral Service

26 September 2023

Philosophy of Ministry

Jesus said to His own disciples, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching

them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19). This is the “Great

Commision” set before the followers of God, however, it is also made clear in scripture that there

are leaders- pastors, elders and teachers who must take “special care of the flock”(1 Peter 5:2).

God has blessed those individuals with spiritual gifts and talents, unique personalities and

temperaments, and special goals on their hearts to further the spread of the gospel on this earth. It

is in this way, using what God has given, individuals can become careful and intentional

ministers.

Ministry is a spectrum and there are different avenues within the field. This gives

opportunity for many different individuals to exercise their callings. However, pastoral ministry

is most frequently highlighted when discussing ministry. This is an extremely important position

as it requires the pastor to function well in many capacities as to lead their church members. One

of the clearest foundations for pastoral ministry is found in Ephesians 4:11-13 where the Apostle

Paul wrote, “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and

teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until

we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature,

attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ”. A pastor’s role and responsibility, as the
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text says, is to equip people so the body of Christ may be built. The writings of Ellen G White

solidify biblical concepts and present them from a Seventh- Day Adventist perspective. In her

book Evangelism, she emphasized earnestly sharing the Scriptures to people in this age which is

a responsibility ministers are to fulfill (White, Evangelism, 2). More than just preaching and

sharing scripture however, pastors are expected to “care for the flock” as Peter said and become

servant leaders. Ellen G White says, “Ministry means much more than sermonizing; it means

earnest personal labor” “Pastors are needed ,- faithful shepherds- who will not flatter God’s

people, nor treat them harshly, but who will feed them with the bread of life- men who in their

lives feel daily the converting power of the Holy Spirit, and who cherish a strong, unselfish love

for those whom they labor” (White, Gospel Workers, 90). White suggests and encourages

spiritual guidance from the personal relationship built between the pastor and “the sheep”.

Ultimately, pastors have the responsibility to reflect the foundational ministry of Jesus Christ:

“The soul must submit to God before it can be renewed in knowledge and true holiness. The holy

life and character of Christ is a faithful example. His confidence in His heavenly Father was

unlimited. His obedience and submission were unreserved and perfect. He came not to be

ministered unto, but to minister to others” (White, Pastoral Ministry, 16).

I’ve had the opportunity to work in and for my church for many years now. More

recently, as I was ordained as an elder February of 2023, I have been able to shadow my pastor

and serve on the leadership team, worship team, welcoming team. I have also had the

opportunity to preach. These experiences shaped who I am today and helped me grow skills that

are crucial in ministry. As part of the leadership team, I got to practice teamwork skills and learn

how to use my voice by speaking up and sharing my thoughts. I learned how to work well with

others in the context of ministry and how to value different perspectives. By serving as worship
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leader and speaker, I have learned to look and sound presentable before a congregation. I have

been able to practice public speaking, leadership, and time management. I learned, by being a

greeter, that I could be someone’s first experience with the church which then led me to exercise

my conversational skills and my personality traits.

Ellen G White inspires readers with these words, “Those called by Christ will be

empowered by christ. Whomever Christ calls, He enables. He does not call to failure. Not all

possess the same gifts, but He will provide the gifts that are necessary to bring success in the

performance of what He calls ministers to do” (Minister’s Handbook, 17). After taking the

spiritual gift survey, the areas that I was highest in were exhortation, faith, shepherding,

service/help, hospitality, and leadership. Others followed those front runners very closely such as

evangelism and apostleship. These are my gifts as of now and it is my responsibility to use them

practically in ministry and to glorify God as Peter encourages in 1 Peter 4:10-11.

By taking the temperament test and through analysis of my own personality, I concluded

that I am a sanguine. Some characteristics that define the sanguine temperament from the test

itself are the following: “talkative, social, love people, enjoy being popular and influencing and

motivating others, sometimes hurt when not liked, have many friends but not many deep

relationships, and can rush to complete tasks”. I can use my temperament to make people feel

loved and seen and build relationships and connect with others. As I mentioned before, this could

be the first experience someone has with Jesus and I should not take it lightly. As a sanguine, I

have to remember that not everyone will like me and it's ok. Some personalities are more

compatible with others. Personality traits highly influence the decisions you make or perspective

through which you view church. Therefore, I believe teamwork is important. One person can not
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do that work that is required. By getting together, leaders can play to each other’s strengths and

weaknesses to accomplish their goals.

I’m still growing in ministry so there are things I lack and wish to develop more as I go.

Those areas of desired growth include prophecy, knowledge, administration, teaching, and

discernment. My goal is to improve those areas through my studies at Andrews University and

internship and work opportunities. I can’t say that I am an expert on the Bible or the message of

prophecy, but with the Lord’s help, I hope to commit myself more to the enriching of scripture.

After having learned the scriptures better, one of my goals is to lead a Bible study. Another goal

of mine is to improve my personal devotional life. Ellen G White writes , “Draw near to Him in

earnest prayer, and He will fill your hearts with high and holy purposes, and with deep, earnest

longings for purity and clearness of thought” (White, Gospel Workers, 100) and this has

reminded me of the importance of devotion while in ministry. Through personal and daily prayer,

I hope to apply myself to God’s calling and humbly use what He has given me to minister to

others.
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Bibliography

- G White, Ellen. Gospel Workers (1915 ed.) Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald

Publishing Association, 1915

- G White, Ellen. Evangelism Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing

Association, 1946

- G White, Ellen. Pastoral Ministry Silver Spring, M.D: General Conference Ministerial

Association, 1995

- Seventh-Day Adventist Minister’s Handbook Silver Spring, M.D: General Conference of

Seventh-day Adventists Ministerial Association, 2009

- Bible

New International Version www.biblegateway.com