Professional Dissertations DMin

Date of Award

2002

Document Type

Project Report

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Doctor of Ministry DMin

First Advisor

R. Clifford Jones

Second Advisor

Eduard E. Schmidt

Third Advisor

Walter B.T. Douglas

Abstract

Problem

Some pastors in the South Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventists feel challenged by the ministry of the laity. One reason is the lack of a clear understanding of the biblical and theological perspectives on empowering and equipping the laity. Consequently, the potential of the laity is not fully utilized.

Method

Current literature was reviewed. This included books and articles on the principles, strategies, and programs which assist pastors to develop’ their empowering and equipping skills. A comparison was done between the ministry of the pastors and the laity in the South Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. An evaluation of selected equipping programs was completed. Seminars were developed for pastors to empower and equip the laity.

Conclusions

Empowering and equipping is an indispensable ministry in a church. To make it optional is to neglect the training of new church members, older church members, and church leaders. A church cannot have a positive influence in community services without a prayerful, systematic training of its membership. With carefully correlated ongoing church membership training, a church can have an effective ministry which will enrich its gospel commission. This is the challenge of the ministry of membership training. The doctrines of spiritual gifts and the priesthood of all believers need to be understood by pastors and members. The mobilization of church members to exercise their ministry should be based on their areas of giftedness. The role of the pastor is many faceted. It is very clear that the main function is to equip the members to develop their own ministry in building up the church (Eph 4:11, 12) . As members are equipped and empowered, they become liberated to perform ministry.

Subject Area

Laity--Seventh-day Adventists--Caribbean Area; South Caribbean Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/dmin/605

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