Resources on Pastoral Ministry
“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 John Calvin comments: From this we may gather a brief definition of true Christianity – that it is a faith that is lively and full of vigour, so that it spares no labour, when assistance is to be given to one’s neighbors, but, on the contrary, all the pious employ themselves diligently in offices of love, and lay out their efforts in them, so that, intent upon the hope of the manifestation of Christ, they despise everything else, and, armed with patience, they rise superior…
Read MoreChristian ministers seek the lost, proclaim God’s gospel of faith and repentance to all who will listen, and refuse pastoral care to no one who seeks it. Their commitment leads them to minister in dark places of human depravity. The prison complex of the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg, Germany was such a place. Housed there in 1945-46 were prominent architects of the Nazi war machine and its “Final Solution,” standing trial for crimes against peace and humanity. With them was Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor and United States Army Chaplain Henry Gerecke, who provided pastoral care to the Protestants among them. At age 50 Gerecke joined the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps. His years of leadership at City Mission in St. Louis were distinguished by care for the poor, the sick, and…
Read More“It is much easier to lay down the law from the pulpit than to exemplify it in the home. We find it simpler to give directions about the way than to lead others in the way ourselves. . . . . God’s most powerful visual aid in the education of mankind is a consistent Christian.” – John R.W. Stott, The Preacher’s Portrait (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1961), 97.
Read MoreToday is the anniversary of the birth of Charles Hodge, a towering leader in American Presbyterianism. We do well to pursue biblical studies and theology with his disciplined passion. Evangelical believers of previous generations spoke of “the force of truth.” And rightly so. Paul rejoices that the Romans “obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered” (Romans 6:17). That the union of will (obedience), affections (heart), and intellect (form of doctrine) marked their mature faith is no surprise. Through his Word, God appeals to our hearts through the mind, creating godly affections and sanctifying behavior. Charles Hodge knew the force of truth. His teaching career at Princeton Seminary spanned 58 years (1820-1878). Relationships with six decades of ministerial…
Read MoreHow important is the minister’s personal holiness? Charles Bridges cautions, “A man who cannot persuade himself to be holy, will have little hope of succeeding with the consciences of others.” – Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry (1830; Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1991), 157.
Read MoreHow important is the minister’s personal holiness? Charles Bridges cautions, “A man who cannot persuade himself to be holy, will have little hope of succeeding with the consciences of others.” – Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry (1830; Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1991), 157.
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