Philosophy of Ministry: Toward a Canonical and Practical Approach

Jonathan B. Gomide

Introduction

The word minister is derived from the ancient Latin “minister” (identical to its English

counterpart). We often overlook the fact “minister,” or “ministry,” is etymologically linked to the

Latin meaning of minister, which is that of a servant. In the most basic sense, therefore, a

minister is a servant. We should also not overlook that in the Latin, minister is linked to minus—

“less.” A minister, therefore, should be ready not only to serve, but to receive less: less sleep, less

riches, less honor, less aggrandizement, less vainglory.

Theology of Ministry

What is the canonical/Scriptural rationale for ministry? Before answering this question,

we must look at what or who are ministers to serve. From an ecclesiological standpoint, the

church constitutes the basic building-block of God’s spiritual kingdom on earth. Thus, the church

is not building, but rather a democracy, a collection of people. The canon possesses many

instances of this notion.1 But as Millard Erikson reminds us, “the church is at once a very

familiar and a very misunderstood topic. It is one of the few aspects of Christian theology that

can be observed.”2 Karl Barth believed that the very fact that the church exists was a witness to

the living personhood of Jesus Christ.3 While this is true, it is also a very impoverished view.

1
See Matt 7:21; Eph 1:22-23; 1 Cor 12:18; Rev 7:9, 10; 1 Cor 11:19; 1 John 2:19; Rom 9:6; Heb 12:23; Ps 2:8; 1
Cor 7:14; Acts 16:31; Acts 2:39; Ps 22:9-10; Deut 30:6; Deut 5:2-3; Ezek 16:20, 21; Gen 17:7; 1 Cor 1:2; Deut
12:32; Heb 13:17; Acts 6:3; Ezek 43:11; 1 Cor 5:2; Matt 18:17; Acts 2:47; Ezek 13:9; Acts 6:6; Acts 14:23; Acts
20:17; Acts 20:28; Phil 1:1; 1 Tim 5:17; Titus 1:5, 6; 1 Cor 14:34; 1 Tim 2:11, 12; 1 Tim 3:10; 1 Tim 3:12; I Cor
9:14; Acts 15:2; 1 Cor 15:8-10; Acts 1:21, 22.
2
Millard J. Erikson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998), 1036.
3
Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics (Edinburgh: T, & T. Clark, 1936), vol. 1, part 1, p. 1.

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From a canonical perspective, the church must not be seen as an ontological entity whose

foundations harken back to Plato’s two-world, dualistic theory (as Barth so staunchly believed).

Rather, the church is a living entity of human beings, whose head is Christ, whose body are the

members, and whose mission is service. As Ellen White so beautifully puts it,

The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for
service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has
been God’s plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and
His sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness
into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is the repository
of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made
manifest, even to ‘the principalities and powers in heavenly places,’ the final and full
display of the love of God.4

As White argues, the members of an ecclesiological organization are to “show forth”

God’s glory, which means discipleship. In discipleship, the fundamental axiom is following the

master. In the case of ministry, discipleship must never constitute garnering members for the

purpose of personal aggrandizement, or for the cultivation of a personal brand. Instead, all

members of the church stand as equals in the sight of God. The role of each one is to point the

other to Jesus Christ.

White also argues that the church’s fundamental mission is salvation. As Gulley and

Erikson point out, theology constitutes an empirical system of synthesis and analysis—more akin

to an objective scientific pursuit; salvation, on the other hand, is where theology meets the

subjective self, applying the doctrines of the church to the believer’s daily existence.5 Thus, mere

theorizing will not work from a soteriological standpoint. There must be a relational aspect

4
Ellen G. White, Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911), p. 9.
5
Norman Gulley, Systematic Theology: Creation, Christ, Salvation (Berrien Springs: Andrews University Press,
2012), 570; Erikson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998), 799.

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between God and His creatures. The goal of spiritual leadership is to facilitate this saving

relationship with Christ.6

Ministry Experience

Some personal history. I grew up the son of a pastor and Seminary professor. When a

young child, I would tell everyone I wanted to be a pastor just like my dad. During my teenage

years, however, medicine beckoned as an attractive pursuit. I almost started medical school in at

the Adventist University in Argentina, but some last-minute changes led me to begin theology at

the Adventist seminary in Brazil instead.

I had grown exposed to ministry. But being immersed in an environment of responsibility

and seriousness changed my outlook concerning the church. I noticed that some of my

colleagues were in it for external factors such as prestige, ecclesiastical power, and benefits.

Others were intrinsically attracted to the ‘service element’ of ministry. I decided that these two

were incompatible, and that the only justifiable motive for being in the ministry was inherent

service.

During my early days at the seminary, I began writing for the Seventh-day Adventist

Encyclopedia. I fell in love with the process of research, writing, and the pursuit of a

scientifically objective system of truth (logos). I decided to go further into research. More

opportunities opened up, and I began writing for professional journals, more encyclopedia

articles, and conducting research with professors.

6
John C. Peckham, God With Us: An Introduction to Adventist Theology (Berrien Springs: Andrews University
Press, 2023). The tenor of Peckham’s book is that when God is present, salvation is at hand. Hence the relational
aspect, which is linked to his reciprocal-foreconditional model of divine love. See John C. Peckham, The Love of
God: A Canonical Model (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2015); Dwain Esmond, ed., …As I Follow Christ: 20
Essentials Every Leader Should Know (Hagerstown: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2013).

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 I have also interned with the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists at the

Warren Seventh-day Adventist Church. There I had opportunity to participate in personal

outreach, preaching, conducting prayer meetings, board meetings, organizing social events,

helping with VBSs, music, and much more. The fact that ministry is service became not just an

ideal, but a reality for me.

Spiritual Gifts

I Corinthians 12 (just before the chapter on love) presents the quintessential canonical

perspective on spiritual gifts. As Paul states to the Corinthian church, “there are varieties of gifts,

but the same Spirit.”7 We tend to compartmentalize and even engage in reductionism when

analyzing spiritual gifts. But contrary to this vein, Paul argues that there is a wide diversity of

spiritual gifts that contribute to the upbuilding of God’s church.

On a personal level, this passage has been a light post in my journey. I came to realize

that besides pastors, musicians, and physicians, God also uses researchers, scholars, artists, and

entrepreneurs. After beginning to study theology, I realized I had a gift for writing narratives,

analyzing ideas, and conducting research. God gradually revealed to me that His plan for my life

was to contribute to the research aspect of the Church’s ministry. This has implications for how I

lead my ministry. Whenever I preach or share a message, I tend speak on theological topics, with

strong emphasis on scientific analysis. There are positive aspects to this, but there can be

downsides.

Temperament and Personality

According to psychological tests, I tend to fall on the choleric spectrum. As such, I like to

solve tough problems, lead, and get things done. I tend to do things with an intense focus and

7
I Cor 12:4 (NASB).

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‘hardcore’ approach. Since I was a child, I have had high levels of energy, drive, and focus,

which contribute to getting things done. Whenever I am focused on a project, I tend to hone out

all other distractions, and be in ‘the zone’ until the task is finished, and/or becomes successful.

On a leadership test, I scored high on conceptual skills and processing power, as well as

emotional healing. My lowest scores were on putting followers first and creating value for the

community—areas for growth, no doubt.

Although psychological tests must always be taken with a grain of salt, there is value in

knowing where your strengths and weaknesses lie. From a ministerial standpoint, this means that

I would do well in academic and creative settings, but perhaps not in administrative and pastoral

settings. If God calls me to these last two fields, I am willing to go, despite the fact that I will

have to learn many things along the way.

Growth Needs and Ministry Goals

I have already touched on some of my growth needs. In order to enhance my ministry, it

is paramount that I continue exercising my core strengths: focus, drive, analysis, vision. But it is

also necessary that I cultivate genuine regard for those around me. This last element significantly

impacts one’s ministry. In fact, ministry is all about people.

Concerning my long-term mission, I will reiterate what I implied in the beginning: I

believe humanity needs another enlightenment. Such an enlightenment will only come about via

the literally unending pursuit of the logos, or rational principle of the universe. No one individual

can accomplish such a monstrous task, but I will do my best to make an impact. Especially

within the field of research, writing, and filmmaking, I believe it is important to accomplish the

following:

• A full-scale scholarly biography of Joseph Wolff.

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 • A biography of Jan Hus of Prague.

• A wide-spanning history of Christianity.

• A book on the story of John Henry Wiedner.

• A bio-pic on the life of Wiedner.

• An elite educational program at universities on research, science, and human

enlightenment.

These goals are stated in chronological order, beginning with the easiest and ending with

the hardest. The time is ripe for a biography on Wolff, and this is something I can do while at

school. Regarding the other books and films, those will have to wait until after I have finished a

PhD. Such is the plan. The future will tell if I have been successful, by God’s grace.

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 Bibliography

Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics. Edinburgh: T, & T. Clark, 1936.

Erikson, Millard J. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998.

Esmond, Dwain, ed.…As I Follow Christ: 20 Essentials Every Leader Should Know.
Hagerstown: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2013.

Gulley, Norman. Systematic Theology: Creation, Christ, Salvation. Berrien Springs: Andrews
University Press, 2012.

Peckham, John. Canonical Theology: The Biblical Canon, Sola Scriptura, and Theological
Method. United States: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2016.

Peckham, John. The Love of God: A Canonical Model. United States: InterVarsity Press, 2015.

Peckham, John C. God With Us: An Introduction to Adventist Theology. Berrien Springs:
Andrews University Press, 2023.

The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible. United States: Thomas Nelson, 2013.

White, Ellen G. Acts of the Apostles. Mountain View: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911.