Pastor James A. Cress, Secretary of the Ministerial Associaton of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for the past 17 years, unexpectedly died November 26, 2009. We, the team of Ministry, International Journal for Pastors, express our gratitude for Jim's ministry. He was the pastor’s pastor—inspiring pastors and their families around the world through his pen and voice.

We have lost our colleague in ministry—but only for a short period of time. We have the great hope that very soon we will meet him again when Jesus returns.

“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. . . . They will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” (Rev. 14: 13, NIV).

Nikolaus Satelmajer, editor
Willie E. Hucks II, associate editor
Sheryl Beck, editorial specialist
John Feezer IV, development specialist

More information...

Some years ago, after I had lectured to Adventist university students and young professionals, a pastor approached me and asked, "Could you please talk to my wife and convince her that dinosaurs really did exist?" This request was not a joke.

What would change if we worked out our worship, mission, and service from the perspective of the children in our congregations? Here are some ideas to start you thinking about involving children in the special events of your church. Churches are in different places along the journey of child inclusiveness, and various cultures find some things unacceptable or have different local meanings for actions and symbols. So, a wide range of ideas has been included, not as prescriptions, but as ideas to stimulate thoughtfulness and creativity.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church, in order to care for its worldwide mission, has 13 world administrative regions. Three of these regions—the Northern Asia–Pacific Division, the Southern Asia–Pacific Division, and the South Pacific Division—encompass the territories of the Pacific Rim. The editors of Ministry interviewed the leaders of these three regions—Jairyong Lee, Alberto Gulfan, and Barry Oliver, respectively—who addressed a wide range of issues.

Egyptian archaeology provides a clear understanding of the events surrounding the Israelite slaves’ final night in Egypt-one that delivers a powerful lesson about salvation by faith alone. Have you ever wondered why God asked the children of Israel to paint blood on the lintel and two doorposts of the door to their houses prior to the tenth plague (Exod. 12:7)? Sure, you answer, it was to serve as a sign for the angel of death to pass over their houses (Exod. 12:13). That’s true. But why the doorposts? Since no one is kept out of a dwelling by doorposts, why not paint something like a big cross on the door itself? Egyptian archaeology provides an answer; one that can teach us a powerful lesson about salvation by faith alone.

Oftentimes pastors become so busy and enthralled in keeping their church or churches functional they seldom have or take time to commune with the Lord of the church. To spend time contemplating the Divine when things more measurable need to be done and should be done may seem inappropriate or an anachronism. In the light of the pastor’s busyness, they view contemplation of God as an extravagance that can be postponed for a more convenient season.