Our cover logo says "International Journal for Clergy," yet many of our articles speak to the needs of only half our audience. Fifty percent of our subscribers live outside of North America, yet 95 percent of all the manuscripts we receive originate in North America. It is true that some articles have universal appeal, but naturally many are slanted to the American culture.
In order to encourage more contributions from outside North America, we are sponsoring a talent search. This talent search applies only to residents of divisions outside North America or members of those divisions who are studying in North America.
$500 for you
We'll pay $500 for the three articles in each of three categories we judge to be best. Now we know that money is not everything, but it does help smooth over some of life's rough spots. Money is good. It is the love of money that is bad. While we would like you to make a major contribution to Ministry and the life of its readers, a little cash can help you find the time to write the kind of article we are looking for.
Unlike the Olympics or the lottery, in which there is only one winner, every one of you could be a winner. We have special payments of $200 for other qualifying articles. See the separate advertisement across the page for all the details.
Don't be discouraged if English is not your first language. We are more interested in content than in style. Of course, if we have two well-researched articles on similar subjects and one is written a little better than the other, we would, all else being equal, choose the better-written one.
What to write
Our advertisement lists three subject areas we are especially interested in: theological and biblical studies, practics, and the minister's personal life. Theological and biblical studies should be expositional in nature, dealing with a doctrine, issue, or biblical passage. We need good articles on prophecy, the sanctuary, the remnant, the atonement, and practical godliness, to name just a few.
These articles should contribute some thing fresh with a different slant from the traditional. However, they should not contradict but should enlarge our understanding.
The second category concerns practics, the "how to" of ministry. How does theology turn into practice ? How does a particular culture affect the way the church operates? In what ways does evangelism differ from culture to culture ? What about nurture ? How have you been successful in discipling for Christ the many thousands that have joined the church under the One Thousand Days of Reaping and Harvest 90?
You may want to write on ecclesiology from either a theological or practical basis. How does the structure of the church impede or help you in your work? What structures work best in different cultures? What adaptations of our structure have evolved in your area?
Are there burning social issues that the church should be addressing? How does the church relate to liberation theology, to torture, to discrimination, to injustice? Are there some issues that are very important in your area but not nearly so important in places like North America?
The personal life of the minister is our third category. Here we are again ad dressing universal concerns. How does the minister keep growing spiritually? How does his family relate to his ministry and how does he relate his ministry to his family? Finances, family worship, discipline, moving, schooling, resolving conflicts, and many others are all possible areas to explore.
When you write for Ministry you multiply your influence many times. In a survey of our readers 77 percent said that as a result of reading Ministry they had made changes in their ministry, lifestyle, or attitude. However, the most important reason to write for Ministry is not for the money offered, or to see your name in print, or even to change someone's behavior, but to glorify Jesus Christ, to magnify His name and character. Everything we write should be for the purpose of hastening His coming so that we can all live forever in the paradise He is preparing for us.
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus." —J. David Newman.
