Willie E. Hucks II

New Year’s Day 2020 dawned with the hope of a brand-new year. Many churches held a clear vision for what would transpire for the next 12 months. Then COVID-19 struck.

While some have bemoaned this as an unwelcome disruption of…

"We expect a quick flight from Chicago to South Bend of only twenty-three minutes. We will have you there shortly.” The first officer spoke those words that I had been waiting to hear. I settled into my window seat, buckled my safety belt,…

Dear student pastors,

I wish to reflect upon lessons that I hope you have gained in your churches, while matriculating at a seminary— from pastors, church members, and others. But there are many other lessons that only time and…

Few books have I picked up and read from cover to cover in one sitting. The Next Worship qualifies as one of them. Sandra Maria Van Opstal, a pastor at the Grace and Peace Community in Chicago, Illinois, masterfully addresses throughout…

After wrestling with the call to join the General Conference (GC) Ministerial Association in 2005, I shared my decision with my Introduction to Pastoral Ministry students. I recall their shock that I was leaving university life. More than…

It was one of those worship services in which everything fell perfectly into place. The music, sermon, and other elements of the liturgy formed in beautiful symmetry, impressing those in attendance.

Then prior to the benediction,…

In early 2010, I underwent back surgery. My surgeon assured me that after six weeks of rest and recuperation, followed by a prescribed regimen of physical therapy, I would be as good as new.

When I started the physical therapy, something…

They had had such high hopes, convinced that a new era had arrived. They had thought that what they had anticipated for the…

Many books come across my desk, sent by publishers with hopes that we will publish a review of them. When I first saw this short work, fewer than 100 pages, the title captured my attention and caused me to think about several churches…

On behalf of the entire Ministry team, we want to thank you, the many clergy who read this journal, for your faithful ministry.…

I had a vivid imagination as a child. Perhaps it was because I was an only child until my sister was born nine years later, so I had to learn how to entertain myself. I would imagine what life would be like if I had brothers and how good…

In some parts of the world, during the month of October, Christians express gratitude for their pastor in any num­ber of tangible…

As was my custom at the conclusion of the morning worship service, I stood at the doors of the sanctuary to shake hands with my parishioners and guests. As always,…

For almost two years, many of us followed the story of Pastor António Monteiro dos Anjos­ the Seventh-day Adventist pastor…

Editor’s note: From time to time, we interview the various entities that serve the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church. In this issue we interviewed John Graz, director of the General Conference Department of Public Affairs and Religious…

Editor’s note: The editors of Ministry interviewed the theologians who comprise the staff of the Biblical Research Institute. They are Artur Stele, director; Ekkehardt Mueller, deputy director; and associate directors…

Several years ago, my children convinced me that starting a Facebook account would be a good idea. They successfully argued that I could keep in touch with college…

Through my teen years, my maternal grandmother was my best female friend. Although I only spent the summer months with her and my grandfather, those times left an…

I have an aversion to making reso­lutions for the New Year because, before January comes to an end, most of them end in failure. I have noble intentions; but too often the affairs of life—necessary and sen­sible as they are—keep interrupting…

While seated on an hour-long flight, I could not help but overhear a nearby conver­sation between a young woman and an older man that lasted the entire dura­tion of…

Editor’s note: Bob Peach, LPCC, serves as director of the Kettering Counseling Care Center (KCCC), based in Miamisburg, Ohio, United States. One of the services KCCC provides is the Ministry Care Line, a resource for ministers who need…

Many books come across my desk that I do not see the need to have reviewed. The Six Deadly Sins of Preaching is an exception. Robert Stephen Reid and Lucy Lind Hogan have done an excellent job of identify­ing what they call an “Irresponsible…

My friend and former editor of Ministry, Nikolaus Satelmajer, and I often jokingly discussed the importance (or nonimportance)…

In 2007, Ministry began focus­ing its October issues on the resources, strengths, opportu­nities, and challenges of various geographic regions of the Adventist Church. Five years later, we now take a look at the sixth and final territory,…

In light of nonbiblical approaches to nurturing the spiritual life, such as centering or contemplative prayer, it does Christians everywhere well to understand true concepts of biblical spirituality. But as my Sabbath School teacher is fond…

Editor’s note: David Trim, director; Rowena Moore, Yearbook editor; and Benjamin Baker, assistant archivist, serve as members in the Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research for the world church of Seventh-day Adventists, headquartered…

Editor’s note: Willie and Elaine Oliver serve as directors of the Department of Family Ministries for the world church of Seventh-day Adventists, headquartered…

Picture yourself as a part of the congregation attending the wedding ceremony of Adam and Eve—witnessing the bride and groom exchanging their vows. Just before the grand event reaches its high point, with God pronouncing them husband and…

Willie Hucks (WH): Dr. Donkor, thank you so much for taking the time to be interviewed by Ministry. You edited the book The Church, Culture, and Spirits: Adventism in Africa.* What was the motivation for…

Unlike adults, children think in concrete terms. Growing up in an Adventist home, I heard terms such as Trinity and Godhead, and I attempted to construct physical pictures of these Beings and comprehend Their hierarchical…

Growing up as an Adventist, my parents exposed me to aspects of church life they felt were in my best interest: our church schools, Pathfinders, and Sabbath School, to name a few. I eventually graduated from two of our schools, and my children…

Editor’s note: The editors of Ministry interviewed the presidents of the three church divisions that cover various portions of the European continent. Guillermo Biaggi is president of the Euro-Asia Division, which…

As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word’ ” (1 Kings 17:1).* This bold declaration was issued by Elijah to King Ahab, but was not as bold as the Mount…

Editor’s note: Delbert W. Baker, a general vice president for the world church of Seventh-day Adventists, who chairs The Great Controversy Project (GCP) Committee, discusses the worldwide initiative…

I spend much of my time evaluating manuscripts and determining their suitability for publication. Some of them strike me with their theological depth and clarity, others for their practicality, yet others for their poignancy and emotional…

As Mark Finley states in the introduction to this book, the goal of this seven-chapter work is that its readers be led into “a prayer and devotional experience for spiritual revival,” as well as realizing “practical faith-sharing experiences…

Editor’s note: Every five years the Seventh-day Adventist Church holds a worldwide convention called the General Conference session. This event lasts for ten days, at which time various church programs and policies…

Our editorials usually address a theological issue or topic that deals with various aspects of ministry such as preaching, teaching, leadership, and training, for example. In this editorial, we will not address these topics as this special…

I was a regular activity every summer evening: attending evangelistic tent meetings with slides that depicted biblical themes. Most memorable—due to the nightmares they literally gave me—were the slides of the beasts of Daniel 7.

But…

Willie Hucks (WH): Why does the church need auditors?

Paul H. Douglas (PHD): I will respond to your question with one word: confidence. For the members, who are the ultimate stakeholders…

During the month of October in certain parts of the world, churches commemorate what is known as Clergy Appreciation Month. Setting this time aside provides congregations the opportunity “to honor their pastors and pastoral families for the…

Editor’s note: We invite you to read this interview because you will find helpful information for your members. We also invite you to protect your family by making certain that your will and other related documents are up to date. If…

During the summer of 2005, while pondering the call to join the Ministerial Association of the General Conference, Ministerial Association secretary James Cress invited me to spend a week with him and the associate secretaries. During that…

In the January 2010 issue of Ministry, we informed readers that James A. Cress, ministerial secretary of the world headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, died. In this issue, we share a more extensive tribute to our colleague…

This month marks the third October in a row that Ministry has featured a particular geographic region of the world field. In 2007, we published articles from writers on the African continent, and in 2008, our writers came from the…

One hot summer afternoon in Texas, I was not interested in walking home from church although I lived only a mile away. So, a friend and fellow 18-year-old offered to drive me home. A quarter mile away from my house, his car sputtered to a…

In my role as associate editor of Ministry, I spend a fair amount of time traveling. But I did very little traveling my first year in this position; indeed, it was a wise approach to allow me some time to become accustomed to my…

For three years, my church laid the groundwork for a church planting project in Houma, Louisiana. Finally, the time arrived for one last evangelistic endeavor in the target community. Our guest evangelist and Bible workers were in place,…

Editor's note: Three leaders of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), Charles Sandefur, president; Mario Ochoa, executive vice president; and Gideon Mutero, chief financial officer, met with the Ministry editors.

Nikolaus…

Editor’s note: 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…

Editor’s note: The Seventh-day Adventist Church for many decades has used technology as one way of carrying out its mission. Hope Channel is an important tool for pastors and congregations. During a recent interview with the editors,…

The Biblical Research Institute (BRI) is a service organization of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, providing theological resources to the world church and promoting the study and practice of Adventist theology and lifestyle.…

Pastoring multichurch districts has become a worldwide phenomenon. I once had a three-church district with a ninety-minute drive from one end to the other and church members scattered over ten, mostly rural, counties.…

Editor’s note: Our new assistant editor has come to us from Southwestern Adventist University, where he was associate professor of religion. Previously he served as a pastor in several congregations. This…

Editor’s note: The 2008 Spring Council of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists voted to designate 2009 as the Year of Evangelism and that this special evangelistic reaping emphasis continues until the General Conference Session…

Editor’s note: In our quest to highlight the critical role that pastors of multichurch districts fill—and to express appreciation to them for their often overlooked ministries—we occasionally publish articles based on conversations with pastors…

Several years ago, the editors of Ministry entered upon the task of building upon the foundation laid over the years by everyone who preceded us as editors and associate editors. Our main goal, like theirs, is to…

When Kathy and I married, I had already been pastoring my first multichurch district for two years. Marriage brings with it many adjustments—indeed, those of you who are married understand what I am saying. But for…

In a continuing quest to uplift the primacy of sharing the gospel worldwide, Ministry editors Nikolaus Satelmajer and Willie E. Hucks II interviewed Mark Finley, a general vice president of the world church of Seventh-day Adventists and…

Remember how you felt before you preached your first sermon? All kinds of thoughts raced through your mind—Did I study enough? Is the sermon properly organized? Will I have good eye contact with the congregation?…

The editors of Ministry recently sat down with the team of Adventist Risk Management (ARM) officers in an effort to learn more about their work—which is truly a ministry. The ARM administrators, headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland,…

When my mother was only nine years old, she and her mother were baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. My grandmother, a lifelong Christian, decided that what the pastor of that church was teaching offered…

Editor’s Note: The editors of Ministry interviewed Benjamin Schoun, president of Adventist World Radio, and his vice presidents: Jim Ayer, Dowell Chow, and Greg Scott. The following are excerpts from the interview.

Nikolaus…

Editor’s note: How many people in your congregation read the Bible regularly? What about your denomination? You might be surprised at the low ratio. “Follow the Bible” is an initiative launched by the Seventh-day Adventist Church,…

Our three-and-a–half-year-old son was ill. Although illness is common for small children, this sickness was more worrisome than usual.

It all started on a Friday afternoon when I picked him up from day care.…

EDITOR’S NOTE

Historically the secretary of the General Conference has not only kept statistics for the church but has also coordinated the mission outreach of the church. The editors of…

“When you think about the word judgment, what thoughts come to mind?” I asked my Christian Beliefs class. As a rule, the answer would be negative. Occasionally, however, a brave voice would state the opposite. My…

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ . . . Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.…

Willie E. Hucks II, associate editor of Ministry, and Paul Mwansa, summer intern with Ministry, interviewed the directors of youth ministries for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The youth ministries…

Willie E. Hucks II: Please share a bit about Adventist AIDS International Ministry, as well as your own background in working with the HIV/ AIDS epidemic.

Oscar Giordano: My wife Eugenia,…

Recently Nikolaus Satelmajer, editor, and Willie E. Hucks II, associate editor, talked with several church leaders on the African continent: Luka Daniel, president of the West-Central African Division; Geoffrey Mbwana, president of the…

It was Sunday morning, August 28, 2005; my wife and I were sitting at an airport waiting to catch our flight home. Our conversation about the events of our whirlwind four days in the Washington, DC, area was occasionally…

Editor’s note: The Seventh-day Adventist Church, in order to care for its worldwide mission, has 13 world administrative regions. Two of these regions, known as the Inter-American Division and South American Division,…

Editors’ Note:  Earl E. Cleveland, Charles E. Bradford, and Charles D. Brooks have collectively given 185 years…

Illustration 1: Riding home from church one Sabbath afternoon, my then four-year-old daughter asked me, “Daddy, does Jesus love the devil?” My wife and I looked at each other in amazement while quickly pondering her query. Although I knew…

Editor’s Note: Clergy and their families have many demands placed on their lives. In spite of the many responsibilities they have, some—such as Pastor and Mrs. David Charles of Baltimore, Maryland, United States—have reached out in their…

Editor’s note: For the past several years in the October issue, we have featured the work of the church in particular geographic areas. In this issue we are featuring southern Asia—not only what the church refers to as the Southern Asia…