Nikolaus Satelmajer

Relationships, whether between two individuals or two organizations, can be very complicated. But what about between three parties—for example, the pastor, the congregation, and the conference? Can such a relationship work well in…

Author Denis Fortin has done extensive research and gives the reader an outstanding biography in this book about an influential Adventist leader. George I. Butler (1834–1918) is often associated with the significant 1888 session of the General…

Five hundred years ago, in September 1522, Martin Luther published his translation of the New Testament. It was not the first German Bible translation; nearly 20 others had appeared before his. But his translation was radically different…

The book The Sabbath in the Old Testament and the Intertestamental Period, edited by Daniel Bediako and Ekkehardt Mueller, is written by scholars who address their topics with thoroughness. Ministry readers will recognize…

A husband and wife were looking forward to the birth of their first child. The birth of the baby was a joyful event, but that joy evaporated quickly. A few days later, the father, mother, a few close relatives, and I were standing in a cemetery,…

Laszlo Gallusz is a pastor and senior lecturer in New Testament studies at the Belgrade Theological Seminary, a Seventh-day Adventist institution in Serbia. An experienced pastor and biblical scholar, he has written this book for fellow pastors.…

This year Martin Luther is remembered for posting his ninety-five Theses and, of course, starting one of the most important reformation movements in the history of Christianity. While Luther’s contributions need to be recognized, we must…

Sidney Greidanus, a professor emeritus of preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary, has penned books focused primarily on Old Testament preaching.

Greidanus accepts the long-held view that Daniel was written during the sixth century…

To write about a complex and controversial person such as A. T. Jones involves a skillful researcher and writer such as George R. Knight.

Alonzo T. Jones (1850–1923) may be familiar to most…

First of all, let us get the bad news out of the way. The author wants you to know that today religious organizations receive about 33 percent of all charitable giving (ix). That is a significant amount since, in the United States, charitable…

ALAN WALKER, a city minister, writes: No apologies, please, for the Christian gospel. Tell it. Tell it on the mountains, tell it on the plains, tell it in the cities. Tell it, wherever people are found. Tell to the whole wide world that Jesus…

Transitions are a part of life— including a pastor’s life.

All pastors experience transitions personally. We move from training to our assignment, and then we move from one assignment to another. We witness our members transitioning…

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…

Authority and the clergy—this has not always been a good combination; but can the clergy function without authority?

History has too many examples of abuses of authority by the clergy. At times, the clergy have used even secular…

By the time you receive this issue, the 59th General Conference Session will be taking place in less than a few months. Even though these sessions were once held every year, they are now held once every five years. The session has always…

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…

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…

Following the worship service where I was the guest speaker, the pastor and his wife invited me to their apartment for lunch. I wanted to accept the gracious invitation, but wondered if they could afford to feed another—for they lived in…

The young couple attends the same church where my wife and I worship. I had seen them many times, but this time was different. The young mother held a special gift in her arms—their young baby girl. However, on this day, what caught my attention…

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…

As if the pastor doesn't have enough to do! Preaching, Bible studies, visiting, planning, counseling, and committees are just a few of the many things pastors do. And now, under the new North America Division Retirement…

He is 14. Six years ago his parents' marriage broke up. The father left town and did not keep in touch. The mother remarried, and the relationship between the boy and his stepfather has not been the best.

"You are good for nothing"…

I was struggling with a personal challenge. I was perplexed. There were very few options. What was I to do? The more I asked that question, the more discouraged I became. All my solutions seemed to take me to the end of a dead-end street.

That…

Years ago I belonged to a special "club" composed of Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, African Methodist, Episcopalian, Methodist, and Congregational pastors, along with Roman Catholic priests and Jewish rabbis.

This was the clergy…

Each October the Seventh-day Adventist Church conducts its Annual Council. This meeting is the full gathering of the General Conference Executive Committee, composed of approximately 300 individuals from around the world. While the majority…

Obviously, the musical group standing in front of the congregation had rehearsed, and sang enthusiastically while trying to encourage the congregation to participate. Unfortunately, with the exception of a small number of individuals, the…

Some days we feel as though challenges face us every moment. That whatever we touch, do, plan, or say presents another challenge. Sometimes it’s true both for personal and ministerial responsibilities. What do you do on such a day?

…

Every worship service should be an uplifting experience, but I am inviting you to plan for a particular Sabbath worship that both you and your members will remember for a long time. This worship service will bring extraordinary blessings…

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…

I wake up slowly and go through a routine that I have learned over the years. Among other activities, I pray, read, and at some point, eat my breakfast. During breakfast, I am still in the process of waking up and often reading a newspaper.…

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…

A church can appear to be successful without sound theology, but according to Scriptures, a truly healthy church must have a sound theology. The New Testament writings show us that the early church spent considerable time dealing with theological…

I don’t even recall why I purchased the Bible, but shortly before the start of World War Two, a person was selling Bibles and religious books, and I bought one,” a woman in a former communist country explained to me.

As the war raged…

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…

Tools, desks, computers, paper, machinery, printers, plastic pipe those are some of the things that businesses use. Because these things, and others, are important, businesses usually take an inventory, making certain…

Several years before I became a minister, a pastor in New York City called me with a problem. Two of his members were getting married. That was the good news. The bad news the couple did not have a marriage license,…

I was almost 13 when I first went into a church building to worship. Up to that point, I had met only with small worship groups in homes. On that Sabbath, however, not only did I go into a church building for the first time, I experienced…

Editor's note: This proposal is not intended to be an official statement of the Ministerial Association of the General Conference. It is process oriented, and presupposes further responsible theo logical and executive…

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,…

Recently my wife and I visited Friedensau Adventist University, located within an hour’s drive from Berlin, Germany. It’s one of the many post-secondary schools operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church that provide…

Raoul Dederen is a professor emeritus of systematic theology at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, United States. Before joining the seminary in 1964, he served as a pastor in…

One of the prominent gifts listed in the Bible can be identified as the gift of teaching. In the Word of God, the word teach appears about twice as often as the word preach,¹ and although numbers alone…

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.…

How does a church with nearly 15 million adult members living in more than 200 countries and using hundreds of languages do its theology?¹ The members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church must ask themselves…

They are the future of the church, the focus of the church, and they . . .

They are the challenge of the church, the ones who always expect change, the ones who are often dissatisfied, and they . . .

Who…

How often are you asked, “Do you remember me?”

Ministers are asked that question many times, and frequently we have to acknowledge that, while we recognize the person, we just don’t remember the name. On…

Hardly hearing her mother’s hoarse whisper because of a cold, the three-year-old girl asked what was wrong.

“I lost my voice,” replied her mother.

Wanting to help, the little girl said, “I’ll give…

Recently I heard about a study alleging that married couples, after a number of years, acquire each other’s characteristics, with each one even beginning to look somewhat like the other.

At first I was skeptical.…

Not so long ago a pilot friend and I were flying a small plane over snow-covered northern New York. After some time, my friend asked me if I would like to take control. And I took him on his word, because I’ve always…

I don’t know how you plan your daily schedule—I assume that you do plan— but I have a simple system. I keep a list that I update on a regular basis. Actually, I need to update the list several times each day, for…

Our lead article focuses on leadership principles found in the life work of the Old Testament character Joseph. To me, Joseph has always been a complex and intriguing biblical figure. The mention of his name triggered…

In the history of Ministry, 1928 has become a very important year. The first issue of Ministry was published in January of that year. We are delighted that for 80 years we have been able to serve…

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…

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…

My colleague and friend experienced disappointment when he was not asked to take on a particular leadership role. All of the committee was very much in favor of having him serve in this role, except for one individual…

Editor’s note: The Office of General Counsel (OGC) is a part of the organizational structure of the General Conference headquarters at Silver Spring, Maryland. OGC, with six attorneys, counsels the church on issues affecting its function,…

As a young boy I remember several men standing up and singing. Though they were off-key, I enjoyed listening anyway. Perhaps the fact that my father was one of the singers predisposed me to enjoy their singing— no…

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,…

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…

When Ministry made its debut in 1928 as an international journal for pastors, it was meant primarily to serve Seventh-day Adventist pastors worldwide. In that role, the journal served well until 1975 when…

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,…

More than 75,000 men, women, and children were killed when a killer cyclone flattened parts of Myanmar on May 2 with more than 55,000 still…

My father’s voice saved me from the nightmare.

What a nightmare it was! Wherever I turned I saw numbers—ahead of me, to my left and right, and behind me. Numbers! Numbers! Numbers! All attempts to…

Dr. Jan Paulsen, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church responded to questions posed by Nikolaus Satelmajer, editor of Ministry magazine. Born in Norway, Paulsen ministered in pastoral, academic and leadership…

When I was about six years old a favorite game of mine was the long jump (at least to me it was a long jump). My playmates and I would draw a line in the dirt and then jump from that line as far as we could.…

It was the first time I had met the chaplain of a nation’s legislative body. This legislative body possesses significant power because collectively they can impose taxes, propose new laws, declare war, and end war.…

In this issue’s lead article, fellow editor Willie E. Hucks II addresses the work of congregational pastors. These individuals are not given an opportunity to be specialists, for they need to address all aspects of…

Others do not know much of what we do. It’s not so much that we want to keep it a secret—although there are issues that we must keep confidential. However, many things that we do are not done in the public arena.…

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…

From the earliest days the Christian church has focused on growth. The book of Acts takes us on a breathtaking journey—following Paul and others as they shared the message of Jesus Christ. More recently, after a few…

Eager guides in Jerusalem offered to show us the location of the cross. “Come, I will show you where Jesus died,” they called out with certainty in their words. They did not want to show us where the cross may have…

Editor’s note: Church finances, as operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, is a complex task. From the time E. S. Walker was elected as the first treasurer of the General Conference in May 1863 to the present, the church…

Whatever your role—pastor, chaplain, church administrator, evangelist, or teacher—ministry always has challenges, real and, at times, overwhelming. But such challenges are accompanied with their own rhythm of hope…

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…

The first book that my parents bought me was an adventure story; the story of a young boy—a little older than I was—traveling from Germany to Africa.¹As I read the narrative, I imagined that I was on the…

She was an enthusiastic third-grader attending the school in her village. She liked school and excelled in it. Each day was a day of excitement, learning, and joy—at least that’s the way it should have been.…

We often start a new year with many goals. We may have promised that the things we did not accomplish in the previous year, we will do in the next year. Somehow it just seems a good time to make a list of goals as…

After World War II there were some very difficult years for our family. In addition to living in a country governed by a dictator, daily life was challenging. The daily needs of life—shelter, clothing, and…

Nikolaus Satelmajer (NS): During the past year I have heard of a new center for leadership development. Can you share some news about this initiative?

Skip Bell (SB): The Christian Leadership Center…

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…

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…

I met a minister and his wife, who were visiting from India, through my parents. On several occasions, this couple stayed with them in New York City and became good friends. Even though I had lived in several different countries in my life,…

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…

At the October 2010 Annual Council of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists,* several actions were taken, but one item in particular was the focus of this gathering. This was not a major policy issue or an emphasis on a program.…

Leona Glidden Running is a language expert and has shared, in years past, her talents and knowledge with many seminary students preparing for ministry. She taught a variety of topics and formats that can be useful in understanding and appreciating…

Most articles in this issue are written by ministerial students who are among the winners of our second Student Writing Contest. When we commence these writing contests, we wait with great anticipation to read the submissions and anticipate…