Richard O. Stenbakken
Richard O. Stenbakken, Ed.D, is the director of Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries, General Conference.
Articles by Richard O. Stenbakken
“I have not left the ministry!”
July 2018
I remember, vividly, when I was returning from Vietnam as a United States Army chaplain, a pastor asked me, “So, what made you decide to leave ministry to become a chaplain?” The semi-smirk on his face made his meaning crystal clear: chaplaincy…
Church Growth Through the Family-Life Center
December 1977
WITH DIVORCE rates soaring, teenagers running away as never before, and family problems increasing, there obviously is a crying need for a better understanding on the part of ministers as to what they can do to help the most basic…
First-person preaching
January 1991
The setting: an Easter worship service. In answer to the question of the morning hymn—"Were you there when He rose up from the dead?"—a voice cries out, "Yes, I was there! In fact, I was in charge of the guards at the tomb that morning. Let…
The affair
March 1993
It all started so innocently. Here I was, doing God's work. I was happy. I wasn't looking for an affair. But it happens to pastors, and the results can be devastating.
I saw a real need. My pastor's heart responded to her needs. My…
The Son is up!
April 1996
The Easter season provides one of the greatest opportunities for the Christian church to witness for the risen Christ. In many denominations this is the pivotal point toward which the liturgical year moves and from…
The Path: Creating Your Mission Statement for Work and for Life
May 1997
When reading Jesus CEO I thought it one of the best books written on management, psychology, and practical theology. But LBJ has done it again— with The Path: Creating Your Mission Statement for Work and for Life. Okay,…
When Loving You Is Destroying Me
February 1997
This book probes into the difficult issues of divorce and separation among Christians. It raises cogent questions about biblical teaching on divorce and looks at several of the difficult texts dealing with the issue. The book is not definitive,…
Ethics and Ethical Culture in the Church: An interview with Jonathan McGraw
January 1999
Richard Stenbakken: Jonathan, tell us about yourself.
Jonathan McGraw: I pastored in the Potomac Conference for seven years. While I was pastoring in Rockville, Maryland, I chose to go into the army…
Chaos and chronos: The integration of disorder and order
February 2001
The human mind seeks to bring order to a multitude of chaotic events in order to impart meaning and understanding and to pro mote survival and progress.
Perhaps I preach a sermon that is a total flop. My mind…