Pastor Daniel Essay

As the Christ-centered Leader of one of the fastest growing Church’s in Houston, Texas, pastor Keion (pastor k.) Dwayne Henderson is No stranger to change or Leadership. He has grown his church by over 3,500% in less than five years. He has spent countless hours preaching the gospel to audiences in the USA, London, Africa, and around the World via television. Pastor k. has become both a pillar of Faith and a beacon of hope for all who hear his message. Pastor Henderson was called to Ministry in 1995 at the age of 14, just Prior to his freshman year of high School. He attended Indiana-Purdue University, Fort Wayne in his home state of Indiana where he distinguished himself as an athlete and campus leader. During his high school Career he won

Understanding a person’s life and struggles helps explain his or her character and leadership qualities. Smallwood E. Williams was born on October 17, 1907 in Virginia. He moved to Columbus, Ohio with his mother and stepfather when he was only eleven years old. Williams lost his father when he was an infant (Taylor 50). Upon moving to Columbus in 1918, his mother joined Bishop Robert Lawson’s Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith (COOLJC) and began taking Williams there every Sunday. A few years later, at age fourteen, Williams started preaching at the church while attending school. In fact, people started calling him “Boy-Wonder Preacher” mainly after his travel to New York City to preach at Lawson’s Refuge Church of Christ

Earley & Gutierrez (2010) “Ministry Is…How to Serve Jesus with Passion and Confidence” (Nashville: Broadman & Holman).

In today 's culture the congregational expectations on a pastor are quite different from the vocational spiritual disciplines required for faithful pastoral ministry. The office of the pastor, for the congregation, has become nothing more than a managerial position of running a religious organization. In response to this Eugene Peterson offers his take on the distinctive work of the pastor and the practices that shape pastoral integrity. In his book, Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity, Peterson outlines the practices of prayer, Scripture and spiritual direction as the backbone of faithful pastoral ministry. The following will discuss these practice, there benefit to pastoral ministry and why Peterson call to these practice are important to pastors today.

his profession as a pastor in search for vital truth and hope. But his father

The calling of a pastor for the Lord is a very high calling as well as position. God has granted the ability of the pastor to lead sheep and teach truth to people. A pastor also has certain convictions that he or she must live up to. These certain convictions keep him or her accountable to God, upholding the stature of being light and salt of this world. Through the content of this paper, every conviction a pastor must have will be discussed, why these convictions are important, and who compromised their convictions.

The word “Christian” in Colorado Christian University is more than just a belief shared amongst the Faculty and Student Body. It is the foundation on which all aspects of the educational experience are built. Beginning with a strong Statement of Faith, which aligns with core beliefs of the National Association of Evangelicals, the University proclaims its belief “in the Bible as being the only authoritative Word of God, that God exists in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as well as belief in the salvation and resurrection that is only found in Christ Jesus” (Statement of Faith at Colorado Christian University, n.d.).

Daniel says that she has seen many who are involved in teaching and providing care through the church go on to be teachers, counselors, and administrators for various youth programs. Mrs. Daniel says, “the church opens doors for people to get involved with kids and shows them the impact that one person can make in a child’s life.” She became interested in working with children in this very way. Mrs. Daniel began to volunteer at her church, which later led to a part-time job. While working part-time, she continued her education and gained more experience that eventually led her to become the Director of Children’s Ministry. In order to prepare for entering this field, Mrs. Daniel suggest that, while it is not required, a person should have a college degree that prepares them for working with families and children and that they stay up to date on trends and issues in the church as well as in the community. She also says that if one plans to work in a church environment, they should have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Mrs. Daniel describes working in this kind of environment as a “calling.” She does not think that this is a field for everyone, “it takes a special kind of person to put the needs of children and the community in front of their own” says Mrs.

It is evident in the world today that there is a need for guidance and counseling. There are many statistics of issues the world faces that prove the need treatment. For example, 35% of persons who marry end up divorced. 40% of children live in a home where a father is not present. By age 18, 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused by someone they love and/or trust. Approximately every 20 minutes a person commits suicide within the United States (Clinton, 2005). This list goes on and is even found within the church. Professional counseling and lay Christian counseling have found a way to help individuals overcome these issues though certain techniques and methods. These techniques and methods are often adopted from secular psychologists such as Carl Rogers who founded Client-Centered Therapy. While both counseling groups have a goal to help individuals overcome their issues, should Christian counselors, specifically, accept secular professional counseling techniques?

When discussing and proving the person of Christ, there are two basic laws that must be addressed and proven. First you must prove that Christ is one hundred percent human (humanity), then you must prove that at the same time Christ is one hundred percent God (deity).

was owed a great sum of money by one of his servants. The king let the

The Protestant Reformation indicated that a human can “connect to God and can do so without the aid of a priest.” The ecclesiology behind this is basically what aids me in my ministry. Peterson, in his book Essential Church, explains “the primary affirmation is not that each person is his or her own priest but that each Christian can be a priest, advocate, intercessor, and evangelist to others.” William Willimon, Pastor: the Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry, highlights a variety of ways in which a pastor functions. In this paper, I am going to explain the ways in which my current ministry setting connects with the concept of priest as pastor in relation to worship and the connect and context of pastoral care while teaching others that they are able to accomplish the same task.

Nations crumble, churches and business fail, families become dysfunctional, children lose their way, and men stray from God for one disturbing reason; lack of leadership. These failures are often because of the lack of instruction, proper leadership, and confusion over what Christian leadership is and how that leadership is applicable to every facet of business and personal life.

Describe your past and current experiences of leadership, whether in counseling, administration, teaching, ministry, coaching, or learning. How have these experiences contributed to your decisions to apply for this program?

I would like to reflect on a few key moments of my spiritual journey from childhood that has led me to my call to ministry. I do believe that as the prophet Jeremiah was called before his birth (Jeremiah 1:5) that some are called and know their purpose from an early age while others find their path later after stumbling through life. Perhaps it might be that they have heard the call but were uncertain or unwilling to answer the call. Looking back on my life’s journey, I can see the “God moments” and how they have influenced my faith journey.