by Israel Ramos | Feb 6, 2014 | Bonders, Latest, News
JOB DESCRIPTION
Center for Adventist Ministry to Public University Students
a the Public Campus Ministries Department
Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
| Job Title: Assistant Director, Bonders & Associate Pastor & Administrator, University SDA Church |
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Wage Range: $1,200 + insurance – 93% |
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| Supervisor: CAMPUS & UCHURCH |
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Credentials: Ministerial |
| Date Written: February 6, 2014 |
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Starting Date: August/September 2014 |
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The statements found in this job description are general in nature. The following information is not exhaustive and may be subject to change at any time.
POSITION SUMMARY: The Administrator of University Seventh-day Adventist Church (UCHURCH) and Assistant Director for Bonders (CAMPUS) serves to bridge together the ministries of CAMPUS and UCHURCH.
AUTHORITY, ACCOUNTABILITY: Authority as delegated by the combined leadership of UCHURCH and CAMPUS. Under the supervision of the UCHURCH pastor and Bonders Director, is responsible for directing the administrative activities of Bonders Ministry to Young Professionals & their families in accordance with CAMPUS and UCHURCH vision. Responsible to the CAMPUS directors and UCHURCH senior pastor for administration of church policy in harmony with the beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Decisions are made independently; incumbent uses own discretion in asking others for counsel on matters of policy or sensitive topics. Creative effort is required in planning. Unless ordained, must participate and complete Michigan Conference New In Ministry program and any other similar programs as required until ordination is obtained.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
- Associate Pastor, UCHURCH
- Serve as personal assistant to the church pastor
- Coordinate church services
- Lead in transitioning church to two services per week
- Be the director for church ministries
- Oversee schedule of church events
- Serve as administrator of UCHURCH/Bonders/CAMPUS evangelism center
- Oversee teacher scheduling
- Be guest speaker liaison
- Assistant Director, Bonders
- Assist the director in day-to-day operations
- Oversee conference planning
- Assist with planning and visioning
- Oversee international networking and development
- Serve as property manager
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/CREDENTIALS: Be a committed and baptized member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. A degree in theology/religion is preferred. Known to be a person who is highly competent, able to learn effectively, and value educational and intellectual rigor. Is a person of moral and academic or professional excellence.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL: Knowledge of church structure and organization, including committee procedures, and of academic culture on a public campus. Knowledge and skill in appropriate methods of dealing with human behavior in various circumstances and cross-cultural settings. Adaptable and able to evaluate priorities. Must possess advanced ability to effectively present facts and recommendations in oral and written form. High levels of tact, friendliness and other aspects of strongly-developed interpersonal skills plus proven organizational skill are crucial. Proficient in use of social networking, Internet, and other means of electronic communication.
CONTACTS, ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS: There is frequent contact with church and community leaders, as well as church officials at various levels. There are frequent contacts with Seventh-day Adventist students on public campuses, Seventh-day Adventist churches who minister to those students, outside organizations on public campuses, and families of graduates from public campuses.
WORKING CONDITIONS: Living arrangements are provided at the CAMPUS House parsonage located next to the University Seventh-day Adventist Church on the campus of Michigan State University. When travel is required, working conditions may change and sometimes become challenging.
by Israel Ramos | Nov 29, 2013 | Bonders, Idea Feed, Latest
Inspired by an article on Thanksgiving, we wanted to ensure that this year’s holiday meal had more fresh foods, healthier portions, and non-traditional components that included our Mexican and Korean backgrounds. We made three dishes:
- Mock Chicken Wings in a Saffron-Pomegranate Glaze with a Mole Sauce and Jicama Kimchi on a homemade tortilla chip
- Mock Chicken Wings in a spicy Korean Barbecue Glaze with fresh Mexican Chayote Squash and radish
- Mock Turkey in a Honey-Lemon Glaze with traditional Wild Mushroom Gravy on a fried potato and steamed carrots and green beans
Mole
Growing up, Mole was one of my favorite mexican dishes. It’s dark color, and earthy taste somehow reminds me of the Harvest Season. I thought that pomegranate was a good fruit to use in a glaze for several reasons. First, it reminded me of my childhood days when we used to eat them from my Aunt’s backyard tree. Secondly, it has beautiful living color. Lastly, it was a nice modern substitute for the more traditional Thanksgiving cranberry. While visiting Dubai last year, I came across a small shop that sold saffron. The nice aromatic effects of saffron blend very well with pomegranate and added a nice touch of class to the poor man’s chicken wings.
I’m a fan of kimchi. It adds nice texture and freshness to heavy foods. However, I don’t know how to make it; it takes a lot of time to make; and my friends who make kimchi were not in town. One day, out of the blue, the thought occurred to me to fuse Mexican Jicama with Korean Kimchi. Jicama is slightly sweet. Mexicans usually eat it with salt, lime, and hot red pepper powder. We made a quick variation of kimchi by dressing jicama and green onions in a spicy korean red paste.
Korean BBQ
Korean BBQ Chicken Wings was what started off this whole idea of making an entire Thanksgiving dinner from chicken wings instead of Tofurkey. KBBQ is a family favorite and we typically eat this dish at home with rice, and fresh veggies. Not all KBBQ is spicy. For Thanksgiving, however, we used the spicy sauce and balanced it out with Chayote. Chayote is a mexican squash that can be eaten fresh or cooked. Honestly, my brother and I both hated it while we were growing up. But, especially when served raw, it is a nice counterbalance to spicy foods. Also, its crisp texture goes well with cooked foods.
Turkey
Tradition is good. We didn’t want to get rid of it completely. So we brought back the mock turkey last-minute. Originally, the idea was to use chicken wings but season them in a traditional style. In the end, we just went completely traditional with the ingredients: potatoes, cranberry sauce, carrots and string beans, and stuffed “turkey”.
One of the things that I enjoyed the most about this Thanksgiving dinner was the fact that things were pretty easy to make and relatively quick — for a Thanksgiving meal. Our family enjoyed a wonderful time with our CAMPUS Residents who were “on call” this weekend.
by admin | Oct 24, 2013 | Bonders, Latest
Youth ministry has become a laboratory to experiment with different approaches and options. Today’s models range from variations of social outreach to blatant entertainment. Though well-meaning, the adoption of these models by some youth leaders has plunged the church into a crisis, leaving many youth disillusioned and desperately looking for spiritual leadership and direction. This article is my personal testimony. It explains why I have chosen to dedicate my life to a different kind of youth ministry.
The Models
Social Outreach Model. This model of youth ministry stems from the remnants of liberation theologies and sociological theories. The basic tenet here is that either God is dead or inert. Because the divine no longer intervenes on the social level, the church is left on its own to defend humanity from its evils, ameliorate the sufferings of humankind, and employ every individual, especially the youth, to propagate, defend, and amplify these ideas to a revolution.
Examples from this model for youth ministry include the German Nazi Youth societies, communist youth camps, the American peace and civil rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s, green associations interested in environmental reform, and myriads of other causes for social justice and outreach. Many stem from the post-millennial theories of the second advent of Christ. The social outreach model of youth ministry manifests itself in the local church through a variety of forms, but the underlying purpose is to keep youth busy doing something—never mind what they are busy doing.
The Entertainment Model. This latter model of youth ministry stems from the remnants of postmodern theologies and ecumenical developments. Unlike the previous model that sees God as disconnected, the basic tent in the entertainment model is that God is über-connected – everywhere. Sometimes mirroring unashamed pantheistic sentiments, the church is forced to engage all other ecclesial bodies and to conclude that divinity can be found anywhere in any form at any time for any individual. As a result, every medium under the sun is acceptable, baptized with some spiritual seasoning, and produced as religion’s answer to capitalism.
Examples from this model of youth ministry include the Contemporary Christian Music movement and its peripheral “ministries,” doctrinal justification or exegesis of methods from Hollywood, modern American evangelicalism, ecumenical dialogues of world churches, the New Age movement, the occult, the Charismatic Pentecostalism, the Emergent movement, and any other form of entertainment that has been baptized or prayed over. The entertainment model of youth ministry manifests itself in a local church through a variety of forms, but the underlying purpose is to keep youth in the church by any means necessary.
The Crisis
As a result of the adoption of these models of youth ministry—social outreach and entertainment models—the church is in crisis. Rather than understanding its unique historical and missiological heritage and anticipating the church’s progress into the future, the church has come to a stand-still. Visions and models for ministry have been borrowed by institutions of different heritages and ambitions. Theologies have been blurred or befuddled. Heritages have been forgotten. Progress has lost momentum. Ultimately, the value of and burden for souls has been lost.
To compensate for the loss of its identity and mission, the church uses sparkles and fireworks to create the illusion of the dynamicity of the ideal body of Christ. In the meantime, one of the church’s most valuable investments is waning within the church. It is not the number or quantity of young people that this article is concerned about, but rather the quality of individual young people that is waning and the future of the church leadership at stake.
The Testimony
Similar to the story of Timothy, my mother and grandmother were committed Seventh-day Adventists, while my father was not until baptized when I was younger. I was a nominal Adventist throughout my elementary years in public education. My spiritual bent challenged me to attend a Catholic high school and my convictions regarding the Sabbath influenced me to attend Brandeis University, a Jewish sponsored institution near Boston, Massachusetts, possible through a Presidential Scholarship.
In 1998, during the summer before college, I helped organize a Korean youth camp meeting that would spark a love (borderline addiction) for Scripture. It was this love that caused me to stay up until early hours to understand the prophecies, to become a member of a new group called SPARC (Students Preparing Adventists for the Return of Christ), to visit other churches for Bible revival weekends, to help establish a campus ministries group for Bible study within the universities of Boston, to take one year off to be a missionary and Bible worker to South Korea, to start an online listserv for Bible studies, to attempt to live a Biblical life – one seeking to be pure, socially engaged, and Christ-like, and to be one of the founders of GYC (then, General Youth Conference – a grassroots conference of like-minded Bible-loving young people. I wanted to serve the Church in whatever capacity and I tried to find every avenue I could find.
With dual majors in sociology and biology, it was my initial intention to enter the field of medicine. Inspired by medical missionary stories and the writings of Ellen White, I applied myself towards this goal. During my year off, I had been accepted into a prestigious one-year molecular neurosurgical and stem-cell research program for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis at Harvard Medical School. I was confident that the Lord was leading me this way.
The Role Models
It wasn’t until the Lord sent role models in my life that another vocation was considered. One local church pastor almost prophetically teased that he would some day hear me from the pulpit of a large convocation. Although it was received with ridicule, a deep impression was created upon me that would never be forgotten. Besides this role model, an older youth pastor who had a similar background and aspirations as myself shared this quote from Ellen G. White:
“There must be no belittling of the gospel ministry. No enterprise should be so conducted as to cause the ministry of the word to be looked upon as an inferior matter. It is not so. Those who belittle the ministry are belittling Christ. The highest of all work is ministry in its various lines, and it should be kept before the youth that there is no work more blessed of God than that of the gospel minister.
“Let not our young men be deterred from entering the ministry. There is danger that through glowing representations some will be drawn away from the path where God bids them walk. Some have been encouraged to take a course of study in medical lines who ought to be preparing themselves to enter the ministry. The Lord calls for more ministers to labor in His vineyard. The words were spoken: “Strengthen the outposts; have faithful sentinels in every part of the world.” God calls for you, young men. He calls for whole armies of young men who are largehearted and large-minded, and who have a deep love for Christ and the truth.” (6T, 411, emphasis mine).
The youth pastor’s premature death at the age of 26 during a foreign mission trip caused me to reevaluate my goals and deeply consider the above quote. He himself had abandoned the hopes of being a physician in order to be a minister when a medical student at Northwestern School of Medicine. The Spirit of Prophecy directed pointed to a class of young men studying in medical lines that should be elsewhere. Prior to his death, the gospel ministry was an option that was either subconsciously disregarded or categorically denied altogether. But my newly-found love for Scripture, combined with the tragic death, eventually persuaded me to study a Masters in Religion program at the Andrews University Theological Seminary until I would rationalize the above quote and realize my true calling.
Upon my arrival at the Seminary, the Lord immediately opened up a youth pastor position in the local Korean Adventist church. Pastoring so soon was not expected, nor anticipated. Reluctantly, I eventually accepted a position that would change my life. The large congregation of young people attending an Adventist university had ample access to means to meet their spiritual needs. But they were not growing as Christian Adventists.
It was then that I realized a desperate need for a new model for youth ministry, a model that was radically biblical, life-transforming, and mission driven. It was that kind of model that changed my life, my sense of purpose in life, and which had served me well in my short experience as youth pastor.
The Third Model
For the next three years, a Biblical leadership model of youth ministry was executed. Rather than God being nowhere or God being everywhere, this third model believes that God is, most clearly revealed through Jesus Christ, the living Word, and through the Bible, the inspired Word, and executed through discipleship – simple and spiritual youth leadership within the church. This third model accomplished what the first two models strived for, keeping youth busy and keeping youth in the church, but combined them in the expression of their spiritual gifts through evangelism. This is the model that has guided me during my leadership as a pastor.
I discovered that the young people were thirsty for a fresh, straightforward explanation of the Scriptures. Thus, they stayed until the early hours during Friday night Bible studies asking questions and discussing their answers. Doctrines were taught how to be defended and articulated for the sake of evangelism. Academics were stressed in order for evangelism. Family relationships and friendships were encouraged for evangelism. This link caused these students to be more dependent upon their study of the Scriptures to see the living Christ and express their love for Jesus through evangelism for the church.
This model proved to work. Not only was it correct in theory, it was accurate in practice. It was not the quantity that was being measured, but the quality. These young people today are engaging society vibrantly for the proactive proliferation of the Gospel Message. Not only are they infecting other young people with their love for Christ and His message, but they are living out a consistent devotional and spiritual life that they have not experienced before.
The Want and Need
In the end, what the young people want and need is to give their entire lives to a higher, nobler, and Divine cause. Young people have left the familiar environments of their parents. They have yet to develop responsibilities and concerns regarding families of their own. While single and young, youth are devoid of purpose, an ideology of life, a conduit to express themselves, the motivation to engage and impact the world, and the platform to take on a responsibility to utilize all the energies of their being.
The church must capitalize upon this cohort at this crucial window of young people’s lives. As an expression of leadership, it must have the confidence to realize the worldview that it purports is the only and true perspective we can hold. It cannot be self-conscious amidst the competing perspectives. Young people are very sensitive to see a lack of authenticity and illegitimacy.
When the church brings young people the purpose for life (a Christ-like life), an ideology of life (a humble approaching of Scripture), a conduit to express themselves (proactive evangelism), the motivation to engage and impact the world (Christ’s love), and the platform to take on a responsibility to utilize all the energies of their being (a ministry of integrity and sacrifice), “how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world”? (Education, 271).
If this service is not provided, another institution will glean the spiritual gifts and fruition of this special cohort of believers. Too many times in history have movements and organizations of error capitalized upon this group to change the world. Communism, civil rights movements, evolutionary ideas, the sexual revolution, and the music scene are evidences of this.
The Method
The third model—the Christ-centered, Bible-based, Mission-driven model—can be accomplished by first, providing Christian role models. Godly parents, pastors, elders, teachers, and chaplains are invariably the individuals who young people connect most well with. Joshua had Moses, Elisha had Elijah, Mark had Peter, Timothy had Paul, and the disciples had Jesus. Service activities, music programs, and social fellowships all have their limitations. In comparison, role models all the experience and wisdom of the ages to be passed down and promoting maturity, leadership, and temperance.
Secondly, the model must motivate programs, curricula, and movements that have a Biblical basis. Aggressive, yet fresh, relevant, and engaging approaches to Scripture must replace the institutionalized attitudes of compromised methodologies. The injunction of 2 Timothy 4:2 must be injected into every brick of every youth ministry component: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
To consider youth ministry as a laboratory for experimental ministries is also to consider the souls of young people experimental. Because of the eternal nature of our actions, mistakes are completely unacceptable in the realm of ministry and evangelism. Therefore, sound protocol according to the prescriptions laid out in the Bible must be adhered to. This has proven to ensure growth not only in quality, but eventually numbers. Any research into experimental youth ministry is either inherently stating the incompetence of today’s youth to understand the truths of Scripture or the incompetence of Scripture to save young people. The third model presupposes competence in both Scripture and young people.
While the sincerity of adherents of the former two youth ministry models is not being questioned, their Scriptural basis is problematic and must be open to discussion. In addition, to accept the various modes of ministry out there without Scriptural foundation would be a betrayal to our spiritual fathers before us, to the literal mothers of those in our care, and to our heavenly Father who allowed the revelation and inspiration of the text to us.
The End
Today this author who used to seek God through philosophy, feel the Spirit through rote praise singing, find Christ through epic films, is endeavoring continually to be a Biblical Adventist Christian. Upon graduating from the Seminary, I found teaching Scripture to be a calling and passion. This testimony is by no means the end, but made possible through the love of Scripture, the influence of role models, and the leadership of Jesus Christ Himself.
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(Article taken from Bonders and modified from its original publication in Adventist Affirm)
by Israel Ramos | Oct 10, 2013 | Bonders, Idea Feed, Latest
In the history of Adventism, there are several instances where self-supporting work led the way in opening up opportunities for the church to do its work.
In 1848 at the five Sabbath Conferences, early Seventh-day Adventists began to understand the truths that formed some of Adventism’s core foundation. Those who gathered felt a deep burden and responsibility to spread the message to others. But they faced several major challenges. First, their numbers were few. How could a small group of people make a large impact; how could they make a significant impression on the hearts of those they were trying to reach? The task was large. The responsibility they felt was to preach the “Present Truth” – the fact that Christ was coming again for the second time, that the Seventh-day Sabbath was still binding, the fullness of understanding the message of the third angel in Revelation 14, Christ’s ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, and the non-immortality of the soul. Their endeavor to teach others such necessary biblical truths was, indeed, a very large task. Not only were their numbers few and their task large; but the small group of believers had another significant challenge to deal with: they were poor and widely separated. They had very little means to sustain themselves and working together was challenging because they did not have the benefit of being close. All of the above combined to add, perhaps the biggest challenge of all: communication.
But the small band did not give up. They accomplished their tasks as best as they could. They did this in two key ways. First, they did it through spoken word as they personally went out conducting visitations. Secondly, when it was possible for them to do so, they preached.
Although those who eventually composed the early Seventh-day Adventist Church got by in accomplishing the burden of responsibility they felt in their souls, God had greater plans. The work may have been growing, but it needed to grow faster, still. The work needed to expand more and more. Thus began the publishing work. In a sense, the publishing work was the first self-supporting ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church even though it had not yet been established officially. Indeed, it was – at least to some degree – because of this self-supporting ministry that the church gained enough traction to officially organize. Ellen White received a vision on printing the Present Truth, given the assurance that it would be a success from the very beginning. It was a self-supporting ministry because James and Ellen White started it on their own and, most importantly, took responsibility for its work and success. It could be argued that outside of self-supporting ministry, the church would not have started or experience the strength that it enjoyed since its very inception.
The work continued to grow not just by the church, but also in the church. Like in the New Testament Church of Acts, not only were members being added to the church, its understanding of doctrine increased and new light was continually bestowed on the newly developing organization.
As early as 1848, health reform was given to the church regarding the dangers of tobacco and caffeine. Less than a decade later – in 1854, Ellen White received instruction regarding clean and unclean foods. Instead of eating foods deemed unclean by scripture, members were to partake of a simple and natural diet. By 1863, after the church had already been established as an organized body with the General Conference, sweeping health reform visions were given in regards to treatment of the sick and dietary practices and habits. Most of the 3,500 members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church began to make changes in their diet and lifestyle. It is important to note, that up to this time, the reforms were given primarily to impact the wellbeing of church members. Health reform was given for the sake of the church and not really as a way to evangelize.
It was not until the Christmas of 1865 that a vision was given to Ellen White regarding the establishment of health institutions. Ellen White wrote regarding this:
The health reform is a branch of the special work of God for the benefit of His people. I saw that in an institution established among us the greatest danger would be of its managers’ departing from the spirit of the present truth and from that simplicity which should ever characterize the disciples of Christ. A warning was given me against lowering the standard of truth in any way in such an institution in order to help the feelings of unbelievers and thus secure their patronage. The great object of receiving unbelievers into the institution is to lead them to embrace the truth. If the standard be lowered, they will get the impression that the truth is of little importance, and they will go away in a state of mind harder to access than before. (Testimonies Vol. 1, p. 560)
According to White, “the great object of receiving unbelievers into the institution is to lead them to embrace the truth.” With the growth of truth, came the growth of mission. No longer was the message of health reform suppose to primarily stay with the Adventist Church, it was supposed to be spread to unbelievers as well.
Eventually, as the work grew, the church’s mission was clarified. Health work was to
(1) relief the infirmities of mankind,
(2) teach how to care for the body – prevention,
(3) assist public relations purposes – so that others would have a positive view of the church, and
(4) acquaint people with the third angel’s message.
With a growing interest in health, once again, self-supporting work was as essential as it was with the printing work. Self-supporting workers were called. These individuals were among the best the church had to offer. They were to have good address, tact, keen foresight, and ability. They were considered missionaries. Missionaries were to introduce people to our publications – or scripture – in the homes and converse and pray with people. These self-supporting workers were to work hand in hand with the denominational employment by educating men and women in pastoral labor:
Missionaries are wanted everywhere. In all parts of the field canvassers should be selected, not from the floating element in society, not from among men and women who are good for nothing else and have made a success of nothing, but from among those who have good address, tact, keen foresight, and ability. Such are needed to make a success as colporteurs, canvassers, and agents. Men suited to this work undertake it, but some injudicious minister will flatter them that their gift should be employed in the desk instead of simply in the work of the colporteur. Thus this work is belittled. They are influenced to get a license to preach; and the very ones who might have been trained to make good missionaries to visit families at their homes and talk and pray with them are caught up to make poor ministers; and the field where so much labor is needed, and where so much good might be accomplished for the cause, is neglected. The efficient colporteur, as well as the minister, should have a sufficient remuneration for his services if his work is faithfully done. (Testimonies Vol. 4, p. 389-390)
Self-supporting work in canvassing and in health ministry was not for everyone. Regarding the work of self-supporting, missionary service, Ellen White said:
Everyone is not fitted for this work. Those of the best talent and ability, who will take hold of the work understandingly and systematically, and carry it forward with persevering energy, are the ones who should be selected. There should be a most thoroughly organized plan; and this should be faithfully carried out. Churches in every place should feel the deepest interest in the tract and missionary work. (Testimonies Vol. 4, p. 390)
Not only did self-supporting work grow in the ministry of the printed page, it also grew in the health work. With the health work expanding to the public, there was a call for health institutes to be assisted by vegetarian restaurants. These self-supporting workers were to advance health reform principles wherever there was an interest. They were called to manufacture good food for schools to impact that industry. Restaurants were to be a way of making vegetarianism more easily adopted and Adventists better known. Furthermore, these self-supporting industries were to help Adventist employment – especially for people who faced problems at work due to Sabbath observance.
In that great city the message of truth will be given with the power of God. The Lord calls for workmen. He calls upon those who have gained an experience in the cause to take up and carry forward in His fear the work to be done in New York and in other large cities of America. He calls also for means to be used in this work.
It was presented to me that we should not rest satisfied because we have a vegetarian restaurant in Brooklyn, but that others should be established in other sections of the city. The people living in one part of Greater New York do not know what is going on in other parts of that great city. Men and women who eat at the restaurants established in different places will become conscious of an improvement in health. Their confidence once gained, they will be more ready to accept God’s special message of truth.
Wherever medical missionary work is carried on in our large cities, cooking schools should be held; and wherever a strong educational missionary work is in progress, a hygienic restaurant of some sort should be established, which shall give a practical illustration of the proper selection and the healthful preparation of foods.
When in Los Angeles I was instructed that not only in various sections of that city, but in San Diego and in other tourist resorts of Southern California, health restaurants and treatment rooms should be established. Our efforts in these lines should include the great seaside resorts. As the voice of John the Baptist was heard in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord,” so must the voice of the Lord’s messengers be heard in the great tourist and seaside resorts. (Testimonies Vol. 7, p. 56)
Indeed, self-supporting restaurants and the treatment rooms that were to be attached to them were supposed to be essential and necessary for the advancement of God’s work. This was to be done so that people would be conscious of an improvement in health; so that confidence might be gained by the people in order to present God’s special message of truth. Everywhere that the church had established medical institutions, self-supporting institutions were to be placed along their side for the practical purpose of evangelism.
The practices of self-supporting work are to be a practical addition to the work of the organized church. Self-supporting work is essentially the other hand of the body of Christ. Without the self-supporting ministry, it is not possible for the church of Christ to advance, to develop, and to grow.
Public Campus Ministry is the training ground for self-supporting workers. It is our graduates from these institutions that will serve as doctors and business professionals of the highest caliber — prime candidates for self-supporting workers.
