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FDBerry, Sr.

SPEAK LORD, SPEAK TO ME: My Personal Testimony of The Call, Response and Philosophy to Ministry

PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY

I am often asked what drives me to do what I do, how I do it and why I do it.  My answer is simple; my love God and God’s people is my reason and passion for ministering.  Having grown up in the church I developed a special love for people in the church and for people in general.  My passion is to see people saved, delivered and set free from things that suppress and hold them in some type of modern-day bondage drives me to provide effective and affective ministry.  I understand that people are people, regardless of their background, social-economic status, race, religion, pre-conceived notions and agendas, as well as their biases and prejudices.  The basic common factor is that we all have needs, we all have issues and most importantly, God has a love for all of us.  My prayer is that God will use me to be a tool to minister to God’s people in a way that will spread the love of God through the Word of God in such a way that it will (1) win lost souls to Christ; (2) empower Christian growth in every area of life according to God’s plan; and (3) to liberate those who are oppressed. Whereas, my ultimate goal is clear, these three areas of ministry do not represent the sum total of my personal ministry philosophy for each area is multifaceted and complex.  However, these categories offer a broad stroke that provides the blueprint for effective ministry.  


Win Lost Souls

In Matthew’s gospel we find the “Great Commission”.  It is in this commission that we are instructed to go into all nations and make disciples.  I believe that our primary purpose of ministry is to first reach and win lost souls for Christ.  It is the love of Christ that drives us to reach out to all people, locally, nationally and internationally to provide for them the Word of God in an effort to win lost souls to Christ.  It is through the preaching of the gospel that people are saved.   However, we must not stop with the accepting Christ as our Savior; we should strive to move from conversion to maturity in our Christian journey.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

~ Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

Empower Christian Growth

The motto of my personal ministry is Empowered to Empower.  Empowerment comes from the making of disciples as Christ has called us to do according to Matthew 28:19-20.  It is through discipleship that we begin to grow, develop and seek God’s best for our lives and the lives of others.  It is in this process that people begin to develop or seek on a deeper level the truths of God’s Word.  It is also here that we, as leaders, offer to the people of God very specific and practical approaches to living an effective Christian life on purpose.  Not only is this a spiritual journey, but it is a holistic approach to ministry – ministering to the entire person in every area and arena of life.  When people are empowered through the Word of God to apply faith principles and practices to everyday life, the person, as a whole is impacted; which impacts not only the person but their family, community and ultimately society.  


Liberate the Oppressed

When we see Jesus throughout scripture it is obvious that He is extremely concerned with ‘the least of these’ – those who suffer from one type of oppression or another.  Oppression is caused by many different factors, from financial problems to unhealthy relationships; from the orphans to widows; from the struggles of addictions to the socially unacceptable – oppression, whether systemic, institutionalized, or personal must be addressed in the light of God’s Word. This challenges us, as Christ did, to get out of our comfort zones and address the issues in life which oppress God’s people.  Thus, an effective ministry must attack the issues of oppression in a way that will liberate those suffering under the hands of oppression, while leading them to the salvific understanding of Christ and the cross.  


Conclusion

Effective ministry involves us all, loving God’s people and working together for the good of each while providing the truths of God’s Word and Christian works to win lost souls, empower Christian growth and liberate the oppressed.  Likewise, effective ministry honors the traditions of the Christian experience in a contemporary fashion that relates to this generation.  Through effective ministry God speaks to God’s people.  Speak Lord, Speak to Me.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,”

~ Luke 4:18 (NIV)