Post Office Box 514 Wylie, Texas 75098
info@FDBerry.com
Copyright © 2008 -
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-
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-
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-
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)