The Reverend Dr. Anton DeWet - Minister
After 7 years of academic training and a further three years of doctoral studies, I have come to the conclusion that my most precious training has actually happened in active ministry itself. Nothing is more helpful than the experience I have gained through both my time spent in ministry and in business.
Immigration and the transition into a new culture [which includes ministry in English, my second language] have been most enriching at best and traumatic at worst. At heart I will always be an African, but I have come to know and love the U.S. and the people I serve, as my very own. I bring with me my African experience that includes a deep love and respect for the natural world and a profound resistance to any form of discrimination or exclusion. My ministry is influenced by my experience living through two of Africa’s revolutions and the ultimate demise of Apartheid.
A Covenantal Relationship
For me, the essence of ministry lies in the covenantal relationship between God and God’s people. This covenant reaches back into the Old Testament when God called people into relationship with God self and confirmed it with the well-known verbal covenantal affirmation: “you shall be my people, and I shall be your God.” The New Testament bears witness to the restoration and renewal of this relationship when Jesus Christ called the church into relationship with himself with the “I am the vine, you are the branches”, declaration. As a member of the UCC, I also take very seriously my covenantal relationship with my brothers and sisters in faith, both in local ministry and in the broader context of the national church and the ecumenical community.
The Pastor as Spiritual Leader
Pastors should lead the faith communities they serve through the proclamation [kerugma] of the Word, by witnessing [marturia] to the great compassion of God as experienced in our religious life, by encouraging fellowship [koinonia] within the community, through service [diakonia], teaching [didache], the equipping [katartismos] of the saints, and through worship [leitourgia]. The pastor is called to “tend the flock of God, not by constraint but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly, not as dominating over those in your charge but by being examples to the flock.” [1 Peter 5:2-3]
The Pastor As Preacher
As pastor, one strives to use all of one’s abilities and resources to present a sermon which people can apply to their present situation. Diligent preparation, humble supplication and powerful presentation is, however, as far as one dare go.
The Pastor as Counselor
The pastor is often in the unique position to minister as counselor to people experiencing conflict, anxiety, and pain. It is vitally important that the pastor be equipped for this task with skills to minister to those in need of it. The role of the pastor as counselor is to support the parishioner in a way that they shall regain or maintain their full potential, not only in the faith community, but also in all the other spheres of life.
Pastor For All
Within the community of believers, the pastor is called to minister to all, irrespective of race, sex or creed, for “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for we are all one in Christ Jesus.” [Galatians 3:28] The pastor is to be pastor of all. It is of the utmost importance that he/she be aware of and sensitive to the current moral, ethical, and spiritual issues at hand.
Called to Ministry
Ministry is a combined activity of both the clergy and the laity to fulfill our calling as members of the Body of Christ, each according to our own gifts. As Paul says; “and his [Jesus’] gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ.” [Ephesians 4:11-12] The role of the pastor within this faith community is to provide spiritual leadership and guidance. The most important characteristic of this role is based on the principle of serving. Jesus was the ultimate example for pastoral ministry, always being among the people as a sign of his solidarity with the suffering and the walking wounded. Jesus Christ reached out to all, offering love and comfort, participating in their pain and suffering, directing all to a new way of living. It is of the utmost importance that we practice what we preach. Our lives should reflect a vibrant relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. It will always be the focus of my ministry to convey the one truth I embrace as the most vital of all; that Jesus Christ offers unconditional love and hope to all. Ours is the ministry of Hope to all who are willing to hear this message.
Closing Statement
The church exists in the world. It cannot divorce itself from this reality. It is important, then, that the church proclaim the Good News to a world often balancing precariously on the edge of issues that influence our lives. It is important that we never loose our prophetic voice, speaking truth to power. The church should be outwardly moving, proclaiming its message of hope as we meet the challenges we face in the 21st century.