PASTORAL PREPARATION IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY AND HIS WORK PERFORMANCE

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PASTORAL PREPARATION IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY AND HIS WORK PERFORMANCE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

          The pastoral preparation is-a-must-do-affair for the co-ordination and development of the body of Christ, the church. It has always been the secret of the success of the church because the energy and soul of Christian ministry lies in adequate preparation of its leaders: the growth and stability of a church is dependent on the administrative powers of the administrators (pastors). It is quite unfortunate that in Christian ministry people see pastoral preparation to be irrelevant. The reason is that, they believe that it is not necessary to be under the tutelage of an earthly teacher to be trained.

          Many ministers who are not trained see pastoral preparation as a waste of time and resources. They use the scripture as a basis (yard stick) for their argument. In John 14:26 Jesus said, ‘but when the comforter, comes, which is the Holy Ghost whom the father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you”. A literal interpretation of this passage is quite different from their interpretation. For if it were not so, Christ would have send his disciples out without training them. There is not commissioning without training. For any minister to be sent to the ministry, he should be adequately equipped. In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus, commanded the disciples to “go into the world and make disciples of many nations.” It takes one who is properly trained to train a novice (another).

          Paul the Apostle succeeded in his ministry, because he sat under the tutelage of an earthly teacher – Gamaliel. “I am verily a man which am a Jew born in tarsus, a city in Celicia, yet brought up in that city at the feet of Gamalied …” (Acts 22:3 KJV).

          Thefoundation of every building (house) determines the entire structure, so is the main that God uses to perfect his will and purposes. The extent and dept of preparation of pastor for his ministry determines the degree of success and the quality of growth in the ministry. The essence of this research work is to unravel what is needed for successful pastoral work, pastoral preparation, pastoral qualification, the necessity for pastoral preparation and misconception of pastoral ministry.

The pastoral preparation is not based on what someone can do in the church without having full knowledge about what he is doing therefore the pastoral preparation is the act of getting ready by being trained on the call that one have receives from God almighty in order to function without any down full.

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Church occupies a very important space in the social world; serving as social control mechanism. Despite, efforts by government all levels, both national and trans-national in fighting human social problems. There still remains the need for church, considering the super-natural dimension of its capabilities to solving human social problems to continue in its role by updating its present capabilities through human or man-power development. Hence, the scripture commands “study to show yourself approved a workman needed not be ashamed, but rightly dividing the word of truth (Bible verse) The church must be able to provide practical solutions to social problems such as conflicts and terrorism that is bedeviling our society.

          This can only be achieved through the quality of leaders, who man the affairs of the church made possible by good and qualitative training. More so, the issue of qwack-pastors is fast becoming a challenge with its attendant effects on the practitioners and society at large.

PASTORAL PREPARATION IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY AND HIS WORK PERFORMANCE

PASTORAL PREPARATION IN CHRISTIAN MINISTRY AND HIS WORK PERFORMANCE