Pastors Urged Not To Be Burdened by Seemingly Impossible Tasks

Some 1,700 Adventist pastors and their spouses were urged to seek the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as they minister in their church districts.

September 12, 2024 | Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

“We desperately need to be filled with the Holy Spirit to accomplish the will of God in our lives as we minister in our congregations,” said Pastor Josney Rodríguez, ministerial association secretary of the Inter-American Division (IAD). Rodríguez was addressing the more than more than 800 Seventh-day Adventist pastors and their spouses who traveled from dozens of Caribbean islands to take part in the IAD’s second ministerial retreat in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Sep. 9-11, 2024.

“We have been talking about the baptism of the Spirit, being guided by the Spirit, on the fullness of the Holy Spirit and we need to be anointed by the Holy Spirit,” said Rodríguez on the last day of the pastoral retreat. “We can’t continue using the same methods, doing the same things,” he added. The only way to accomplish the mission of sharing the gospel is to maintain an intimate experience with the power of the Holy Spirit, he emphasized.

“What kind of ministry are you going to have from this moment on as you leave here?” he asked. “Is it going to be the same ministry full of fear and unbelief, and feeling like you have full control? As you feel God’s anointing and leadership through His Spirit, carry on with confidence even when you as pastoral couples face and struggle with ‘giant-sized’ problems,” he said. “No matter where you are, people will see the power of God working through you.  Seek that outpouring of the Holy Spirit as you serve where you are.”

To successfully minister to thousands of congregations across the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Trinidad & Tobago, and the rest of the small English-speaking islands in the Caribbean, pastors must be daily transformed by the Holy Spirit to advance the mission, said Rodriguez.

“God called you as His instruments to show His glory and power,” he added. Many pastors do not have God’s power because they may be thinking about who the greatest preacher is, or the greatest departmental director, the greatest president, the best pastor, he said.  “Don’t be like the pharisees involved in politics who could not perform miracles.”

There’s a difference in knowing the truth and living the truth, said Rodríguez.

Understanding God’s plan

Among the urgent appeals Pastor Rodríguez made to the pastoral delegation was to ensure that their congregation’s needs, spiritual or not, are met. “How many come to church and lose interest because they don’t find what they are looking for?” It’s not about having a fancy program, a creative program, special music, or well-dressed men and women. “People are looking for the presence of God, for the power of God working to help them solve their problems,” he said.  Stop with the repetitive methods that yield the same results, he urged.  “It’s time we understand that the only way to accomplish God’s plan is through the power of the Holy Spirit, otherwise it’s like we are building castles of sand.”

Pastor Rodríguez encouraged pastors to not be burdened by the seemingly impossible tasks and plans they see ahead as they minister but believe that God has a lot of ways to accomplish His will through their continual faith in Him.

Growing, teaching, and serving

During Pastor Rodríguez’s final appeal, pastors and their spouses moved close to the stage as church leaders prayed for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

IAD President Pastor Elie Henry thanked each pastor and spouse for their faithful contribution to growing congregations, and teaching, training and inspiring them to continue to serve in their communities.  “We appreciate you pastors for what you have been doing and have been called to do for the church in the Inter-American Division.”

Pastor Henry also announced that each pastor would receive a copy of the Andrews Bible Commentary to enrich their study of the Bible as they minister in their congregations. He also thanked union administrators for their financial partnership with the IAD in providing the commentaries and IADPA for ensuring the translation of both volumes in Spanish by the end of the year.

Recognizing pastoral couples

IAD and union leaders recognized the hundreds of pastors and their spouses during a special ceremony that saw them receive certificates of appreciation and gifts.

Bennet Bascome and his wife Josephine were thankful to be part of the retreat.  Bascome pastors nine congregations with a total of more than 1,000 members in the Upper Mazaruni West District in Guyana. He started as a Bible worker and began serving as a district pastor in 1996. Bascome must travel up to three days to reach some of his churches.  His and his wife’s commitment to serving in their congregations and surrounding communities have yielded over 100 baptisms this year already thanks to God, he said.

Listening to the devotionals, presentations and seminars has been a wonderful opportunity, said Bascome. “It’s a blessing to see the involvement of the church in ministry and how the Holy Spirit is still inspiring leaders to love and serve,” he said. Each message really cheered him up as he and his wife took a few days to spend together away from the daily heavy responsibilities back home, he added.

“Thank you for what you are doing as part of the more than 33,000 Seventh-day Adventist pastors around the world who are on the frontlines,” said Pastor Ramón Canals, ministerial association secretary of the General Conference.  He invited pastoral couples to renew their commitment not with the General Conference or the Inter-American Division but to God. “Continue being faithful to your families, to the church, faithful to God until He comes to take us home. Recommit and reconsecrate your life to God today and surrender to be used to accomplish the mission of reaching every citizen, every person in the Inter-American Division and the world,” Canals concluded.

Royston Philbert contributed information for this article.