Show Notes

Welcome to the Best Practices for Adventist Ministry podcast. While much of pastoral ministry may seem ordinary there is a mystical element that permeates every aspect. It all begins with the origin story of a pastor which we refer to as the ‘call to ministry’. In 2015 we featured the origin stories of a dozen pastors at the CALLED Pastors Convention in Austin. We’re going to share three of those stories today. But the thing is, that mystical quality, the call to ministry, never stops with the origin story. So today we won’t stop with the origin stories,  we’re going to get updates from those same pastors as we trace the mystical call to ministry.

Here’s the guests on this month’s show in order of appearance:

Act One: Richie Halversen

Richie Halversen stood at the crossroads between life and death one more time. 

“I got caught up in substance abuse and lived a very selfish lifestyle. At the bitter end I ended up in jails, institutions. That last time I was in the treatment center I came to a crossroads that I had been to many times before. Do I keep going to chase after that high that I knew did not exist anymore? I heard an audible voice from God that if you go out that door, you'll die, but if you give your heart to me right now I'll change your life and I want to use you. And that day I made my decision to give my heart to God.”

You can watch the short version of the interview here, or the full length interview here. 

Since we last talked with Richie, he's become senior pastor at Bowman Hills in Cleveland Tennessee. 

He also has begun to tell his story of recovery from addiction to wider circles. He published his story in the book The Darkness will not Overcome, published by Pacific Press.  

Richie also has some recommendations for pastors, family and friends, and anyone affected by addictions. He has found working with the resources of Celebrate Recovery helpful.  

Act Two: Harold Altamirano

Pastor Harold also shared with me the story of his call to ministry for the 2015 CALLED Convention. His call was sparked by a short intense conversation with a stranger: 

“I was recently baptized after struggling with alcohol for a number of years. I was struggling in my marriage, ended up in jail, and in that process, God called me into the church. One day being in church for about a year, this one lady waited for me outside. it was really weird, and I remember going out and saying 'Hi' to the pastor and I remember this lady I didn't know her, came at me, and she held me and she told me you are running from God like Moses, and she told me 'you need to be a pastor'.”

You can watch the short version of his interview here, or the full length interview here.

Since the last time we talked, Harold’s call to ministry has taken a radical turn. 

“My life

Welcome to the Best Practices for Adventist Ministry podcast. I’m Dave Gemmell. Tell me, is a call to ministry static, or can it change? After about four decades of ministry, I've come to believe that a call to ministry is fluid. Perhaps I can compare it to the river that flows behind my house. I can take a picture near my house, or I can move miles upstream and take another picture or move miles downstream and take more pictures and every picture will look different. And yet it’s the same river. That's kind of like what a call to ministry is. Even though it looks different in different times of our ministry, it’s the same calling. 

About six years ago for a feature for the CALLED convention, I interviewed pastors about their call to ministry; snapshots. We're going to play some of those today. But we're also going to move a half a dozen years downstream and take other pictures as we update those calls to ministry. 

Here’s the guests on this month’s show in order of appearance:

Act One: Jamie Pombo

I had the privilege of interviewing Jamie for the 2015 CALLED Pastors Convention where he shared the story of his call to ministry. When his life was at its lowest point, it was about to change.  

“My dad had a gun in his room. And the gun was empty, but I knew where the bullets were. And so, at that time I remember wanting to end my life because there was just no worth whatsoever. And I thought I was doing the world a favor if I could just cease to exist. And I remember putting the gun right to my right to my temple. And that that was the first time that I really heard a voice. It said don't do it. I love you.”

You can watch the short version of the interview here, or the full length interview here. 

It's been about a half a dozen years since I first had that interview with Jamie. A lot has happened in this world and in Jaime's life since then. I catch up with him on a zoom call while he is taking care of his four week old second born son. He shares how COVID have created some challenging times for all including himself as his father recently succumbed to the infection. Yet he remains resilient thanks to his faith in God, his family, and the help of professional therapy. 

“Its never fun to go through all of those things. But life is fun, and life is not so fun at times. Yet you still keep going forward.”

Jamie Pombo serves as an Associate Pastor at Port Charlotte Seventh-day Adventist Church. He is married to Michelle and together they are raising two sons. You can find out all about his ministry at the Port Charlotte website.

Act Two: Pranitha Fielder

Pastor Pranitha also shared the story of her call to ministry to me for the 2015 CALLED Convention. She revealed one of the biggest obstacles to her calling:

“I distinctly remember once someone called me on the phone who I hadn't seen since I was five years old, and they called me and they were angry and they said, what do you think you're doing? Who do you think you are that you think you can be a pastor? You know the next time I see you, I'm going to pull you in front of everyone and tell you about yourself. It's painful.”

You can watch the short version of her interview here, or 

Welcome to the Best Practices Adventist Ministry Podcast. I’m Dave Gemmell. 

What words come to mind when I say ‘church board?’   Some may say Waste of time. Church Fight! Never Ending. Nit picky. Other’s might say: uplifting, Unifying, Productive, Fun. How would you like to move your church board from the first group to the second? You’re in luck. Today’s title is 3 tips for Church Boards. I’ve gathered tips from experts and interspersed them with powerful tips that came when I asked Adventist Pastors in an online group to share.  and they really delivered.  

Here’s the guests on this month’s show in order of appearance:

Tip #1, Be Prepared

Andre Goncalves of Dallas First Church of Seventh-day Adventists believes that having the right people on the church board makes all the difference. It starts with the organizing committee and the nominating committee. 

Another person who is essential is someone who has the skills in keeping minutes. Why are minutes important? Karnik Doukmetizian, General Counsel for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists gives tips from a legal perspective for Church Boards on minutes, abiding the laws of the land, solid supporting documents, and secret ballots. These are short excepts from his presentation at the 2015 CALLED convention for pastors. 

South Atlantic pastor Everton Ennis, serving New Jerusalem Seventh-day Adventist Praise & Worship Center as well as Newnan first, shares his passion for relationships and preparation for church board. 

Lowell Cooper, former vice president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is considered in Adventist circles to be one of the greatest experts in conducting productive meetings. In this podcast he gives powerful tips on room preparation, agendas, and organizational polity. His interview comes courtesy of the Making Committees and Church Boards More Effectiveepisode of the Ministry in Motion weekly video series, hosted by Anthony Kent and Ivan Williams.  

A big part of preparation is getting out the agenda and supporting documents early enough for each board member to be prepared. David Salazar, Youth Ministries Director of Washington Conference, shares his powerful tips.  

Tip #2, Make Quality Decisions

Many board meetings grind on and on about trivial things. Does every tiny decision need to go through the board? David Hamstra, Pastor at Edmonton Central Adventist Church, gives some great tips on why and how a church board should delegate some of its decision making.  

Matthew Shallenberger, associate pastor...

Welcome to the Best Practices Adventist Ministry Podcast. I’m Dave Gemmell. 

Our world was just clobbered by the worst pandemic in over a century, slaying hundreds of millions, triggering economic hardship, exacerbating social unrest, and revealing worldwide inequities; yet also providing an opportunity for monumental discoveries that will take a generation to fully understand. As the fog of COVID-19 slowly lifts, I’d like to share three discoveries that were featured at the EHuddle evangelism conference held virtually in the peak of the pandemic.  

In Act One, Kevin Wilson pastor and TikTok star, tells how and why he puts so much energy into this creative platform. Kevin is the Associate Pastor of Youth and Young Adults at Oceanside Seventh-day Adventist church and also liked by four million as the crossculturechristian on Tik Tok, as well as CrossCultureChristian on YouTube at the intersection of chai, faith, and life. 

In Act Two Pastor Allareece Collie tells the story of how her church's agility and neighborliness paid off in the pandemic. Allareece is the Executive Pastor at Walla Walla University Church. 

And finally in Act Three, Pastor Manny Arteaga shares the powerful theology of tacos, which he calls ‘tacology.’ Manny is the founding pastor of Kalēo Seventh-day Adventist Church, a vibrant congregation in Southern California. 

I hope this episode has been as insightful, and inspiring for you as it was for me.  These stories all remind us that the toughest times can lead to significant discoveries.  Thanks for joining us for NAD Ministerial's Best Practices Adventist Ministry Podcast. We're available on all your favorite platforms. So please like, share and subscribe, so you'll be notified when new episodes are posted. We're here to help you grow. Keep going. But most of all, keep growing for God's glory. 

-Dave Gemmell,  Host of Adventist Ministry Podcast

Welcome to the Best Practices Adventist Ministry Podcast. I’m Dave Gemmell. 

There's an old slogan from a wristwatch company that says "It takes a lickin', but keeps on tickin'. Today we call that resilience, a must have quality for pastors. Pastors take lickins, from church conflict, to health challenges to personal loss. But in the tumbles of ministry, why are some pastors crushed by lickens and why do other pastors keep on tickin? Or why do some pastors get bitter, and others get better? 

In Act One, Tricia Payne shares her story of resilience through a life-threatening medical accident. Tricia is the lead pastor of the Kona Gardens Seventh-day Adventist church in Detroit. Get to know Pastor Tricia a little better by going to her website, Tricia Wynn Payne | The Fight for My Life. There you can learn more about her story in her new book entitled The Fight for My Life. 

In Act Two you’ll meet Shawn Brace who got pushback when he began to lead his church into a new vision of church as a body of believers who are living all of life on God's mission. Shawn is the pastor of Bangor Seventh-day Adventist Church but more importantly a husband and a father.  Shawn recently replanted his church in the same facility with a new mission.  Explore Pastor Brace’s passion for mission in his podcast entitled Mission Lab. “From the heart of the least religious region of the United States, join us - Shawn and Camille Brace - as we explore what it's like to pursue a missional life in Maine. We will discuss and share stories about discipleship, evangelism, church, missional communities, and the gospel - offering practical tips on how to live out the gospel as a family and church in everyday life.”

And finally in act three, Carlton Byrd reveals a tragedy that forever changed his ministry. Carlton is speaker/director of Breath of Life Ministries and lead pastor of the Oakwood University Church.  “Breath of Life Ministries seeks to help individuals discover the truth of God’s life-enabling concern for their well-being. The mission of Breath of Life Ministries is to present the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ to all people groups from a contemporary, urban perspective.”  Oakwood University Church, on the campus of Oakwood University is a “Christ centered, God-fearing, and Spirit-filled congregation” with the “mission to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ with people from all backgrounds and walks of life. With caring and open hearts, we seek to exemplify our love through multiple ministries and worship experiences intentionally designed to reach our diverse, postmodern society.” 

I hope this episode has been as insightful, and inspiring for you as it was for me.  These stories all remind us that pastors face unique challenges, and It’s how we respond that reveal our resilience.  Thanks for joining us for NAD Ministerial’s Best Practices Adventist Ministry Podcast. We're available on all your favorite platforms. So please like, share and subscribe, so you'll be notified when new episodes are posted. We're here to help you grow. Keep going. But most of all, keep growing for God's glory.

-Dave Gemmell,  Host of Adventist Ministry Podcast

Welcome to the Best Practices Podcasts. I’m Hallorin. Murial Ruckheiser said, the universe is made of stories, not atoms. Stories tell us where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going. They tell us who we’ve been, who we are, and who we are becoming. They are the connective tissue between generations. The repository of history’s greatest lessons. The most amazing communicator in human history is Jesus, hands down, and he had the most important message to communicate. And how did he do it? With stories. This episode we focus on the power of story telling in three acts. 

In Act one, one of America’s greatest storytellers and teachers of the craft, Dick Deurksen, with insights on how to catch stories. Dick is an author, publisher, photographer, his book Storycatcher is must read. You can find more about Dick on his website, storycatcher.world. You can listen to his full presentation from CALLED convention here. 

In Act Two, we meet Dr. Wesley Knight, Pastor of Revision church in Atlanta, professor of Oakwood University in Huntsville. Wesley Knight is on fire. He's a teacher, he's a preacher, he's a story teller. Here's an example of narrative story in preaching. Listen to how he uses a lost boy, and some folded graveclothes. All things Wesley Knight including his book 'thirst', can be found at wesleyknight.org. You can watch the full sermon here.  

Act Three. John McVay.  John is president of Walla Walla University. But he's a passionate preacher of the craft as well. Especially as it relates to THE most important story--the gospel. He starts with some great questions to ask yourself, as you bring story into the teaching of the gospel. And he mentions Wesley Knight. You watch his entire presentation from the CALLED convention here. 

Thanks John. That's great stuff. I hope it’s been insightful, and inspiring. Now get to work using the power of story and great storytelling. Thanks for joining us for NAD Ministerial's Best Practices Podcast. We're available on all your favorite platforms. So please like, share and subscribe, so you'll be notified when new episodes are posted. We're here to help you grow. Keep going. But most of all, keep growing for God's glory. 

-Hallerin Hill, Announcer, Adventist Ministry Podcast

Welcome to the Best Practices Adventist Ministry Podcast. I’m Dave Gemmell. 

George Patton once said “I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs, but how high he bounces when he hits bottom. ” He was of course talking about resilience, a core quality of effective pastors. 

There are only two kinds of pastors. Those who have been knocked down and those who will get knocked down, maybe soon.  Pastors get knocked down by material loss, loss of health, loss of dreams;  but in the tumbles of ministry,  why do some pastors stay down and others get up again?  And why do some pastors grow weaker and others grow stronger? Today three pastors tell their unique journeys of resilience.

Dan Martella is the administrative pastor of the Paradise Seventh-day Adventist church. In this podcast he relives his journey of losing almost everything in the Paradise fire. There's more to Dan's story.  We're putting together a documentary for the next CALLED convention. 

Tarizina Barbalo, Pastor of three churches, one of which is a church plant, and the other a replant. Few pastors have demonstrated more resilience than Pastor Tarizina. Of course that's only one part of her amazing story of resilience. We may do another podcast with her to tell about her church replanting experience as well as some of the unique challenges of serving as a female pastor.  We'll be documenting her story at the next CALLED convention.

Kleyton Feitosa has served as a missionary, conference administrator, mission president, and now serves as the pastor of the Living Word Seventh-day Adventist church. In this podcast he shares his remarkable story of ongoing resilience.  A special thanks to Kimberly Maran for sharing that interview with us. Kimberly is the editor of NAD's Adventist journey. You can read her article and see the full video in the January 2021 edition of Adventist Journey.  

I hope this episode has been as  insightful, and inspiring for you as it was for me.  These stories all remind us that pastors face unique challenges, and Its how we respond that reveal our resilience.  Thanks for joining us for NAD Ministerial's Best Practices Adventist Ministry Podcast. We're available on all your favorite platforms. So please like, share and subscribe, so you'll be notified when new episodes are posted. We're here to help you grow. Keep going. But most of all, keep growing for God's glory.