DISTRICT COMMITTEE ON ORDAINED MINISTRY PATRICIA ADETUTU SAWYERR

Since the creation of the universe, God our creator has always been known and called by many names. He is so mighty and powerful that he never shares His glory with anyone and has remained unchangeable. Since I was born, God’s name has always been mentioned and sung in my family as I was growing up, God’s wonderful and glorious name has been my song. Studying and volunteering in a public hospital that is diverse in cultural and religious backgrounds, I understand current theological, spiritual, religious beliefs, issues and practices among various religious groups as they affect pastoral and spiritual care. Now as an experienced adult, mother and grandmother, looking in retrospect, I truly appreciate the role my father and mother played in my life that I’ve had a very good solid religious foundation. I now appreciated being raised by one of the most loving, grounded parents with unconditional love, morals, values and knowledge. As I was growing up, little did I had of any memories of sickness in my family because my father is a very strong, energetic and always going, I had a good loving and thoughtful family, including my uncles who were ministers, commissioners, politicians and Entrepreneurs.

Many things I saw my father doing as a devoted Methodist in Nigeria has strengthened my identity today. I was five years old when I joined my brothers and sisters walking to the church to sweep, clean and dust to prepare the church ready for worship. At the age of six, I joined my brothers and sister in giving money out in the public place from the sack of money (bags) in those days giving to us by my father with a little plate to serve the coins; I was involved in these outreach programs until the age of fifteen when my father employed us to serve at the orphanage with a little stipend which is being referred to in those days as compensation (dash) which we always saved in our personal bank that was made of clay. The money we enjoyed spending whenever we go to boarding schools.

The upbringing of John and Charles Wesley and the legacy my parents/grandparents left behind has motivated me to be dedicated in my service to God in the Methodist circle and this has led my call into the ministry. As the chair of evangelism for many years in my former church, I worked as a team to evangelize, reaching out to the less privilege and winning souls for Christ. I volunteer at the project Hospitality for many years, involved in visiting the sick in the hospital and home bound members. With this my active participation as a volunteer, I received many awards including “An Angel of the Year” at the Institute of Bible Society in Manhattan

With the advice one of my former pastor, I went to New York Theological Seminary as a little child who is willing to learn and be grounded in theological understanding, I started from the certificate class in 2010, then to Bellevue hospital Center to study pastoral care, then coming back to the seminary to study Master’s in pastoral care while I was studying for advance units of clinical pastoral education and trying to complete my college classes which I’ve abandon for

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some time because I have to work three jobs to raise my children who were in school at that time. After my bachelors in sociology/anthropology, I went back to the seminary for my Masters in Divinity in which seems tedious and stressful then. The M. Div has given me more theological understanding and now I do not just look at the Bible as guide book for my life but also as a history book. In the Old Testament, I have learned about the two creation stories and have gained more understanding about gospel stories and letters of Paul. As I’m now proceeding in Doctor of Ministry in Pastoral Care Cohort, I see the highest demand for pastoral care and it has caused my motive of transfer to Union theological seminary in September of 2017 to study chaplaincy supervisory. I wanted to become a supervisor to teach and educate people on Staten Island on how to give pastoral care to the sick, down trodden, people going through depression and those who are grieving for their loved ones. I learned that doctrines are commonly authoritative teachings regarding beliefs and practices that are considered essential to identify the United Methodist church. I also learned about the heart strangely warming experience of “John Wesley at Aldersgate Street on May 24, 1738 and about the Wesley family.”

Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) experience has enriched my disposition of caring and I understanding more being a wounded healer in the midst of ministry. I leaned more on how to be with patients in the mist of their suffering especially when they are first diagnosed with cancer or allied diseases; and how to live with the disease. CPE enriched my listening ability. I learned how to be a wounded healer when from my experience, we were taught about “clergy burnout” and I have learned a lot about “clergy burnout.” My peers as well as I benefited from my experience though lessons on how to be a wounded healer in the mist of their ministry. The experience I have acquired at CPE is priceless.

ii. Describe God’s call to ordained ministry:

The call of God is a gift to the church. The church in ordination affirms and continues the apostolic ministry through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Timothy wrote that “if a man (woman) desires the office of a bishop, he (she) desires a good work” consequentially, I am committed to the conscious living of the whole gospel and to proclaim the good news so that the world can be save, through the ministry of the Word, Sacrament, order and service. Quoting Thomas Oden in his book Pastoral Theology Essentials of Ministry, ordination is a public testimony by which the call of God is openly declared to be approved by the church; through ordination, the ministry is committed formally to the ordained; through the solemn vow of the ordained the person who has been called becomes obligated to the church in the sight of God to render the faithfulness in the ministry that the Lord requires; through ordination, the church is reminded that it is to recognize that this pastor has divine authority to teach and in ordination, the whole church earnestly prays to commit to God the ministry of the one who is called, expecting that God will accompany this ministry. The traditional charge of ordination is found in 2 Timothy 4: 1-2, “I give you this

The role of the church in your call: The church helped me in clarify my calling as I continue to explore it. By allowing me to preach, lead Bible studies and prayer meetings and to serve in

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various leadership positions. I became more aware of the serious implications of the call to the ordained ministry. I was encouraged in my pursuit of the ordained ministry by my church family. Pastors, PPRC, Charge Conference, relatives, friends and church members affirmed my call. The feedback I got after preaching, praying, and conducting Bible study further reinforced my love and obedience to God as I grew in my faithful pursuance of God’s call on my life.

III. WRITE ABOUT YOUR BELIEFS AS A CHRISTIAN.

GOD: My belief as a Christian makes me to confess and believe in one true eternal living God, who exists in three persons of one substance, having the same character, attributes and nature. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are the Godhead understood in Scripture as the triune God or the Trinity. God the Father is the first person of the Trinity, who is the Creator God. God the Son is the eternal Word who was incarnated and dwelled among humanity becoming fully man and Jesus was divine and human at the same time. He was born of Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, crucified, died and was buried. He rose from the dead for the redemption of the sins of humanity. John proclaimed that Jesus is the Savior of the world; “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1: 29). He is the one and only intermediary between God and humanity. Jesus ascended into heaven and is sitting at the right hand of the Father interceding for believers. He shall return again for His Church as the Holy Spirit. I experience the presence, power and love of Jesus in the Church and in my own life through the Holy Spirit, whom I worship as God I believe that God is merciful, righteous and just. Through prayer, and fellowship with God, I grow in understanding of the divine purpose of my life and my call.

JESUS CHRIST : I believe in Jesus, the Christ the promised Messiah and Deliverer, my Lord and Savior, and the Savior of the world. I believe that Jesus lived a life that was truly human and truly divine. Quoting from Hebrews, He was tempted in every respect as human, and yet did not sin (Hebrews4: 15-16). He lived in perfect obedience to God. The unsurpassed power of the love of God is revealed within the life and ministry of the preaching, teaching, and healing, of Jesus, and His suffering, death, and resurrection. I believe that the living Christ is present with me and that through faith in Christ I experience the joy of salvation. Learning the words of Jesus Christ from missionaries and in a simple and easiest way to understand what it really meant in our lives. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24) Jesus Christ” means Prophet or “Anointed One” He died as a sacrifice for our sins, "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."(Romans 5:8). He Rose from the Dead, Just as a grain of wheat falls into the earth and grows into a new stalk of wheat, "Christ died for our sins and was buried just like planting a seed. He rose from the dead just exactly sprouting a new stalk is like rising to new life. According to the Scriptures, Jesus appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred (1 Corinthians 15:3-6). One grain of wheat becomes many, probably into fifty grains to sixty of wheat in the growing process. In the same way Jesus’ followers spread the good news that Jesus is the Messiah and that God has raised Him to a new

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life. So everyone includes me who hears this good news of Jesus plants this seed in their lives and spread the good news to many others as we are seeing today in many denominations all around the world. A grain of wheat not only symbolizes Jesus dying and rising and the spread of His good news to many believers, but also the power of Jesus death and resurrection continues to give us life through the Holy Communion. As the wheat becomes flour and bread, many grains become one loaf. During communion every Christians all over the world eat the one loaf that is the body of Christ, the sign of Jesus’ wholehearted love for us. The many become one. By doing this in Churches, we share Jesus’ life with Christ and with God, and we share this relationship with other Christian. We live in Communion with each other and with God’s creation. Jesus is the only way to God, "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through me."(John 14:6). Jesus is the only way that through him, all humans can enter into the kingdom of God. We must believe and have a strong faith in him, and confess with our mouth that he is our Lord and Savior.

HOLY SPIRIT: As a person raise in the Methodist way, by reciting the Nicene Creed has concludes with a section on the Holy Spirit as the unity of the church, the forgiveness of our sins through faith in Christ. When we confess that we “believe in the Holy Spirit,” the Creed reminds us that the first thing we are confessing is our conviction “that the Spirit, with the Father and the Son, is eternal God.” We believe in the Holy Spirit who proceeds from and is one in being with the father and the Son. He convinces the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. He leads men through faithful response to the gospel into the fellowship of the Church. He comforts, sustains and empowers the faithful and guides them into all truth. The scripture teaches us that although the Holy Spirit is fully God. “These groans are eschatological cries for Christ’s coming kingdom. Through the Spirit we are gathered into intimate communion with the Holy Spirit, opening ourselves up to be an “iconic space” through which God can speak through us and to us through the intercessory prayers of the Spirit and the Son (Roman 8:26, 34) We see this distinction of persons who share one divine essence in Jesus’ description of the outpouring of the Spirit. In John 14:15–17, Jesus promises to send to His people ‘One’ distinct from both the Father and the Son. This One is “another Helper,” a mediator and comforter known as the Holy Spirit. As a devoted Methodist, I have the basis for the procession of the Holy Spirit. I believe the Holy Spirit is the presence of God dwelling in and among all believers. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune God who is in unity eternally with the Father and the Son. Also according to McKim, the Holy Spirit (Hebrew ruah, Greek pneuma, “Spirit”) is the third Person of Trinity. God the Father, God the Son, and the God the Holy Spirit constitute the eternal Godhead. The Spirit inspired biblical writers, makes known the saving work of Jesus Christ, and is God as present in the church. The Spirit acts to incorporate all things into the life of the triune God. I believe in the Holy Spirit as God present with me which guides, comforts, and strengthens me in all my weaknesses. The Holy Spirit is present in my life inspiring those qualities known in the New Testament as the fruits of the Spirit, as found in Galatians as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). Similarly, the Holy Spirit inspires gifts that are to be used for mutual up building; “to

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each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). “The Spirit helps us in our weakness” (Romans 8:26) and keeps us in everlasting remembrance of the truth of Christ. John Wesley declared the Bible to be the test tube of every Spiritual Revelation and what could not stand that test was not to be believed as from God. He further stated that, “Without the Spirit, the Word is a dead letter and without the Word, the Spirit flutters as an illusion.” This God’s Spirit is so beautiful that with HIS presence in one’s life, one will feel the peace that surpasses all understanding with the absolute truth about the realities of life. Based on the argument between John Wesley and Middleton, I’ve witnessed in my whole entire life that when some people are filled with the Holy Spirit, they go through deliverance pattern and start speaking in tongue and as they are in the Spirit, they tend to cast out demons, escaping dangers, healing the sick, prophesy by foretelling things to come, seeing visions, Divine dreams and Discerning Spirit. (Works 10:22)? “John Wesley and some theologians agreed that during this moment, conversion was frequently so violent that men and women fell to the floor as if dead and remained in a trancelike fit for hours.” I really thank God for allowing and enable me the opportunity to receive and accept the Holy Spirit into my life. Whenever people asked me how I managed to raised six children successfully in this country, I always answered, It’s God’s marvelous works and the work of the Holy Spirit that leads and guide them to be loyal to me by going with me to church to clean and taken active roles in the church and moreover becoming Lay servants and taking part in many Church’s’ activities.

The Spirit is distinct from the Father and the Son not because He possesses an inferior essence; rather, His distinction lies in His procession from the Father and the Son. “The Father is unbegotten, the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, not made, and the Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son.” The Acts of the Apostles gives a better description of the Holy Spirit and how it can transformed and empowered ordinary people and sent them into the world as His ambassadors. It shows us that God wants to fill us, surprise us, and even lead us day by day as His Spirit moves in our lives. In Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” The Apostles may have thought they had all they needed. After all they had spent three years learning His gospel and even doing their own missionary work, the had the privilege to see the risen Savior after Easter and spent forty days with Him learning more about the kingdom; they still needed the Spirit to come into their hearts and teach them, empower them, and lift them up. That’s what happened on the day of Pentecost. Luke tells us that, the rushing wind and tongues of flame: In Acts 2: 4 says, “They were filled with the Holy Spirit.” By saying they were filled, Luke is telling us that the Apostles experienced a powerful sense of God’s presence. They felt His love which St. Augustine is saying that, “The Holy Spirit is the gift of God’s love He said, there’s no gift more excellent than this. One must love God and your neighbor or else one profit nothing.” The Apostles felt something that did not come from within them, but that was giving them a new understanding of God and a new desire to share His gospel.

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SIN: John Wesley referred to sin as “a universal disease which drains human life.” I understand sin as a condition of estrangement from God which affects the human race. Romans 3: 23 say; for everyone have fall short of the glory of God.” Meaning we’ve all violates God’s law one way or the other. John Wesley in his sermon expects us to live in harmony with God and with each other. But due to human’s disobedience to God, he sees it as a problem. Thinking critically, he sees the discrepancy between human and God and referred to these sins as “the loathsome leprosy of sin” with reference to Genesis 6:5. are specific actions, words or thoughts and deeds which arise from the sinful condition and deny the presence, power and purpose of God. According to Migliore, “sin is all that contravenes the will of God as expressed in special revelation in the Ten Commandments, the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Also known to some degree by general revelation is the conscience which is the sense of moral responsibility. Sin is not only manifested in personal life; it is also deeply rooted in social structures. The roots of sin are distrust of God, denial of grace, rejection of life in solidarity with others and the worshiping of wealth, power, pleasure or nation. According to John Wesley, “people could fall from grace or backslide. We cannot just sit on our laurels, so to speak, and claim God’s salvation and then do nothing.” We are to participate in what Wesley called “the means of grace” and to continue in Christian life.

It is because we live in a sinful, fallen world that so many people hurting, so many marriages breaking apart, and so many friendships wounded or damaged. I should not minimize the effects of sin or to attribute the troubles to only human failures or look only for human solutions to our challenges. It is important to remember that there are spiritual forces of evil at work as well. And that means that we need to look for spiritual solution in addition to human solution as it is said in Revolutionary Spirit that “Our hope today lies in our ability to recapture the revolutionary spirit and go out into a sometimes hostile world declaring eternal hostility to poverty, racism, and militarism.” We all need God’s grace if we want to see our character become more like Christ. At the same time, we also need to practice our faith every day; relying on the power of God’s grace to change us in ways those we simply can’t change ourselves.

REPENTANCE: (Hebrew shub, Greek metanoia, Latin poenitentia), repentance is the act of expressing penitence and contrition for sin. Its linguistic roots point to its theological meaning of a change of mind and life and direction as a beginning step of expressing Christian faith as found in Acts “that they should repent and turn to God and do deeds consistent with repentance” (Acts 26: 20). Repentance is marched by the gracious love and acceptance of God; forgiveness re-establishes our broken relationship and allows a person like me to have life again. No matter how I’ve been treated, I have to forgive others just as God forgive me. Repentance is turning away from sin and turning to God to seek forgiveness and new life in Christ Jesus. Repentance is the beginning of salvation. It is more than regret for sin; it involves turning in a new direction.

ATONEMENT: This means “At one moment that Jesus surrenders himself to be sacrificed for all our sins. Migliore explains that atonement or “at-one-ment” refers to the reconciling act of God in Jesus Christ, especially though not completely through His passion and death, that re-

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establishes the broken relationship between God and humanity caused by sin. While the New Testament is unanimous declare that Christ lived and died “for us,” “Christ died for our sins,” (Corinthians 15: 3). There are many metaphors of atonement in the Scripture, and there is no single official church dogma defining the work of Christ as there is of His person. Nevertheless, several “theories of the atonement” have been especially significant, for example the ransom or “classical” theory of the early Greek Fathers like Origen and Gregory of Nyssa; the satisfaction theory formulated by Anselm; and the moral influence theory associated with Abelard. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross affected salvation as re-establishment of the relationship between God and sinners. “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5: 9). “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). “We rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation (Romans 5: 11b).

RECONCILIATION: Reconciliation in (Greek, katallage, Latin reconciliatio “a bringing together again”), is bringing together parties who are estranged. It is the key image of salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection 2 Corinthians describe that “from now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know Him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see; everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Him, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5: 16-21). Christians are to be reconciled with God and with one another; as found in Matthew, “so when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister and then come back and offer your gift” (Matthew 5: 23-24). Reconciliation is God’s pardoning the world to Himself through Christ Jesus. Christ willingly sacrificing on the cross for the sins of the whole world, redeeming man from all sin so that no other satisfaction is required. Reconciling self to God, brings back together in good relation.

GRACE: , I grew up within the United Methodist circle reconciled and transformed by Grace. But I cannot talk about grace without mentioning the power of sin just as John Wesley referred to in his sermon (Free Grace in 1739) Grace as we know is a free gift that we have to cooperate with. We can’t earn it, but we must embrace it. Grace is God’s work in us, but at the same time, we have to work with that grace if we want it to have an effect on us. We all need God’s grace if we want to see our character become more like Christ. John Wesley emphasized on it as “a Prevenient Grace) that is the grace comes before which prepare us for God’s forgiveness and a

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holy life.” At the same time, we also need to practice our faith every day; relying on the power of God’s grace to change us in ways those we simply can’t change ourselves. As Methodist, in order to truly grasp the power of grace which is free in all and free for all, the more we understand how powerful sin can be, the more we will see how deeply we need the grace of God. It is God’s grace that has strengthened us, revealed Jesus to us, moved us to serve and convinced us that Jesus will indeed come back to bring heaven down to earth. Grace as we know is a free gift that we have to cooperate with. We can’t earn it, but we must embrace it. Grace is God’s work in us, but at the same time, we have to work with that grace if we want it to have an effect on us. We all need God’s grace if we want to see our character become more like Christ. At the same time, we also need to practice our faith every day; relying on the power of God’s grace to change us in ways those we simply can’t change ourselves. Jesus came into this world “full of grace and truth” as explained in John 1:14. He has an inexhaustible supply of grace, and He is ready to pour it out on anyone who comes to Him. John Calvin argues that, “by a secret and special operation of the Holy Spirit, God’s grace is poured forth upon the elect. Since the extension of this grace is an act of divine power, it cannot be resisted any more than the original creation could have resisted the creative might of the Lord (Hodge 1960, 688) .He emphasized by quoting the scripture in I Timothy 2:11, that, “For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men”. Furthermore he quotes; in John 3:16 that because God loved the entire world, and so wants all men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4) and not a single one to perish (2 Pet. 3:9), Christ died to be the propitiation for sins not just for the elect, but potentially for the entire world as well (1 Jn. 2:2). Rather it was to glorify God that God controls everything in every living creatures; Calvin further said; God knows it all, God is so powerful; God is present everywhere. God is pure, merciful and just. John Wesley quotes; Without prevenient Grace we are not liberated from the influence of sin to respond to God’s offer of forgiveness and new life.

Bonhoeffer writes: “Cheap grace is preaching forgiveness without repentance; it is baptism without the discipline of community; it is the Lord’s Supper without confession of sin; it is absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is a grace without discipleship, grace without the cross; grace without the living, incarnate Jesus.” So cheap grace, for Bonhoeffer, is grace without a living and faithful walk with Jesus. To be a disciple of Jesus is to follow Jesus, even unto death on a cross. We need to live for something worth dying for the Kingdom of God, God’s righteous reign of love and justice. Grace has got to cost us something, ultimately our life. It is God's richness in grace which provided the plan for deliverance from disobedience, sin and death. Paul gave that truth prominent place in Ephesians for our close consideration.

SALVATION: salvation is the activities of God in bringing humans into a right relationship with God and with one another through Jesus Christ. (Latin salvatio, from salvare “to save”). One is saved from the consequences of sin and given eternal life. The theological study of how salvation is achieved, includes concepts of regeneration, conversion, union with Christ, adoption, sanctification, perseverance and glorification; also known as “soteriology.”

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Also the Greek word soteria defines salvation as rescue from mortal peril, deliverance from sin and death, and the gift of fulfilled life in communion with God. Biblically, salvation comes from the mighty acts of God and the work of Jesus Christ the Savior. Paul Tillich notes that “salvation has many connotations as there are negativities from which salvation is needed.” In classical Protestantism, salvation is forgiveness of sins and rescue from the condemnation of the law. In pietism and revivalism, salvation is the downfall of specific sins and progress toward moral perfection. In the modern era, the ultimate threat, according to Tillich, is meaningless and nihilism and salvation is the gift of meaning, purpose, and wholeness of life.

RESURRECTION: (Latin resurrectio, “a rising again from the dead”) is God’s rising of Christ Jesus from the dead as found in Acts, “but God raised Him up, having freed Him from death, because it was impossible for Him to be held in its power” and “”let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead” (Acts 2: 24; 4: 10;). Also based on the New Testament witness to resurrection of the crucified Christ, Christians affirm belief in the “resurrection of the dead Jesus Christ suffered death” as in the Nicene Creed and “the resurrection of the body” in the Apostles’ Creed. According to Migliore, faith and hope in bodily resurrection stand in contrast to the idea of the immortality of the soul. The second holds immortality to be essential to some aspect of the human creature, while resurrection faith presupposes that death is total and hope for life beyond death rests on the sheer gift of God who brought creation out of nothing and raised the crucified Jesus from the dead. Moreover, resurrection faith affirms the significance of embodied existence in the sight of God and by extension the value of the entire material cosmos. Jesus was raised again for me, so that I might live for Him. He gave His life to redeem me and all people of the world. By His death and resurrection He defeated the power of evil. The truth of His resurrection is the heart of the Christian faith. Christians believe that Christ is still alive.

ETERNAL LIFE: (Latin vita acterna), in the reign of God, eternal life is the present participation in the benefits of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit. According to John 3:16 “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.” After death, eternal life consummated by life in heaven in the presence of God which lasts forever; this is everlasting life. I believe eternal life is again the final triumph of righteousness through Jesus Christ. It allows the believer to continue to live in hope in eternal life. As found in Psalms 23:4 “even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff- they comfort me” Eternal life is not just an extension of life after death; it is also a quality of life lived here on earth in Christ. Eternal life is a gift of God offered to humanity by Christ Jesus. To live in Christ is to know eternal life, and trust in Christ who sustains the believer as God who is present all the time.

SACRAMENTS: The United Methodist Church identifies with many other Protestant churches that two sacraments instituted by Christ and given to the church are baptism and the Lord’s

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Supper. Migliore defines that the sacrament is derived from the Latin word sacramentum, which in turn translates the Greek mysterion, “mystery.” Sacraments are sacred practices of the church based on a Scriptural mandate and made effective by the Spirit of God as “means of grace” to confirm the presence and promise of Christ to believer. Augustine defined a sacrament as a “visible sign of an invisible grace,” Calvin as a “sign and seal” of God’s promise of salvation. The sacraments disclose and proclaim what God has done for the world in Jesus Christ, and convey its benefits to the community of believers. Baptism is the sacrament of initiation into Christian community. This is commanded by Christ as commandment; “go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew (28: 19) and practiced in all Christian churches. Migliore affirms my understanding of baptism that it takes the form of a public confession of faith and immersion in, pouring of or sprinkling with water in the name of the triune God, Father Son and the Holy Spirit. The symbol of baptism includes washing away of sin, dying and rising to new life in Christ, being born to new life by the Spirit and being welcomed as a child of God into the family of faith. Scott J. Jones said in his book United Methodist Doctrine the Extreme Center that John Wesley explained that the New Testament church is composed of persons “called by the gospel, grafted into Christ by baptism. “So, baptized persons are counted as members of the church and in the rite of baptism the local congregation promises to support their continued growth in discipleship. The United Methodist views baptism as into the body of Christ and not just the United Methodist Church. Membership into the United Methodist Church requires the additional loyalty and support for the universal church. Baptism is also seen as forgiveness for sin. Water is seen as the key symbol for cleansing.

Scott again implies that Article XVII affirms the baptism of infants and Confession VI offers two reasons for baptism. First, they are under the atonement of Christ and second they are the heirs of the Kingdom of God. Jesus said “let the little children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the Kingdom of heaven belongs” (Matthew 19: 14). As I have seen done in Methodism, parents bring their children for baptism upon their Christian faith and pledge by teaching and example; guide the children in ways that will enable them to accept the grace of God for themselves, to profess their faith openly, and to lead a Christian life.

The Holy Communion is also known as the Lord’s Supper or Eucharist also a sacrament ordained by the Lord Jesus Christ. Migliore explains that the Lord’s Supper is the central sacrament of the Christian Church. There are differences in theology and practice, and there are important points of convergence in churches. In the breaking and eating of the bread and pouring and drinking of the cup with thanksgiving to God, the saving life of Christ, death, and resurrection are remembrance and proclaimed; his real presence and grace for the forgiveness of sins and the renewal of life are received and celebrated; and the church is strengthened for its mission in the world in the confident hope of the coming of Christ and the completion of His saving work. The Lord’s Supper stresses that Jesus Christ is the host who invites all to His table and gives Himself to all who put their in Him. Communion expresses the fact that in this meal

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believers are repeatedly given new life in communion with God and each other through Christ in the power of the Spirit. The name Eucharist declares that in this meal the church gives thanks in the Spirit to Gog for the sacrificial love of God and great goodness to believers in Jesus Christ.

Consubstantiation: (Latin consubstantials), a medieval view of the Lord’s Supper. After the consecration, the substances of body and blood of Christ co-exist in union with rather than as replacements of the substances of the bread and wine. Some medieval theologians explain that this is an alternative to transubstantiation is also attributed to Luther. He held that the body and blood of Christ are really present “in, with, and under” the bread and wine of the Eucharist; (Latin consubstantials).

Transubstantiation: (Latin transubstantiation, “essential change”) in Roman Catholic theology, at the consecration in Mass, the changing of the substance of bread and wine, by the power of God, into the substance of the body and blood of Jesus Christ which become present while the bread and wine remain.

The quadrilateral: Quadrilateral is the 20th-century description of sources of authority in the thought of John Wesley (1703-91), which are Scripture, tradition, experience and reason. United Methodists have an obligation to bear a faithful Christian witness to Jesus Christ focusing on the biblical and theological reflections of John Wesley. These are his four guidelines that we inherited known as the quadrilateral. John Wesley believed that the core of the Christian faith is revealed in Scripture, illuminated by tradition, vivified in personal experience and confirmed by reason.

THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE: Bible (Greek bilia, [the] books”) is the canonical writings accepted as normative for religious faith. In Christianity, the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) and the New Testament comprise the Bible. Authority of the Bible is recognized as status and function providing a source and norm for such elements as belief, conduct, and experience of God. I believe in Scripture. It is the primary source and decisive factor for Christian doctrine. It is the Word of God contained in the Old and New Testament. I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God written by people who were inspired and challenged by the Holy Spirit. It contains important testimony and instructions to help mankind do the will of God. The Bible discloses God in creation; in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; in the activity of the Holy Spirit; and in the coming of the promised Kingdom of God. I believe that the Word of God and will are revealed when Scripture is interpreted in its authenticity, it will be relevant today revealing the truth and plan of God for all humanity. “As we open our minds and hearts to the Word of God through the words of human being inspired by the Holy Spirit, faith is born and nourished, our understanding is deepened, and the possibilities for transforming the world become apparent to us.” Theologically, the Bible is acknowledged in the church as a revelation from God.

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Tradition: (Greek paradosis, Latin tradition, from tradere, “to deliver,” to hand over”), is the transmission of received teaching or practice. In Christianity, the tradition of the church centers in the revelation in Jesus Christ. The term has come to mean the genuine preservation of the faith of the apostles. Christian tradition is rooted in the lives and in the works and testimony of the early Christians. Church rituals, creeds, and hymns are all part of the heritage of the church. Tradition gives an insight into how early Christians and communities of faith understood the will of God’s, how they interpreted the gospel and how they applied the Scripture to their own life situations.

Experience: Christian experience is most broadly, all the ways in which individuals or groups come to an awareness of things or events that can be considered to be sacred. It is also new life in Christ gives as the living truth in Scripture. It confirms the biblical message for the present. It gives the understanding of God and moral judgment. Experience is interpreted in the light of scriptural norms, and also informs reading biblical message. Scripture still remains central in the efforts to be faithful in making Christian witness

Reason: A structure of knowledge Christians believe that all truth comes from God. (Reason-Latin ratio) is the mental capacity or power to use the human mind in reaching and establishing truth. It is also the foundation or ground of an argument. Doctrines that are developed by the study of the Scripture, in the light of tradition and Christian experience commend themselves to thoughtful people and are subjected to critical analysis. Through reason, wisdom is gained, faith to science and grace to nature that are credible and clear is developed.

MY PERSONAL GIFTS FOR MINISTRY:

Gifts were used by the apostle Paul in Corinthians 12: 8-11 to speak of the unique endowments given by the Holy Spirit to Christians to equip them for their particular ministries in their faith community. Paul emphasizes that all Christians receive gifts and that all gifts are to be used for the enrichment and nurture of the whole community. My understanding derived from the explanation of Migliore, I affirm that my spiritual gifts for ministry are graces of God given to me for the equipping of the people of God. It is the ability to function through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself said; “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me for He has anointed me to bring good new to the poor” (Luke 4:18). As a minister called to be a servant leader to the people of God, God has gifted me with the following:

Administration – I have the gift of organizing human and material resources for the work of Christ, including the ability to plan and work with people to delegate responsibilities, track development, and assess the effectiveness of events. As an administrator, I love teamwork, I communicate effectively and I attend to details, and derive joy and happiness working behind the scenes.

Exhortation –I know exhortation is the gift of exceptional encouragement that leads me to see the “silver lining in every cloud,” to offer deep inspiring hope to the fellowship, and look for and

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commend the best in everyone. In exhorting, I empower others to feel good about them and to feel hopeful for the future. Usually, I am not concerned by appearances; I hold fast to what I know to be true and right and good.

Discernment – Based on my belief in God, I am able to separate truth from erroneous teachings and rely on spiritual intuition to know what God is calling me to do. Discernment allows me to focus on what is truly important and ignore that which deflects me from faithful obedience to God. Discernment helps me in knowing whom to listen to and whom to avoid.

Evangelism – I have the ability to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who have not heard it before or with those who have not yet made a decision for Christ. I evangelize in both one-on-one situations and in group settings

Helping – I have the gift of making sure that everything is ready for the work of Christ to happen. I assist other to accomplish the work of God. This unsung character makes me work behind the scenes to attend to details that others would rather not bother with. I help faithfully, regardless of the credit or attention to be received.

Listening – As a chaplain, I have the ability to listen to the voice behind the words of those who are hurting, burdened and grieving, I walk along with them and give guidance and support to those seeking help.

Knowledge – I empower myself through education gift of knowing the truth through faithful study of Scripture and the human situation has been a shield in my life. Knowledge has provided me the information necessary for the transformation of the world and the formation of the work of Christ. To acquire knowledge, I challenge myself to improve through studying academically, reading scripture, discussion, and prayer.

Servanthood – I identify the gift of serving the spiritual and material needs of other people in me. As a servant leader, I understand the role in the work of Christ to give comfort and help all who need help. To serve is to put faith into action and to treat others as if they Jesus Christ. The gift of service extends Christian love into the world.

Shepherding – Shepherding which is the gift of guidance makes me nurture others in the Christian faith and provide a mentoring relationship to those who are new to the faith. Displaying an unusual spiritual maturity, I share from the experience of others and learn to facilitate their spiritual growth and development. I take individuals under my care and walk with them on their spiritual journeys.

Teaching – I have the gift of bringing scriptural truths to others. More than just a Christian education teacher, I witness to the truth of Jesus Christ in variety of ways, and help others to understand the complex realities of the Christian faith. In teaching, I open people to new truths, and challenge them to be more in the future than they have been in the past.

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Wisdom – is the gift of translating life experience into spiritual truth and seeing the application of scriptural truth to daily living. I understand that the wise in my faith communities offer balance and understanding that transcend reason. Through wisdom, I apply a God-given common sense to my understanding of the will of God. Wisdom helps me remain focused on the important work of God, and it enables newer, less mature Christians to benefit from those who have been blessed by God to share deep truths.

Healing: “Healing is the hand of God by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.” “Healing is the restoration to health and bringing of wholeness or soundness to all aspects of the human life.” The task of the healer is to bring about such understanding more than it is simply erase negative symptoms. Death can be even a perfect healing for the terminally ill. Jesus healed me in 1986 when I was in coma for weeks and later certified dead. Jesus healed me in 2012 when I was diagnose with cancer and sets me free. Jesus healed as in Matthew and Luke; “after the people of that place recognized Him, they sent a word through the region and brought all who were sick to Him, and begged Him that they might touch even the fringe of His cloak; and all who touched it were healed” (Matthew 14: 35-36); “they had come to hear Him and be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirit were cured” (Luke 6: 18); as did His disciples, “and He sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal” (Luke 9:2); and later followers, “for the man on whom this sign of healing had been performed was more than forty years old(Acts 4: 22); “Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed!” And immediately he got up (Acts 9: 34); “to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12: 9).

v. Describe your present understanding of your call to ministry as an elder:

An elder is a person in the United Methodist is one;

Called through the grace of God embodies a beloved community of hope, building up healthy body of Christ, with heart warmed United Methodist in mission for the transformation of the world.

Called to make disciple of Jesus Christ, equipping the saints for the building of the Kingdom of God in the present world.

A servant-leader following the example of Jesus Christ who took a towel and girded His waist, stoop down and washed the feet of His disciples (John 13:1-15).

One called to preach the “Good News” to the unknown, teach and exegete the Scripture, lead in worship, administer the Holy Communion and baptize infants and adults.

One who prepares youths and adults to profess their faith, and also be an administrative officer of the local church?

One who teaches the congregation about the teachings of Jesus and to make disciples of Jesus and the world?

A trained counselor who uses his/her skills to deal with personal and spiritual problems.

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Provide time to visits the sick in their homes, hospitals, nursing homes and those in prison.

Effective leader in outreach ministry and missions for the local church and beyond.

Elder: The elder is ordained to lead the church in service, Word, Sacrament, and Order. An elder is called by God, ordained by a bishop, and member in full connection with an annual conference. The elder is an itinerant minister appointed or reappointed every year by the bishop. The ministries of elders are, Word-is to preach the word of God; Service-is to counsel persons with personal, ethical, or spiritual struggles; sacraments, to administer Holy Communion, to do baptism and to visit homes and church community. The elder is the administrator of the local church. An elder fulfills the ministry of the presbyteros, whose historical role in the church was to assist the bishop with the celebration of sacraments and with the guidance and care for the gathered communities of faith. This early mission of guidance and prayer were done by the elder as he or she orders the life of the congregation and participates in service of weddings, funerals, and celebrations of important events among the members of the congregation.

Deacons: are ordained to lead the church in the servanthood that every Christian is called to do through baptism. Deacons are called by God, ordained by a bishop, and members in full connection with an annual conference; may serve the church either as an appointed staff member of a local church or agency or through an appointment outside the local church. Deacons are not guaranteed an appointment, but they are able to find their own positions, this giving them the freedom of making changes when needed. They represent and model the relationship between worship in the congregation and service to the people of God in the world.

Licensed ministers: are laypeople who are called to serve in the ministry through an annual conference. The local pastor is not ordained, but may be licensed and appointed by a bishop to perform the duties of a local pastor in a specific local church. The local pastor is supervised by the district superintendent, interviews with the District committee on Ordained Ministry annually and is assigned mentor to assist him or her in completing the course of study. Licensed local pastors may be full time or part-time. They have same responsibilities as elders, not ordained but are commissioned.

Laity: (from Greek laikos, “belonging to the people”) persons who are not ordained as clergy. Biblically, it refers to the whole people of God (Greek Laos, “people”). Ministry of laity is recognized by the whole people of God and not solely those who are ordained clergy. Laities are also leaders of the congregations in partnership with clergy, and carry their witness into the world in ways often not available to clergy. Their ministry includes helping and caring kinds of service carried out by Christian discipleship as servant people of God.

vi. MY SUPPORT SYSTEM: My parents had the most pivotal role in my family dynamics and my upbringing. I didn’t see nor understand then but I do now, that I was placed (divinely

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appointed ) and raised by one of the most strongest, loving, grounded parents who loved with unconditional love, and taught morals, values and knowledge to all. I did have the opportunity to hear words of wisdom, hear true stories of my ancestry as well as most importantly become spiritually rooted and introduced to faith and relationship with God, which has been my refuge and anchor. My theological beliefs is to my God with all my heart, with all my soul and with all my mind and with all my strength and to love my neighbor as myself.” Having relationship with God and the people is the most important thing to me. My mother was a mother and a nurturer to all whom she encountered. These qualities have also been instilled in me and I desire to serve and motivate others to becoming empowered.

Empowerment is a sense of competence, mastery, strength, and ability to effect change. To be empowered is to believe in one’s personal capacity to change or improve one’s life or circumstance. Empowerment is initiated when an individual or community refuses to be complacent and becomes motivated to pursue the needed change to improve their lives. They are no longer content with their present state or condition of living. I see clearly that the ultimate goal of empowerment is to help people take concrete actions to change their circumstances or community. I have learned empowerment is having the opportunity to enforce change, and even if you were not born in a position of power, you can definitely acquire power through taking necessary steps such as educating yourself academically, politically, spiritually and being discipline, fiscally and mentally.

Reflecting on the teachings of one of my favorite leaders, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King who illustrated the importance of minorities especially Blacks becoming educated and equipped people of competence and organizational discipline. I desire to become involved in politics and community organizing. My goal is to pursue my doctorate in Supervised Ministry in which by September, I will be transferring my Doctor in Ministry studies to Union Theological Seminary. I know that educating individuals, empowering families will result in improving communities and this is my ministry. I know my ministry is to help minorities to make a difference in their own community, to be a pastoral care giver, be bold, have courage and take initiative to be leaders. I believe that knowledge is power and I intend to apply this to my own personal life and ministry. Understanding that knowledge is power I’m dedicating my life to becoming academically, spiritually and even politically well informed. My ultimate professional objective is to incorporate a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing educational and empowerment services to underserved communities.

My personality type by Myer Briggs is an ESTJ, Extravert, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging. The given description of my personality is described as stated below:

“ESTJ’ s are very enthusiastic people who are driven to fulfill their obligations and duties, especially those towards their families. Their priorities generally put God first, family second, and friends third. They put forth a tremendous amount of effort to meet their obligations and duties, according to their priorities. They are dedicated and committed to their relationships,

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which they consider to be lifelong and unalterable. They like to be in charge, and may be very controlling of their mates and children. They have high esteem for traditions and institutions, and expect that their mates and children will support these as well. They have little patience and need for dealing with people who see things very differently from the ESTJ.” I’m a natural born leader; I’m very determined and persistent. My family history which has influenced my ministry is watching my family overcome all obstacles. My mother always encouraged me and instilled in me that “education was key”, my family are strong believers that with God on your side, all things are possible. They believe in the story of the underdog that if you are determine and “keep on keeping on” as my mother always told me you can reach the sky and accomplish all the goals you set out to do, your past does not determine your future nor define your being.

As a member of Wesley Methodist Cathedral in Lagos where I grew up, all my friends, families, cousins, especially the societies which I belong: Methodist youth Club, Sisters’ League, Busybees Club, the Auxiliary Women Association, Girls’ Brigade and Young Women Christian Association are very supportive of my journey into ministry. My uncle who were Retired Reverends, my cousin who is a reverend in a Methodist Church in Nigeria, my former pastor Rev. Kim who saw the passion in me and sign me up for Lay Servant School in 1999, my former mentors Rev Daihoon Lee and Ret. Rev. Shnelata Patel have all been very supportive of my going into ministry. Their mentoring advice, counseling and guidance have helped me on my ministerial journey. My local congregation in Maryland (Methodist House, Methodist Church in Road Island, Philadelphia and here on Staten Island, my siblings and other relatives especially my children, grand-children, son-in laws, daughter-in law and friends have been supportive of my ministry. My co-chaplains from Bellevue Hospital Center, my prayer group (African Strategic Prayer Warrior Group) are also very supportive of my going into ministry. It is my greatest desire to become an elder.

MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

It reminds me of my father waking up everybody in our neighborhood at 5.00 am every morning,

telling them to “Wake up and pray, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. Or at times telling

them to repent and believe “Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior” As soon as he gets back home,

he starts to play organ by singing “Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God Almighty or Praise to the Lord

the Almighty, the king of creation and some Charles Wesley’s songs. Many people believe that

God’s Kingdom is yet to come, but based on my beliefs with life experiences, the kingdom is

right here now, it’s now depend on individual choice whether to live a happy life, or a peaceful

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life that is full of joy and happiness or they want to remain living a miserable life that is full of

sadness and confussion. My beliefs in the Kingdom of God as the divine rule in human society;

the reign of God was the major focus of the teaching of Jesus as found in Matthew, “but strive

first for the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these will be given to you as well”

(Matthew 6: 33); and Luke, “blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God”

(Luke 6: 20). Many of the parables of Jesus about the Kingdom depict God as the One who

searches for someone like me. The Kingdom is a present reality and also a future hope.

Christians are called to into fellowship with God and with one another to the end that the divine

will can be expressed in and through a person like me. This aspect teaches me that God’s

kingdom is right here and in it is: love, joy, happiness, peace the surpasses all understanding,

compassion and caring. If we all love our God with all our heart, with all our mind and with all

or soul and with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves, the world will be a better

place to live and we will all enjoy the kingdom of God with good life in abundance. If obey

xGod’s commandments, sing praises to the Lord our God for He’s worthy of our praises, we

must adore His Holy name by offering sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving because when the

praises goes up, the blessings come down and everyone will live a peaceful and comfortable life.

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