DISTRAUGHT YOUNG MINISTER complained to his superior one day about the disorganized state of affairs among believers. Apparently there was, as the result of widespread revival effort, a strong fervor taking hold on all levels within the community. With the religious excitement came the attendant dangers of fanaticism, emotionalism, and the making of shallow converts rather than strong disciples. There was also a concern about the potential for the spawning of competing organizations, which, under a guise of sameness, were in fact detracting from the mission of the established group. It was out of a deep sense of waning control that the young minister spoke.

"We saw someone having meetings and healing people, claiming to teach our message, but he wasn't one of us. None of us even knew him! How can we have accountability if there is no control of these things?"

The superior listened carefully, but then, to the minister's shock, told him to . . . back off.

Was this leader just a laid-back, live-and-let-live type who had no sense of his duty to guard the flock? Was he just a time-serving slough-off who didn't have the energy for the inevitable conflicts that come to one who lives for the truth? Was he a subject of relativistic policies that led him to unbiblical inclusiveness at the cost of denominational integrity?

No. He was Jesus. As in the Messiah. Check the story out in Luke 9:49 and 50. What Jesus had was not a lackadaisical indifference, but a faith in the power of His gospel. He knew that His message would spread like holy fire and grip the hearts of multitudes outside the inner circle of disciples. He expected that souls would be stirred to activity, and He didn't try to stop them when they were.

This is what I like about the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I see in it the same spirit of freedom, the same lack of hierarchal control, that Jesus demonstrated. True, the church is sometimes organized to the point of bureaucracy, but in the midst of its establishment there is room to express your own God-given vision for ministry. The fact that there are not only a hoard of conference ministries but also hundreds of lay ministries that filter in and around the church is all the proof I need that Adventism has freedom and diversity built into it.

The Adventist Church was birthed by a bunch of spirit-led young people who were viewed as defectors from the norm. This is why Adventism has retained a sensitivity toward that which is creative and nonconventional—we don't dare do to others what was done to us. We leave room for God to work. But with freedom there comes risk. There are destructive ministries, and even good ministries that do destructive things. What are the inspired guidelines for ministries? How can one pick and choose which ministry is right for them? Finally, how can ministries work together for the common purpose of preaching our unique message to all the world? Let's see what we can learn from inspired counsel.

Ministry Guidelines
The Bible is clear that the church organization is not the only ministry that should exist. First Corinthians 12:4-7 plainly teaches that "there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (NASB).

Notice that the effect of these Spirit-filled ministries is the common good. The function of a ministry is to benefit the body as a whole. In contrast, there is a type of ministry that claims to do good while it effectively damages the church. These ministries are like parasites that feed off the body, weakening it, fracturing it. They operate by siphoning off the resources of disillusioned church members like a child swipes frosting off a cake. They are getting the "fat," so to speak, without committing themselves to the whole experience of church life.

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These ministries can be either liberal or conservative, and in fact, there are parasitic ministries at both ends of the spectrum. They frequently claim that because of historical ties or a burden for Adventist souls, they have chosen the Adventist Church as their mission field, yet when one sees their bank account enlarging in the process, one must ask how self-sacrificing the motive really is. A diverter needs only to find 10 disillusioned church members who are willing to give him or her their tithe, and he/she has a living cut right out. But we are told that "the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep" (John 10:11, NASB). Ministries that are led by the Good Shepherd will sacrifice for, rather than feed off, God's people.

Parasitic ministries work on the psychological principle of "hostile dependency." They have a deep animosity toward church authority even while they depend upon it for their existence. They cling with one hand and punch with the other. This essentially is rebellion, the spirit of which will pollute the camp of Israel unless the borders are guarded.

But a caution is in order here. There is a legitimate ministry of "prophecy" (1 Cor. 12:10). Anyone who has read Jeremiah or Isaiah—or for that matter, Ellen White—knows that a prophetic ministry is often called to speak very plain words to God's church and its leaders. We should not let our aversion to parasitic ministries degenerate into a dictum that everyone must be back-slapping happy with the condition of the church. We are, after all, Laodicea. Provided that a ministry is not robbing God of tithes and offerings or indulging in pointless criticism that leads to separatist attitudes and actions, we should let it exist, that it might prove itself for what it is. The fact that a ministry arouses theological or methodological questions does not automatically put it in the "critical ministries" camp.

When analyzing a ministry, ask yourself if it is contributing to the "common good." Is it facilitating the proclamation of the message God has given us, either by informing and training or actively evangelizing? Or is it like a bloodsucker, living off the life stream of something it cares nothing about?

Pick and Choose
A good ministry is not necessarily a good ministry for you. Shopping for a ministry can be as exhausting as a trip to the mall just because of the sheer variety of options. There are, however, simple questions that can be asked when considering a ministry position.

Will my financial needs be met? At first glance this seems like a question borne of self-concern, but actually it is not. Countless individuals who have gotten caught up in a push to "go out on faith" ended up bankrupt, bitter, and a burden on the church and the world. To inquire about remuneration is common sense when one wishes to avoid this scenario. It may be that some feel led to enter a self-sacrificing or risky ministry, but they must first count the cost and know that they are both called and willing to risk losing health, wealth, or even life itself. People with families have less of a right to make such daring moves because the rights of their spouses and children are involved.

Can I go along with the program? Some ministries have restrictive dress, diet, and lifestyle codes. It is essential that each person entering know exactly what will be required of them, that they might not become a "problem child" in the process of sorting through their own convictions of conscience. Ask for a handbook and a mission statement and review it carefully before committing to a ministry.

Leadership style is also an issue. Know as much as possible beforehand about leaders and try to ascertain whether you will be able to respect them enough to submit to them. There is a difference between character referencing and gossip. Paul himself warned others of specific individuals at times (see 2 Tim. 4:14). If you are going to be working in a close relationship with someone, you have a right to know something about how they treat people.

Is the ministry spiritually healthy? A functional ministry will not be insulated from the church and the world. Leaders must have others outside the ministry that they answer to. The queen of Sheba attested to the spiritual health of Solomon's kingdom. Likewise, ministries will invite scrutiny from outsiders when there is nothing to hide.

Small ministries that require workers to live together are especially in danger of developing an unhealthy subculture. In such ministries vulnerable people can easily come under the control of one strong mind. This scenario usually leads to some type of abuse of power, whether it is sexual, physical, or psychological. In every case in which this happens, from Waco to Jim Jones and back, there is one common denominator—an insularity within the group that leads them to feel cut off from those outside. If abuse takes place, there is a sense of betrayal in seeking help outside the ministry. A field day for spiritual Nazism follows. Observe a ministry before you commit to it, asking the Holy Spirit to give you discernment as to whether it is healthy or dysfunctional.

Will my special talents be used maximally? God has given each of us abilities that no other person possesses. If those gifts remain unused, the world is robbed of some of God's blessings. The best way to know whether your gifts will be utilized or not is to talk to someone within the ministry who has similar gifts. If they are being stifled, there is a good chance that you will be too.

Will there be room to grow? "The development of all our powers is the first duty we owe to God and to our fellow men" (Ellen G. White, Christ's Object Lessons, p. 329). There are perfectly good ministries that would be oppressive to some simply because they can't encompass their intellectual and creative potential. It may be good for the character of a future rocket scientist to work in the onion patch for a period of time, but eventually they will need access to the think tank. Make sure that there are opportunities within the ministry for changes of function as you learn new skills and expand on old ones.

Spiritual Competition?
Anyone who has been to a ministries convention knows that they can sometimes evoke visions of a bunch of peacocks strutting about with their plumes spread. The conventions are a great time to network and learn, but they see their fair share of competitive schmoozing. Sad to say, one-upping among ministries is all too common. The disciples still ask, "Who is the greatest?"—and John and James still vie for the best seats in the house.

Consider the special temptation of ministries that are privately funded. Their survival depends upon their ability to convince donors that what they do is valuable. When you have one donor and 10 potential recipients, each hopeful recipient feels the temptation to convince the donor that they are more important than the others. This is why so many privately funded ministries center on a dynamo leader who is capable of selling bathing suits to Eskimos—only the "fittest" ministries survive when the competition is stiff. This is often justified when the ministry is providing a valuable service, but how does the Lord view the matter? Does "the law of the jungle" apply in the gospel fields?

No. Spiritual one-upping is the very worst kind. Even Jesus did not "cause his voice to be heard in the street" in self-centered ostentation (see Isa. 42:2). "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself" (Phil. 2:3, NIV). This applies even in ministry. The moment a group develops an inflated ego, it loses true spiritual power. When Christians compete, a worldly spirit is ushered into the midst of church life, and a terrible contradiction develops. We begin to see each other as either stepping-stones or obstacles to our goal of self-advancement. How sad! We should remember that it was when Jesus "made Himself of no reputation" (Phil. 2:7, NJKV) that He accomplished the greatest act of ministry of all time, the cross itself. If we truly desire to make an impact for God, we will follow God's example of humility rather than working like the devil for the Lord.

A Better Option: Synergy
Synergy is a phenomenon that develops when two things work together for good. In synergy, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. When people work together synergistically, there is more than a pooling of resources; there is an exponential increase of productivity, because the multiplication principle is at work.

Here's an example of synergy at work. A Pathfinder group needs a cooking honor, so they cook for the women's prayer breakfast. Several more women than usual attend the breakfast because they are the mothers of the Pathfinders, and they had to drive them there anyway. At one mother's suggestion the women's ministry donates the leftover pancake mix and frozen orange juice to the food pantry ministry. The members that run the food pantry are so tickled that they start talking about both the Pathfinder club and the women's breakfasts, and pretty soon both groups have new members. One of the new members decides to get the health ministry to come to one of the breakfasts and show the women how to make whole- grain waffles . . . and the trend goes on, one act of service leading to another until the whole church is ablaze with the love of Jesus.

What God counseled us as individuals applies to ministries as well: "Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others" (Phil. 2:4, NASB). The Master Designer knew that when each ministry within the body of Christ put this into practice, the basis of support would grow along the lines of multiplication. Working in isolation, three ministries plus three ministries equal six ministries. Working together, three ministries times three ministries equal nine ministries! Any third-grader can tell you which plan will yield a bigger product.

By My Spirit, Says the Lord
But there's more to the success of our mission than the law of synergy. When egos are laid down and God is given room to work, the Holy Spirit energizes our efforts. The dynamics go beyond mathematics to supernatural workings. Because God's Spirit worked, the disciples filled their fishnets to breaking, and 3,000 souls were converted in a day. God still wants to give us power to reel 'em in, but it will require us to come to the end of our rope of human resources. Pentecost was preceded by a corporate humiliation on the part of the disciples that swept away their egocentric politics and enabled them to come together with one mind (see Acts 1:14).

Do we want Pentecost without the prelude of the cross? At the cross the disciples received unmistakable evidence of their true condition, for "they all forsook Him and fled" (Mark 14:50, NKJV). Face to face with the traitorous potential of human nature, the disciples were not able to sustain the spell of complacency. From the ashes of their own spiritual crash-and-burn they looked up to heaven for grace. Without this collapse of self-trust Pentecost would have been nothing but a bunch of disjointed ministries tooting their own horns.

If we want the Holy Spirit, we must deal with our collective subconscious mechanisms that shut Him out of our midst. We must, like the disciples, see ourselves as "wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked" (Rev. 3:17, RSV). This requires heart searching and reconciliation between estranged parties. It requires an honest recognition of our individual and corporate spiritual plague, with a repentance as deep as our condition is desperate.

The Adventist church swarms with activity, much of it in the form of subgroups with a particular vision for how they can contribute to the common good. The ability to have unity in diversity is a mark of God's working, for "there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:4, NASB). When that Spirit fills the body, the church will be empowered to fulfill the great commission to preach the gospel "in the whole world" (Matt. 26:13). Then and only then will the ministries that hang like well-placed Christmas lights finally get plugged in to the Source of power. Then the Master Light Technician will stand back and say, "She sparkles!"

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Jennifer Jill Schwirzer, wife, mother, musican, and writer, is in transition while she and her family move from Connecticut to Pennsylvania, following God's call to ministry in the Philadelphia area.