President's Message, November 2000

Throughout our history Seventh-day Adventists have held the doctrine of priesthood of believers as one of our basic beliefs and most cherished distinctives. Yet, in spite of our profession, we have seriously misunderstood and certainly inadequately expressed the full meaning of this teaching.

In general we have interpreted this doctrine to mean only that every believer has free and direct access to God without the intermediation or necessity of a priestly ministry. While this interpretation is certainly true, it expresses only half the essential meaning. What we have often failed to understand adequately is that the priesthood of believers also teaches that every Christian is a priest or minister and thus has a ministry to perform. "The priesthood of all believers" anticipates the full participation of all Christians in the evangelistic action of the church. No pastor can fulfill the ministry God has given to each believer.

The Biblical teaching is that Christians are ministers. It is not that they could be ministers, or that they should be ministers. The question is not, "How can we be ministers?" but "How did our ministry go last week?" One way to identify and fulfill one's ministry is to identify one's own uniqueness--what one likes to do, what one sees in the world, what one can offer.

How has your ministry gone this week? Who have you helped, witnessed to, or cared about? Who has seen in you a picture of Jesus, a demonstration of unconditional love? You are a minister!