Journal of Contemporary Ministry

Stevens, Kerrie

2016 Harvest Research Conference

Dredge, Rohan

English

Two Decades of Leadership: Learning that I am Still Learning

Keating, Mike

'Care' Fullness

Coombs, Clayton

Book Reviews

Newton, Jon

 
ISSN 2205-0442  JCMin Number 2 (2016) 
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Editorial 
 
Christian Critical Thinking and Contemporary Ministry 
In our first issue of this journal, I emphasized the need to assess and support our 
hunches about ministry and church life with proper research. It is too easy for ministers 
and lay people alike to “jump on bandwagons” and naively accept the reports or 
strategies for ministry they hear at conferences from “big name” speakers or worse, 
second-hand versions of these. Not that such speakers are deceitful or wrong but it’s too 
easy to generalize from personal experience, especially if it’s the experience of 
successful ministry, and overlook the unique circumstances involved. 
Many years ago the Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant wrote: “To criticism 
everything must submit.” This was part of the Enlightenment view that all legitimate 
thinking must be justified before the bar of human reason alone. For many such 
thinkers, reason was in a struggle with tradition and revelation, especially the Bible and 
the teachings of the Christian church. Christians always found Kant’s line of thinking 
hard to swallow because they trust the Bible as a source of truth and wisdom. However, 
the advent of postmodernism has also cast deep doubt over the whole Enlightenment 
project and its faith in reason. Postmodernists are more likely to insist that there is no 
unadulterated form of human reason; we all see things from a particular perspective 
and our judgement is skewed by the kind of person we are (Male/female, black/white, 
etc). So all criticism must begin from a starting point that is not neutral (maybe even a 
tradition!); this applies to the study of theology and ministry as much as any other 
discourse.  
So where does this leave Christians? And what are the implications for the study of 
contemporary ministry? 
First, we need to read our Bible carefully before we accept the common accusation 
that believers are (or should be) gullible or irrational. Think of Adam and Eve in the 
Garden. They were called on to trust what God had said to Adam about the two trees 
and not try to work it all out for themselves. But on that basis, they were expected to 
critically assess the suggestions of the serpent about eating from the tree of knowledge 
of good and evil. God’s word was the starting point from which they were to be critical 
of any other voice. It was their gullible acceptance of the serpent’s message that brought 
about their downfall. 
ISSN 2205-0442  JCMin Number 2 (2016) 
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Second, we need to develop what the Bible calls “discernment.” Paul calls on his 
readers to “test everything” (1Thess. 5:21) and to “weigh” the words of prophets (1Cor. 
14:29). 1 John calls on its readers to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” 
(1Jn. 4:1). John praises the Ephesian church for testing would be apostles (Rev. 2:2) and 
calls on the believers in Thyatira not to uncritically accept the words of prophets (Rev. 
2:20-23). 
In other words, the Bible does not endorse a Christian thought that is unthinking or 
uncritical. When we hear claims about ministry, therefore, we have the right, even the 
duty, to assess those claims. We need to ask for evidence before we accept a particular 
line of thinking about ministry.  
And third, we need to apply ourselves to study/research and ask questions, 
including questions that have not been asked before or for which we have a fresh 
approach. This is what the Journal of Contemporary Ministry is all about: reasoned, 
evidence-based conclusions that do not reject criticism as such, but come from a stance 
of faith in God. 
A year has gone by and we are publishing Issue 2 of the Journal of Contemporary 
Ministry. I have learned so much about journals, journal articles, and editing over the 
last two years. I’ve also been blessed and encouraged by readers of our first issue and 
by the number of new authors who are submitting material to us. 
As I reflect on the submissions to the first two issues, the papers presented at the 
Harvest Research Conference and research projects being undertaken by our new DMin 
candidates, a few points stand out: 
1. There remains so much more research to do. Just when we think it has all been 
said and done, we find that there come new questions, new perspectives, new 
ways of looking at old issues and brand new issues as well. 
2. There are new voices emerging into the scholarly study of Christian ministry. 
They are not always as experienced or skilled as the learned “old men” but they 
have fresh insights to bring to the table. 
3. People are finding creative ways of researching topics that might have seemed 
impossible, or inappropriate, in the past. 
4. It takes a lot of effort and thought to produce a quality research article. For every 
article published in this journal, there are at least as many, which have not 
reached the standard expected (yet), or are still being developed, or were never 
started, even though someone had a great idea and even presented it 
somewhere. Even the papers at the Harvest Research Conference mostly do not 
become articles in this or any journal, for example. 
Let me introduce our authors for this issue and their articles. 
As is our practice, we begin with four articles that have withstood the rigours of 
“double blind” peer review and been approved as ready to read. You may not agree with 
what these authors say but you can at least be assured that they have been read 
critically by two scholars who didn’t know whose work they were appraising as well as 
by me and others in our editorial team. Some of these articles have been “back and 
forth” between the author and me many times before they were ready for publication. 
An article of this kind must not only be academically credible but also relevant and 
readable.  
ISSN 2205-0442  JCMin Number 2 (2016) 
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Rev Dr Angelo Cettolin is a senior lecturer in theology and ministry and Dean of 
Faculty at Eastern College Australia. Earlier in his career, he practised law and he has 
over thirty years of Christian ministry experience as a church planter, senior pastor, 
missions team leader, and Bible college teacher. He has served in various leadership 
roles with Australian Christian Churches/AOG, where he holds ordained ministry 
credentials. He has been a church development consultant and recently embarked on 
planting a new inner city church in Melbourne, Australia where he is co-lead pastor with 
his wife Robbie. His article “The Power of Integration: Challenges in researching 
Pentecostal/Charismatic spirituality” is based on the research he did for his Doctor of 
Ministry with the Australian College of Theology. In this article, Cettolin probes common 
ideas about the current state of Pentecostal spirituality in Australia, looking for real 
evidence about what has happened. He also discusses the issues involved in doing such 
research into an area as “nebulous” as spirituality.   
Pastor Astrid Staley is an adjunct lecturer at Harvest and finalising her doctoral 
studies at Melbourne School of Theology in the area of Postvention care of those 
bereaved by suicide. Astrid has published a comprehensive pastoral resource, The 
Pastor’s Handbook: A Complete Theological & Practical Response to Suicide, Entering the 
World of the Suicide & the Bereaved.  She has also developed Suicide Prevention, 
Intervention & Postvention Care workshops based on nationally recognized best 
practice, which are delivered Australia-wide and overseas to Christian audiences. Her 
article “The Phenomenon of Disenfranchised Grief Experienced by Those Bereaved by 
Suicide: A Contemporary Pastoral Response” addresses a “hot button” topic. It’s a real 
challenge to the church to face the pastoral issues raised by this rampant problem in 
many countries, not least Australia. 
Dr Darin Freeburg is an assistant professor in the School of Library and 
Information Science at the University of South Carolina, USA. He has an MA in Theology 
and a PhD in Communication and Information. In his research, he applies principles of 
Knowledge Management and Information Behaviour to churches in an effort to 
understand the characteristics of religious knowledge and how churches can be 
creators, rather than simply disseminators of this knowledge. His article “Trust and 
Tithing: The Relationships Between Religious Social Capital and Church Financial 
Giving” explores another issue that pastors find it hard to talk about - money! This 
article is grounded in strong quantitative research and, while technical in detail, leads to 
some interesting conclusions, which have the potential to enhance church life and 
ministry. 
Rev Dr Adrian Turner serves as a Relationship Manager with Compassion 
Australia and is an adjunct lecturer with Harvest. He has over forty years’ experience in 
pastoral ministry, including church planting, senior pastor, and other ministry roles. His 
article “Creative Tensions Inherent within Contemporary Ministry”, based on research 
he undertook for his Doctor of Ministry with the Australian College of Theology, 
explores some of the dynamics of seeking to lead people to transformation within local 
churches. 
Our pastoral reflection for this issue comes from the pastor of one of Melbourne’s 
larger churches. Pastor Rohan Dredge has spent the last two decades in full-time 
ministry in only three different roles. Starting his professional life as a high school 
teacher, he developed a care for young people, which eventually led to a role as Youth 
Pastor. He then served at the same church for over eleven years, where he concluded his 
role as Senior Associate. Subsequent to this, he balanced a combination of ministry and 
ISSN 2205-0442  JCMin Number 2 (2016) 
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corporate work, which continues today. In 2009, Rohan accepted the Senior Ministers 
position at Careforce Church (now Discovery Church) and has led that community 
through generational transition and cultural change. His pastoral reflection is based on 
those years of Christian ministry experience. 
Our outstanding student paper for this issue has also been written by an 
experienced pastor. Pastor Mike Keating is currently the lead minister of a medium 
sized yet growing church in Kelmscott Western Australia, having spent over 25 years 
serving in various roles within the Assemblies of God including State Vice President for 
a decade. He wrote this essay on “‘Care’ Fullness” as part of his MA studies with Harvest 
in “The Minister’s Personal Development”. As a pastor, he wrestles with the dangers to 
the emotional health of Christian ministers in western countries. 
We are fast building two important resources for readers and students in the area 
of contemporary ministry: book reviews and lists of relevant theses from around the 
globe. Reading these sections of our journal will help you keep abreast of developments 
in this and related fields of enquiry. 
I commend all the contents of this issue to you as discerning readers. 
In closing, I also want to thank my editorial team - Kerrie Stevens, Astrid Staley, and 
Clayton Coombs - for all their effort in making Issue 2 happen. 
 
(Dr) Jon K. Newton 
Editor 
  
 


Editorial

Turner, Adrian Frank

Creative Tensions Inherent within Contemporary Ministry

Complete Issue - JCMin #2 2016

Freeburg, Darin

Trust and Tithing: The Relationships Between Religious Social Capital and Church Financial Giving

  
ISSN 2205-0442       JCMin Number 2 (2016) 
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About This Journal 
 
Editorial Board 
The Editorial Board of the Journal of Contemporary Ministry is comprised of: 
Professor Emeritus Gary D. 
Bouma, AM - Monash University; 
Chair of Harvest Bible College 
Academic Board; Sociologist; prolific 
author. 
Rev Dr Peter Carblis - Conjoint 
lecturer for University of Newcastle; 
former principal Tabor NSW, 
Australia. 
Rev Prof Darren Cronshaw 
Professor of Missional Leadership 
and Head of Research ACOM (SCD); 
Pastor and Mission Catalyst – 
Researcher for Baptist Union of 
Victoria, Australia. 
Rev Dr Kevin Giles - Published 
author; retired Anglican minister; 
adjunct lecturer for Harvest Bible 
College, Australia. 
 
Rev Dr David Jakobsen - Academic 
Dean, Danish Pentecostal Bible 
College, Denmark. 
Rev Dr Julie Ma - Research Tutor in 
Missiology, Oxford Centre for 
Mission Studies, UK. 
Rev Dr Cheryl McCallum - 
Principal, Eastern College Australia, 
Melbourne. 
Dr Soong-Chan Rah – Milton B. 
Engebretson Professor of Church 
Growth and Evangelism, North Park 
Theological Seminary, Chicago, USA.  
Rev Dr Michelle Sanders - Adjunct 
lecturer for Eastern College 
Australia; Missional church planter 
and Senior Leader, Kaleidoscope 
Community, Melbourne, Australia. 
 
 
 
 
 
ISSN 2205-0442    JCMin Number 2 (2016) 
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Editorial Team 
The Editorial Team of the Journal of Contemporary Ministry is comprised of: 
 
 
Dr Jon Newton - (Head of Research & Dean of Postgraduate Studies, 
Harvest Bible College), Editor.  
 
 
 
Ms Kerrie Stevens – (College Librarian, Harvest Bible College; 
Secretary, Australian and New Zealand Theological Library 
Association [ANZTLA]), Theses/Dissertation List Compiler, Journal 
Manager.  
 
 
Ps Astrid Staley - (Adjunct faculty, Harvest Bible College; Doctoral 
candidate, Melbourne School of Theology), Section Editor for Pastoral 
Reflections and Student Articles, Layout Editor. 
 
 
 
Rev Dr Clayton Coombs - (Academic Dean, Planetshakers College), 
Book Review Editor. 
 
The Journal of Contemporary Ministry will act as a place for reporting research and 
discussing issues related to contemporary ministry, including related theological and 
biblical questions. 
Its goals are to:                 
o Stimulate informed discussion regarding issues faced by contemporary Christian 
churches and ministries worldwide; 
o Encourage research, including empirical research, into diverse forms and 
contexts of contemporary ministry and the practical, theological and biblical 
issues that arise from ministry practice; 
o Enable students and graduates in postgraduate Ministry programs to speak to a 
wider audience; 
o Build the credibility of Ministry as a field of study and research. 
 
ISSN 2205-0442    JCMin Number 2 (2016) 
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The Journal of Contemporary Ministry will provide a specific forum for Harvest 
Bible College research students and faculty, and other interested people, to publish the 
results of their research. 
It will also provide a potential publishing venue for paper presenters at Harvest’s 
annual research conference. 
The Journal of Contemporary Ministry will contain these kinds of material: 
o Peer-reviewed articles based on scholarly research (empirical or theological) 
into diverse forms and contexts of contemporary ministry, and the practical, 
theological and biblical issues that arise from ministry practice; 
o Pastoral reflections and articles that contribute viewpoints, based on personal 
experience or theological reflection, on contemporary ministry issues. These may 
be responses to articles from the Journal; 
o Book reviews and/or notes of new publications related to contemporary 
ministry; 
o Articles contributed by postgraduate students, which would also be refereed but 
may not come up to the level required in the first category; 
o A list of recent doctoral research theses completed on contemporary ministry 
relevant to this journal’s focus. 
The material we invite covers such topics as: 
o Results of empirical research into aspects of contemporary Christian ministry, 
e.g. youth ministry, children’s ministry, pastoral counselling, pastoral leadership, 
intercultural ministry; 
o Theological and biblical reflection on issues that have arisen from the practices 
of contemporary Christian churches and ministries, e.g. manifestations of the 
Spirit, worship styles, leadership culture, interfaith matters, political and social 
engagement, etc; 
o Underlying theological questions that lie behind Christian ministry issues, e.g. the 
role of women’s ministry in local churches, ethnic identity, ordination, 
apostleship; 
o Proposals for new expressions or forms of Christian ministry based on social 
analysis, e.g. how to reach specific sub-cultures. 
 
For further information, please visit the journal website 
www.journalofcontemporaryministry.org  


About This Journal

Cettolin, Angelo

The Power of Integration: Challenges in Researching Pentecostal/Charismatic Spirituality

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