Who Has Influenced Your Ministry?

Summary

Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.

First and foremost — his father and mother

• The host's question: this week's episode is a little different than maybe some of our previous episodes. Now, most people are pretty familiar with your bio. You're obviously a very influential leader, in the Apostolic Pentecostal movement. You and sister Bernard started a network of churches in Texas (the question names the city). You've taught and preached, all over the world. You're the general superintendent of the United Pentecostal church (as the question styles it). And I think maybe the most significant contribution, that you have made, is all the books that you've written — which are going to continue to influence people, long after even your life is over. So even in this podcast, you're influencing people. But the question I wanted to ask today is: you'd probably be the first to acknowledge, that you didn't accomplish all this by yourself. Who have been the primary influences in your life? Who is it that helped shape you, into the person, the leader, that you are today? The answer: certainly, there have been key people, that shaped my life. And I would have to say: first and foremost, my father and mother. They were highly influential. My wife — when I was eight years old, our family went as the Pioneer United Pentecostal missionaries, to the country of Korea (as the telling carries it). At that time, Korea was a very poor country. Most people lived in abject poverty. I was very thankful, to be an American citizen, with all the benefits, and to have a middle class life, even in a poor country. But more than that, spiritually: my parents were Apostolic Pentecostal. They loved God. They were committed to God. They loved people. Both my father and mother were credentialed United Pentecostal ministers, for over 50 years. And it's interesting: my father's style of ministry was more pastoral, and organizational. So he was the leader of the organization. He was highly organized. And he liked to talk about church growth, Church government. And he taught in the Bible College. He was the president of the Bible College. He'd like to teach on the Pastoral Epistles, the general Epistles — kind of practical Christian Living, and practical Ministry. So, as I became a teenager, he would love to engage me, in those kind of discussions: of how do we grow a church? What's our strategy, for planting more churches, in Korea? What's our strategy, for training ministers? He didn't really talk a lot about Doctrine, because his attitude was: I know what I believe, so why keep endlessly discussing it ('why I keep endlessly discussing it', as the sentence stands) — let's go to other things. My mother, on the other hand, was — interesting combination: she was very Evangelistic, and she was also a teacher. So: my dad could preach a pastoral message, on Sunday morning, that would establish the church. My mom could teach an Evangelistic message, to have people in the altar, consecrating, repenting, crying out to God. She can move an audience, in a way that was greater than anybody else that I encountered. But then, she was also a Bible College teacher. And she loved to teach Doctrine. So, as I became a teenager, she was constantly asking me questions, about Doctrine. And challenging me. Based on — really, based on her, I developed — if you take my study Bible from that time, the back of it is just filled, with pages of questions and notes, on the Oneness of God, the new birth, Holiness, other key doctrines. And actually, much later, I took that as the basis, for a little booklet, called Handbook of basic doctrines — which consists of scripture references, under each major Doctrine. And it's often used as a reference, for people. You can stick it in your coat pocket ('of your first or something', as the telling's letters stand at that point). But really, the Genesis of that came — it was my mother's questions, and challenges, and asking me to dig into scripture. So they molded my character. They were very hard workers. They were very sacrificial. They had a faith-filled Ministry. I saw many Miracle, signs, and wonders. So my commitment to Doctrine, and my belief in Revival, growth, missions, Miracles — all that comes primarily from my parents' Ministry. Obviously, they were influenced as well. But I would have to say: my father and my mother, by far the most important two influences, in my whole life. Not only giving me a stable home, a Christian upbringing, but their Ministry, in the word and in the spirit.

The first book — In Search of Holiness

• The host follows up: so, having said that — they were the ones, that initially inspired you, to start writing? Correct? The answer: yes. In fact, the very first book I wrote is In Search of Holiness. At that time — this was 1980, when we had this discussion — I was in law school. I was 23 years old. I wasn't planning to be a preacher. Didn't feel a call to preach. Although I was very involved in the church, including some speaking and teaching. But there was no book on Oneness — on Holiness — in the entire Apostolic movement. And so there's a great Gap. And especially, as the charismatic movement was Rising, as culture is becoming a secular ('as cultures becoming a secular', as the sentence stands) — our basic teachings of Holiness were coming under attack, increasingly. And we had no resource. So my mother taught on Holiness, in the Bible College, in Korea. So she had a set of notes. But they were not in a narrative form at all. So my dad asked, if I would take her notes, and write a book. So that's what I did. And there were some gaps. So I inserted a lot of material. And then I took them — 'I took them at yours there' (as the letters stand) — and turned it from just an outline, into full text. And so that was In Search of Holiness. The host asks: prior to that, had you ever given any thought, to writing, as a minister? The answer: not really. Not as a Ministry. Now, I'd written some. I'd taken literature courses, in high school and college, which forced me to write. So I did have skills. And I would have to give credit, to key teachers, who helped me develop critical thinking, writing, speaking — all that. I was greatly benefited, in my high school — so far, so far in school — and in my college, Rice University. And then later, University of Texas law school. I did get a lot of skills, from that study, and those professors. But I never really thought, about theological writing, until my dad asked me to do this. And we actually submitted the book, to the Pentecostal Publishing House, at that time. And they turned it down. Because they thought — we didn't have anything on the Holiness, but they thought it might be too controversial, because people had different beliefs. So we self-published it. And my parents came back, on furlough. They were traveling across the U.S and Canada. And so they took boxes of books, wherever they went. They sold them. And I made contacts, with Bible colleges, bookstores. So we ended up selling — I think the printings ran out in a few months ('we ended up selling I think the true printings out in a few months', as the letters carry it). So, by the third printing, the Publishing House said: okay, we'll take it. And so that was my first book. And so, yes: it was my dad and my mom. My dad made the direct request. I think he realized, I had the ability to write. And it was my mom's study materials. So, from that, I really began to realize the need, for written material, in lots of areas. And so I began to write, to fill that need.

Pastors, a Bible College, and J. L. Hall

• The host asks: and now you've written — how many books, that have been — ? The answer: well, at least 30. Not counting the booklets. So, 30 books. And in almost every case, I'm trying to fill in gaps, of our theology — where we had either very little, or nothing written, on these subjects. So I wanted an Apostolic perspective, on these topics. So: when I came back — when, age 17 — I graduated from high school, I moved from Korea, back to the United States, to go to college, in Houston, Texas. My pastor was clds (as the name stands in the letters — no fuller form is carried). And he was a self-taught man, but highly intelligent, and articulate. He's one of the best preachers in Pentecost. Had a large church, at that time, about 1100 people. So I learned much, about pastoral Ministry, and preaching, from sitting under clds. And then, in law school, I went to a small Church: B.E Moore. He gave me opportunities for Ministry, of various kinds of ministry. And then, that's eventually where I felt the call, to preach. My first full-time Ministry was teaching, at Jackson College of Ministries, under the president, Thomas craft, and the vice president, Alan oggs (as the names stand). So again, I learned much. Brother Kraft maybe gave me the opportunity. I learned much, in pastoral Ministry, from observing him, sitting under him. And then Alan oggs — you know, I became his assistant, every way, administratively. So I learned things, by experience, by doing things. You know, when you learn by doing: you learn some of the things — you learn what you don't — you won't do. And some things are what you do. But you have to appreciate the fact, that people give you the opportunity, to actually do. Because that's how you learn. The host remarks on the Bible College setting. The answer: right. And then, when I came to St Louis, after that — I came to St Louis to become the associate editor, for the upci. The editor-in-chief was J.L Hall. And so, aside from my parents, I would probably say: he's the third most significant Mentor, in my life. Because I learned much, about writing, editing, theology, Ministry — you know, a national, International perspective. Things I'm doing now — you know, many things are things we discussed: as how things should be, how things were, how things could be, what was right, what was wrong. So J.L Hall was an extremely influential Mentor, in my life. Then, from there, of course: I served under district superintendent, in Texas, El Holly (as the name stands). Under district superintendent James Kilgore, in starting the graduate school (carried in the letters as 'urson graduate school'). The chairman of the board was Jesse Williams, assistant general superintendent. So those men — although my Ministry was now mature, you might say — still, they were very respected leaders, in my life, that I interacted with, on a regular basis. And so I learned much from them. Now, there are other key leaders, that I knew. But I wasn't interacting with them, on a regular basis. So I've just mentioned those, that I felt had a significant influence, on my life.

Family — and ministry as continual learning

• And then, I would be remiss, if I didn't say: of course, my wife. We grew up in Ministry together, you might say. And so her personality, and her way of doing things — over the years, she's become a little more like me. I've become a little more like her. So I'm much better, at being more sensitive to people, because of her. And then, my mother-in-law also has been a great influence, of prayer, and encouragement. Even before I dated my wife — even before she even liked me — my mother-in-law was in the church, as a leader. And she and I had a good working relationship. And so I'd have to say: my family. And now, my kids are all grown, and they're all in Ministry. And so I learned a lot from them. So I talked to them, about what's going on currently. How do young people, and young adults, and young ministers, perceive things? And what's at The Cutting Edge, of technology, or culture? And so I have to stay in touch with them, to give me perspective, as well. So it's not just — you get to the top, so to speak, and you've arrived, and you Coast. But life is a continual learning process. But in the formative years, I would say: my father, Elton Bernard. My mother, Loretta Bernard. And my boss, J.L Hall. Were the most influential ministerial figures, in my life.