November 12, 2007, By Tobin K. R. Dodge

Academic Purpose: It is my purpose in taking this degree to better understand the connection between the mission and direction of the church both from the past and into the future. As all look forward to the Soon Coming of Jesus, it is my goal to see how we can better apply the principles in a better Biblical pattern or model. It seems that over the generations we have compromised many of our deeper Biblical values of family and discipleship in order to focus on church growth, evangelism and meeting the bottom line. Not that they are wrong or bad. Although Church Growth is an important aspiration, as we look at the things that we have sacrificed over the past 3 decades to accomplish this agenda, the question is, “Was it worth it?” I will be focusing on Malachi 4 and the claim that we have had since the beginning of our church, that we are the “Elijah People”. As the end time message goes hand in glove with the 3 Angels of Revelation, we have faithfully “PREACHED” the messages, but we have “FAILED” to understand the 2nd part of the prophecy. I will be focusing on the practical application of Malachi 4: 5, 6 and will be try to answer; Where do we as a movement go now? What are the implications both structurally and evangelistically! If the message turns the hearts of parents toward their children and vice-versa, what is wrong with our churches! We are closing schools left and right; we have kids leaving the church in droves to the world. And our feeble attempts at youth evangelism and ministry are not reaching its intended goals.

Professional Purpose: It is my goal professionally to stay put where I am! I love the pastoral ministry and believe that administration is for the called or the clueless! I have no aspirations to teach at an institution or to be a radical supporter to congregationalism. But I do believe that change never happens from top down, it happens from the grass roots. I want to be in the trenches and on the ground working among those roots.

Philosophical Perspective: My perspective comes from a long line of Youth Ministries; I have worked with wonderful people some who are still in ministry, some in administration and some who have left the church altogether. I believe that the Adventist Church (WE) have the end time message to a dying world. It is our privilege to get the word out! We do well around the world for the most part, but here in North America it is a challenge! We get caught up with distractions and start to compromise on theology and methods not to mention lifestyle. BUT, we have long since missed the boat on discipling our youth! The Evangelical way of doing youth ministries has crept into the church, and it is 1) Unbiblical, 2) Antithetical as well as it does not work! The proof is in the methods of scriptures as well as the numbers! If it worked, we would have millions of children raised in our church still discipling their children in the ways and instruction of the Lord (Ephs 6: 4), and the plain truth is that we don’t! And the 70% of kids that go to our schools that say in the church are primarily cultural Adventists and not truly committed followers of Jesus! It has become an epidemic here in North America, and it if my belief that the answer lies in the Family! Statistically we have killed our selves by concentrating on a few things to the exclusion of the family unit both for the member in the pew as well as the pastor/ shepherd leader.

10 years Post Graduation: My Ultimate hope would be to be 13 years into the Millennium, but if time continues and the Lord tarries more: I see that this message is important to the Global church! It is important especially for industrialized countries or countries working towards the “American Dream”. I plan to write a book or series of books. It is my goal that the impact of my study and the practical application will have the opportunity to touch each home and ultimately every local church! Professionally I plan to still be pastoring, maybe I will have 10 congregations here in North America! Using a model with just instituted here, it is very possible to work here like they do in South America or other countries where the pastor has many churches. You never know, the people are beginning to see the need to be part of this great work and the truth is that the model has to change, and the pastor has to learn to turn the power back to the people where it all belongs. Then the people become empowered, the Holy Spirit is leading and the message of Jesus increases! After all, HE is the head of the church, not me!