scholarly journals The Evolution of Pastoral Care Ministry through the Ages

Author(s):  
Xolisa Jibiliza

People are commanded by Jesus to love one another as he loved us (John 13:34). We are called to be conduits of God’s grace to others in our community. Christ’s love for us should motivate us to love others in response. Pastoral care is then intentional Christian care for others. It derives from God and its goal is that people might experience not only human care but God’s infinite love for humanity. The pastor, priest or minister plays a very decisive role in feeding the church not only spiritually as its shepherd, but also by providing the essential leadership and direction necessary for the church to achieve its chief mission and directive. Pastoral care and counseling represent a means by which the shepherd and leader of the church fulfills his spiritual and social responsibility to the church. Pastoral care and counseling are the needed ingredients in the life of the church. When these are absent, no real tie between the church leadership and parishioners can exist. Pastoral counseling and care are needed to tackle a myriad of challenges members face. This brief research paper sought to acknowledge the historical evolution of pastoral care ministry through the ages. The paper revealed the following themes: definition of what evolution is, an explanation of the notion of pastoral care, what students think about pastoral care, and it ultimately leads to a conclusion on pastoral care. Furthermore, this paper sought to give an impact of the notion of pastoral care to the lives of church members. This paper also revealed the origins and features of pastoral care ministry in the New Testament era. Furthermore the evolution of pastoral care is briefly addressed through a range of historical factors of the church. The functions of pastoral care are also discussed to an extent. Lastly, some dimensions and aims of pastoral care are also addressed.

Kurios ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Alvian Apriano

Pastoral care ministry persists in the minister's concept as the sole actor of pastoral ministry in the church. On the other hand, there has been growing awareness that pastoral care ministry also gives space to members of the congregation to presenting the pastoral care ministry in context. In these persist circumstances, questions arise is how do pastoral care ministry gives space to members? Can the paradigm be expanded by taking into account the communal context? What kind of model does it produce? With the development of a communal-contextual paradigm in pastoral theology began to raise awareness of expanding that understanding. In addition, contemporary pastoral theologians show that there has been a paradigm shift in pastoral ministry with communal nuance; however, the ministry also gives space to the members of the congregation in practice. My aim is to construct the concept and model of pastoral care ministry with the community within the framework of communal-contextual paradigm.AbstrakDiskusi pelayanan pastoral dalam teologi pastoral bertahan dalam konsep pendeta sebagai aktor tunggal pelayanan tersebut di dalam gereja hampir tiga dekade belakangan ini. Padahal, di sisi yang lain, sudah muncul dan berkembang paradigma bahwa pelayanan pastoral juga tentang pemberian ruang terhadap anggota jemaat secara umum yang hadir dalam pelayanan pendeta dalam konteksnya. Di dalam keadaan ini, muncullah pertanyaan-pertanyaan tentang apakah pelayanan pastoral hanya merupakan tugas seorang pendeta? Dapatkah paradigma tersebut diperluas dengan memperhatikan konteks pelayanan yang nilai komunalitasnya tinggi? Seperti apa model yang dihasilkannya? Dengan berkembangnya paradigma komunal-kontekstual dalam pelayanan pastoral mulai muncul kesadaran memperluas pemahaman itu. Di tambah lagi, pemikiran teolog pastoral kontemporer baik dari Indonesia dan Barat juga menunjukkan bahwa telah ada pergeseran paradigma tentang pelayanan pastoral yang bernuansa komunalitas di dalam suatu konteks, sehingga pelayanan tersebut juga memposisikan anggota jemaat secara umum. Penelitian ini berupaya menawarkan konsep dan model pelayanan pastoral yang kontekstual dengan menempatkan partisipasi komunitas guna memberi warna lain bagi pelayanan pastoral yang selama ini bertahan.


1989 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sydney H.T. Page

This article contends that there is a legitimate place for exorcism in the church today, but urges caution in its use. It begins with a survey of biblical, theological, historical, and practical considerations which favor the recognition of exorcism as a valid form of ministry. It then examines claims that the teaching and practice of Jesus are not normative because (a) his knowledge was limited by the incarnation, (b) he consciously accommodated himself to a prescientific world view, (c) exorcism is not mentioned in the New Testament epistles, and (d) genuine possession was limited to the ministry of Jesus. The next section discusses the following difficulties inherent in the ministry of exorcism: (a) the diagnosis of cases where exorcism is appropriate, (b) the risk of aggravating the condition of a disturbed person, and (c) the tendency to develop beliefs and practices which lack biblical support. Some guidelines for the practice of exorcism conclude the article.


2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gert Breed

In many research documents, the current age is called the age of entitlement. Closely associated with some forms of entitlement is narcissism. When the church encounters such widespread phenomena, she should consider possibilities and ways to address those in her pastoral care.The theoretical argument of the article is that the church could pastorally care for a Christian who leads a life of narcissistic entitlement, by guiding him to lead the life of a diakonos of Christ according to the New Testament. The relationship between narcissism and entitlement is described, as well as the characteristics of narcissistically entitled persons, and how problems may develop from a narcissistically entitled attitude. A short description is then given of a pastoral process that might be used. Part of the counselling process is to bring someone in the presence of God (coram Deo) to understand what God’s mercy and his prescriptions mean to him or her in his problematic situation.Contribution: Lastly, different passages in which the diakon-words occur in the New Testament were studied and applied to the pastoral care of a narcissistically entitled person in the coram Deo-phase of pastoral care. Based on the results, it can be concluded that in the coram Deo-phase of the pastoral process, the pastoral care of narcissistically entitled persons may be enhanced by leading them to embrace and practise their identity as diakonos of Christ.


Author(s):  
Angelo Nicolaides

This article unpacks aspects of the Eucharist and how it is understood in various churches using a literature study methodology. It also looks at the notion of the “people of God’. The Greek word εὐχαριστία (eucharistia), means "thanksgiving", appears fifteen times in the New Testament and is a critical aspect of the Christian faith. The weekly celebration of the Eucharist on Sunday’s is an requisite activity of the Church because the Eucharist establishes the Church as the Body of Christ. The Eucharistic celebration is also known as the Divine Liturgy and is believed to impart the actual Body and Blood of Christ to the faithful. In the act of communion, the entire Church, those past, present, and even forthcoming are unified in eternity. It is the source of her life, the superlative act of her thanksgiving and of her sacrifice of praise to the creator God. The Holy Eucharist is the very core of Christian life, and the means by which each believer is nourished by God's grace and tender mercy. At the Divine Liturgy, the Church is continuously changed from a human community into the Body of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the holy People of God.


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