HOST PASTOR’S SPEECH AT THE GRADUATION CEREMONY
We are filled with joy as we stand together, offering our most sincere congratulations to the graduating students. Congratulations!! For the past 9 months we have seen and appreciated your hard work.
Our sincere appreciation goes to Joyous Innovations Sixty-Seven Ministerial Training Institute for their partnership and support towards this program. We must also sincerely and applaud the efforts of our learned and seasoned lecturers who have impacted us morally and spiritually during the course of this program.
Some may wonder about the importance of studying theology, the Bible and ministry with our College. In answer to that, I have two points:
My first point is that God is holding all things by the word of his power. He is all mighty; His greatness no one can fathom. Our God is our creator and our redeemer; forever He is God over all.
Doesn’t He deserve to be known better? Shouldn’t the ones who serve Him seek to serve Him more effectively?
Even one who chooses to work as an assistant to a barber must be trained for the position. At the university, you need 4 years for a Bachelor’s degree, 2 or 3 years for a Master’s, and another additional 2 or 3 years for PhD.
And yet, why do some people believe they can serve the Lord without study and preparation?
The Lord Himself trained His disciples for three and a half years.
The leading Universities of the USA began as Christian institutions.
The popular “Harvard” for instance is the name of a pastor.
It’s also the same in the UK: Oxford and Cambridge etc were all formed for the purpose of training ministers.
My second point is that we need good Bible teachers and ministers. The world is raising difficult questions. People have opened up to many things and life has gotten complicated. Atheism is growing and temptations and distractions are arriving from every direction. The gospel must be delivered honestly and with simplicity. Its relevance must be demonstrated. We must address the issues that are driving people away from the Lord and meet them where they are, in the busy rush of their lives. We need equipped Christian leaders in this world!
Let me share three words of advice with our graduates:
1. Keep the vision before you. The fact that you joined the college and studied theology was not a coincidence, but a part of God’s plan for your life. Now go, and find your own calling. It may not necessarily be in the auspices of a Church, but perhaps in a school, an organization or some other place. The Lord may open doors for you to work in one of the usual fields of services or production and you will use what you have learned here in your professional lives. The Lord wants heroes of faith who know Him and will live out their faith in all areas of life.
2. Don’t only share your teaching and your information with your colleagues or students but share your whole life with them.
Pour out your life and share it with your students, just as the Lord Jesus did. He was not only a teacher, but a friend and companion who He shared with His disciples the sweet and difficult times of their lives.
Servants of the Gospel should not work as machines or robots, but as real human beings of flesh and blood who can share their lives with their students. The Christian message should always be at the core of our lives.
3. Do not make this title the last thing you learn. Don’t settle for what you have already reached, but work hard to continue learning and to join other tracks. Hear the call of God for your life and continue to refine it, whether you are called to be a preacher or Bible teacher, or whether you are called for Christian Education, the science of ancient manuscripts, Christian counseling or some other field.
Let me stress that the concluded program was an introductory course and I urge you to register for the advanced course centered on a deeper understanding of God’s word and leadership.
Once again, congratulations!
