Credentials
and Influence
We live in an age where credentials matter. Professional
credentials are an indication that the individual holding those credentials has
been educated, trained and tested as to their knowledge and proficiency in that
particular discipline.
Credentials say to the outside world, “I
have studied, been tried and tested, and have been found by other professionals
proficient in my area of study whereby I am now to be considered an expert.”
If nothing else credentials prove that the
individual has gone through a rigorous educational gauntlet and has proven
himself worthy of the title conferred. Credentials open doors while the lack of
credentials closes them.
Simply put, if
you have credentials you have power and influence in the community. Moreover,
when an individual has credentials he also has respect among his professional
peers. This is critical when seeking to position yourself within any community
for the Glory of God.
No
More Excuses
It seems as if in today’s modern age especially
amidst some Christian circles credentials are frowned upon. These folks use 1
John 2:27 as their excuse.
“But the anointing which ye have received of
him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you…”
Yet, this, however, does not mean that
Christians do not need teachers and mentors. Nor does it mean that academic or
profession letters after one’s name is superfluous and lacks meaning. Nothing can be further from the truth.
Echoing
Jeremiah, Paul explains;
And he gave some, apostles; and
some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ… Eph 4:11-12
God tells Jeremiah that as a gift to His
Church He raises up teachers for the maturation and unity of the Saints.
And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed
you with knowledge and understanding. Jer 3:15
Jesus Himself established the apostles as teachers
when He commissioned them in Matthew 28.
And so, to reject the importance of being
taught by notable teachers for the express purpose of becoming proficient in a
skill amounts to rebellion caused by either laziness or misinformation, which
will result in a lack of positioning power within the community.Teachers are a gift from God especially those
who teach of the things of God.
The duty of every saint is to be proficient first in the doctrine of God so as to be
notable teachers in the things of God. But when it comes to community influence,
recognition by the general populace is essential and that recognition comes by
way of credentials.
Credence
and the Open Door
As a minister within our community I have
enjoyed professional recognition among both my pastoral colleagues and the
community at large simply because I am an ordained minister. In 2001 that may
have been enough. In 2018 it is no longer the case. Letters among the clergy
are almost a necessity if they are to be taken seriously by their peers and the
general community.
And so in 2004 I decided to go back to school (not an easy
thing) to obtain my graduate degrees. That decision proved to be invaluable. I
cannot stress enough how many additional opportunities God has brought to me
simply because I had letters of academic proficiency after my name.1
With a professional testimony the individual
can begin to interject his or her ideas of influence into many community areas.
As professionals we can offer our services on a volunteer basis in order to “get
a foot in the door” for greater opportunities. As professionals we can set
ourselves up so as to be “called upon” for our professional analysis and
recommendation dealing with sensitive cultural issues. This is the key to
positioning. This is one of the concrete tactics of Christian Recon.
What to Do? Where to Begin?
1. If
you are able to go back to school do so. Get a degree in something of cultural
value. Most of you reading this are Christians so you may wish to look into a
theologically based degree. Christian counseling may be an area where you can
start since there are many volunteer programs that can use that knowledge and
skill. At our New Geneva College (newgeneva.us) we train our students in many
areas from a Christian Recon position of community activism and service so they
can be a driving force for CR. This is just one idea but there are many.
For further discussion on training and obtaining an academic degree you can
write to me personally at pastor@hisglory.us
Several years ago I was asked to be an expert witness in a court
case in Canada. What I learned was priceless. It seems as if the Canadians
think very highly of individuals with professional degrees. I was told that if
an American comes to Canada with “any” graduate credentials, i.e. PhD, ThD,
M.Div. MACS, MAR etc, he or she will have no trouble getting employment in a
very worthy position with an impressive pay scale.
At one point, in the very lengthy court testimony, I was asked for my opinion to
which I responded, “Would you like my professional analysis on that?” To which the
jurist answered, “That is the only reason why you are here. I want your
professional opinion.” One of the lawyers for the family I was representing later
told me later that the jurist had a very high regard for my credentials (any
American credentials for that matter) and that is what swayed him to render a
favorable decision in our behalf.
It was on that day that I fully realized what influence professional credentials
have in the affairs of men.
2. Volunteer to be placed on a county, city or town board. Those manning certain local governing boards have clout. These are the decision makers of the community. Rub shoulders with these people. Get to know them. Get them to know you but remember the principles of my previous blog recommendation about listening and building rapport.
3. Volunteer
at a local food kitchen or start one at your local church. Call the mayor to
participate and any other governing officials. Ask them to assist. Call the
local newspaper for coverage. Become visible.
4. I’m sure there are
family counseling centers in your area. Some might even be Christian based. This
too is a great place to volunteer. We were involved in the Blue Ridge Pregnancy
Center for years. In this venue you get to impress upon these mothers the
importance of having the baby and not aborting it. Use the time spent in that
position as another serviceable skill in your resume as you continue building your
credentials.
5. The CASA volunteer program.
These are the letters for Court
Appointed Special Advocate. The CASA is a court appointed official whose duty
it is to assists children who have been neglected or abused by their parents
and who have been taken into the foster care system. This is usually in the
case of severe parental substance abuse, sexual abuse and/or various traumatic
events that place the child in a dangerous position. The CASA is the voice for
the child and advocates for the child’s best interest hopefully working with various
government, counseling and ecclesiastic entities to eventually return the child to the parent, or if that is
absolutely impossible to secure an adoption family for that child until the age
of 18. This is a rigorous training program and should not be considered lightly.
The rewards, however, are great, and the possibility to make serious positive
changes for the child, the families and even the institutions involved is also
great.
Sacrifice
is Essential
While these concrete tactics
suggest some powerful ways of insuring serious lasting Biblical changes in your
local community, it is of no avail if you are not willing to sacrifice yourself
for others in the advancement of the Kingdom. Talking, writing, debating and/or
arguing about how to advance the Kingdom of God will come to nothing if
something is not actually executed in your local community. Everything begins
with your willingness to die to self and serve the living Christ.
And whosoever
shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in
the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his
reward.Mt 10:42
1 My graduate degrees took 3 years to complete. My
Doctoral work had been a work in the making for almost 20 years. I am presently
taking courses and am undergoing advanced training in several non-Theological
disciplines for targeted positions of influence. Learning should be constant. Educational
accomplishments impress people. It shows that you are a devoted and diligent
scholar. But be sure that whatever your degree is it is something that can be
used for the Advancement of God’s Kingdom. Having an academic degree for the
sake of having an academic degree is simply a prideful thing. We have too many “Ivory
Towers” of academia. We do not need any more. What we need is honest people who
want to use their accomplishments for the Glory of God in the real world. Your
degree must have a concrete reason behind it otherwise you are wasting your
time.