News

Bangkok, Thailand - The SSD Leadership Summit was marked by a momentous occasion on Friday evening as three administrators were ordained to the ministry. Jacinto Adap, Treasurer of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division; Dr. Danny Rantung, president of Universitas Klabat, and Ashir Ilyas Khan, executive secretary of Pakistan Union Section were among those called to a distinct calling to be ministers.

The ordination ceremony, held at the Berkeley Hotel Pratunam, Bangkok, Thailand was one of the highlights of the Leadership Summit. It was attended by over 500 people, including fellow organizations and institution leaders and family members of the newly ordained ministers.

The Adventist Church in the Southern Asia-Pacific Division has recently recognized the calling, commitment, and passion of three individuals who will be ordained in the ministry. This recognition shows that the Adventist Church values the contributions of these individuals in spreading the gospel and serving their communities.
Jacinto Adap, Danny Rantung, and Ashir Ilyas Khan have all been considered for ordination and were recently approved in their respective Extended Ministerial Committees. These individuals have demonstrated their dedication and commitment to their faith by spreading the word of God in their sphere of influence. Their passion for serving their communities has not gone unnoticed, and the Adventist Church in the Southern Asia-Pacific Division has taken notice.

The recognition of these individuals highlights the Adventist Church's commitment to the principles of faith, hope, and charity. The Adventist Church believes that it is through serving others that we serve God. The three individuals have demonstrated their willingness to serve others, and it is through their commitment and passion that they have been selected for ordination in the ministry.

The decision was unanimously supported by their respective organizational Executive Committees. The SSD Executive Committee authorized holding the ordination program at the SSD Leadership Conference, which was recorded by the Southeastern Union Mission since the ordination took place in their area. It is stated in line with the General Conference Working Policy, “L 35 45 Non-ministerial Employees — There are certain lines of work in the denomination that are not regarded as strictly ministerial but which provide experience for some ministerial development. For example, a college/university president or a secondary school principal with young people under his care bears the responsibility not only for their academic training but also for their spiritual welfare. Therefore, in a sense, he is their pastor, and in association with the Bible, teacher is doing actual ministerial work. However, his call to that responsibility is not in itself a basis for ordination. No man’s position per se should influence a committee to set him apart to the holy work of the ministry unless and until he gives definite proof of his aptitude and spiritual maturity and has in his own soul the conviction that God has called him to the ministry as a lifework. Employees in other capacities—such as editors, institutional leaders, conference/mission/field secretary-treasurers, departmental directors, secretaries, and denominationally employed physicians/dentists—may also come to the place in their service where ordination is appropriate; however, the divine call to the ministry must be clear before the church ordains them to the gospel ministry. Such employees—as all candidates for ministerial credentials—must have the personal conviction that God has called them to the ministry, give evidence of the ministerial call and gift, and be known widely for their piety and ability as soul winners before their ordination is recommended. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Pastor Abner Delos Santos, General Conference vice president shared important points on one's call to be a minister. Delos Santos points out that “as leaders in ministry and leadership, we all strive for success. We all have the desire to be good and effective in our service to God. And let me tell you, God wants us to be successful too. He calls us to be successful in any other purposeful endeavors that we may undertake.”

“Success in ministry is not just about the numbers or the recognition we receive. It's about making a difference in people's lives, sharing the love of Christ, and being faithful to the call that God has placed on our lives. We can be successful if we keep our focus on God and His purpose for our lives,” Delos Santos said.

Roger Caderma, president of the Southern Asia-Pacific of the Seventh-day Adventists, emphasized the importance of the role of ministers in spreading the gospel. "The ordination of these three lay administrators marks a significant moment in the history of the Adventist Church," he said. "We are grateful for their willingness to answer the call to ministry and for their commitment to serving God,” Caderma added. 

The executive secretary of the division, Pastor Wendell Mandolang, led the charge for these newly ordained pastors, acknowledging their vocation, dedication, and enthusiasm for preaching the gospel in their different domains of influence.

The Minister's Charge is a pledge made by every minister to the gospel work, the mission, the church, their family, and the community to which they belong. It is a sincere commitment to serve God and His people with all of one's heart, mind, and soul.

Pastor Wendell Mandolang underlined the significance of the Minister's Charge at the service, urging the newly ordained ministers to carry it out in their everyday lives. He emphasized the crucial role pastors play in spreading the gospel of hope and faith in their communities and urged them to be God's loyal servants.

Quoted from Minister’s Handbook
Charge. Rising from prayer, the ministers stand while the charge is given: God has called you to the work of the ministry, and the church, in recognizing that call, has set you aside by the laying on of hands. You are now invested with full ecclesiastical authority. No higher honor can come to any person. But such honor also involves great responsibility. 

I charge you to minister as a servant, making the Master your lifelong study. By spending time with Jesus, you will become like Him, for it is by beholding that we become changed. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he is like his teacher, and a servant like his master” 

 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant” (Phil. 2:5-7). 

“You, therefore, must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier”  (2 Tim. 2:3, 4). 

“Be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12). 

I charge you to minister as a shepherd. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep” (John 10:11-13). 

I charge you to minister as a watchman. “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. . . . But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Tim. 4:1-5). 

I charge you to minister as a teacher. “If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Tim. 4:6-16). “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:28, KJV). And when your work is ended, may you say with Paul,

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7)

The newly ordained ministers expressed their gratitude and excitement for their new role. "It is an honor to be called to serve as a minister of the gospel," said Dr. Danny Rantung. "I am excited to see what God has in store for us and for the church."

The Adventist Leadership Summit is an event that brings together church leaders from around the world to share ideas, discuss strategies, and develop new initiatives to advance the church's mission. This year's summit focused on leadership development, mission refocus, and witnessing.

The ordination of Jacinto Adap, Dr. Danny Rantung, and Brother Ashir Ilyas Khan was a fitting conclusion to the summit and a testament to the church's commitment to developing and empowering its leaders.

Edward Rodriguez, SSD Communication Department