There Is Purpose in the Covering
Volume 1 – Issue 1 – August 9, 2025
By: Bishop Designate, Jay Offer
There are words that dwell in my memory and as they say, they live in my head rent free. These words were spoken to me by Bishop eric Wright, Sr., “I am not concerned about a minister’s credentials or titles. I want to know who their covering is.” It would amaze some to understand that there are preachers of the Gospel, legitimately called ministers, who do not have a covering or an anointed covering. This is not an indictment on any pastors or ministers who are being led by the spirit and doing the best that their training allows. Hopefully,at the conclusion of this article you will understand the reason I was led to start The Pastor’s Study. In a way it is a tribute to my great-grandfather Reverend James Davis, former Pastor of Mount Calvary Baptist Church an historic congregation in Rockville, Maryland, and his son, the late Reverend Dr. Phillip W. Davis, Sr., founder and Pastor Emeritus of the Interdenominational Church of God in Gaithersburg, Maryland. It is also a tribute to Bishop Paul Edward Lee, Pastor Emeritus of New Bethlehem Free Will Baptist Church in Baltimore. These men have produced ministers of the Gospel with many souls introduced to Jesus Christ.
In Acts 14:23, we find these words, “Paul and Barnabus appointed elders for each church, and with prayer and fasting, they entrusted them to the Lord, in whom they had believed.” In his ministry, Paul was notably bold, unapologetic, calculated, and willing to sacrifice himself for the cause of the Gospel. Paul’s testimony is nothing short of a gripping tale of complete surrender. God knows your personal story. Your story is no less impactful as it is also a story of surrender. Our experiences serve as tools, motivation, and a launch pad for our ministry. It is the Overseer/Bishop’s responsibility to nurture, prune and assist the new minister or pastor with their spiritual development. This is a process that encompasses the call, the initial training, ordination, commissioning, and continued growth.
Competence in the work of the church relies heavily on the personal skill sets of its leaders. The skilled minister will strengthen the ministry in all aspects. Logical reasoning, theology, apologetics, and an advocacy style. However, no greater tool used by Christ and the Apostles was there than empathy for those ministered to. Mastery of these aspects of ministry are what solidifies our competence in care for a flock, sharing the Gospel and management of God’s house.
We must address the elephant in the room. The perception of today’s church is murky at best. The vagueness of today’s definition of a “church” and a “Christian” affects the ability to define public perception. The existence of false teachers and prophets would suggest that there are a variety of false gospels being taught. This is a tactic used by the enemy to confuse the world. While there is a wealth of data from sources such as Gallop, Barna, Pew and others available for us to digest, its accuracy is questionable, mainly because the wrong questions are being asked of respondents. In addition, there is a concerted effort at “Deconstruction of faith.” There is one dynamic which is evident without the use of polls and data, and that is people do not trust the church. This is one of the greatest obstacles to the ministry today. Ministers of the Gospel must not only persuade a dying world that they need Jesus Christ as a solution to a grave issue within their soul, but they must also persuade the world that the Gospel preached is the truth. Dealing with this alone keeps the attention of the untrained, uncertain minister from their main objective, “Preach the Gospel.”
Notwithstanding, empathy from the church’s perspective is an outward facing issue. The challenge is building trust with people who are not sure of whether to trust the church, let alone hear and respond to a true Gospel. It is our good fortune that the Holy Spirit can overcome any objection and reticence we may encounter. For the Holy Spirit to use us, we should be prepared for the work and become a fit vessel for the Lord to use. We must study and pray to the point where King David was when he said, “Thy word O’ Lord have I hidden in my heart that I may not sin against God.” Simultaneously, we must not judge but be compassionate with the unbeliever, for once we were unbelievers.
As we have focused on sharing the Gospel, sharing is not the end of the work. Most certainly the introduction of a lost soul to the saving grace of Jesus Christ is of paramount importance. Acceptance in the heart of man is the work of the Spirit. We are not empowered to change hearts. The real work for us begins with discipleship. “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” The process of discipleship begins. This is where the body of Christ and its leadership must develop and improve their skill sets. Thus, a pastor worth his salt has committed to a lifelong pursuit of the mind of Christ and revelation knowledge of the Word. It is here we are equipped for the work of ministry.
Churches with weak unestablished leadership will embrace dogma over doctrine, sensitivities over Spirit, tradition over truth, and hysterics over holiness. Leadership can only be effective in the context of God’s word. A church’s culture can only reflect God’s will if the members are trained in the word of God. Its leader must submit to God as teachable and coachable. Through a pure and obedient heart, a pastor can train and influence his leadership team. The result is that the body will be influenced and taught properly in the way of the Lord. Properly disciplined believers naturally blossom with proper attitudes, behaviors, and spiritual character fitting of the Kingdom of God. We must become the city upon a hill. A city whose light shines and glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. We must completely be sold out to Jesus Christ.
That is the purpose of “The Pastor’s Study.” This is a place to come in humble prayer as clay on the potter’s wheel. We are at this moment in the dispensation of grace. Grace is an opportunity to be free from condemnation and to realign oneself with God in His righteousness. Our efforts should be focused with laser-like accuracy on holiness, righteousness, faithfulness, and obedience.
In “The Pastor’s Study,” partners come together in united pursuit of excellence for ministry. Ministry as a leader in the Lord’s Church. An ambassador for the Kingdom of Heaven. The New Testament bears out a description of the aspects of the position of a minister using the Greek word, diakonia. The word is translated as ministry or service. In Hebrew, it translates as obed (ebed) servant or slave. Or mesharet, minister or attendant. Our goal is to be excellent in worship of an excellent God through and by the excellent sacrifice of an excellent savior.
In the context of a servant, “The Pastor’s Study” strives to address theological difficulties, doctrine, and practical application of the word of God. It is essential to embrace the full package of ministry. A master of the craft must be able to understand the pain of a victim while sharing victory. A master of the craft knows how to share belief with the unbeliever, most importantly. A master of the craft uses empathy to minister to a condemned world and brings them to freedom’s door. Jesus’ ministry was all about meeting people where they were. The concept of invitational ministry is passe’ and ineffective in the 21st Century. I imagine it was ineffective in the 1st Century as well. All of these issues are important to the effective minister, pastor, and Bishop.
Through articles, teaching virtually and in live settings, ministers can hone their skills with exposure to established practitioners of the Gospel. Additionally, they will be given study tools, specifically designed to inspire individual research and direct feedback with peers. At each level of the educational journey participants move deeper into an immersive experience that will expose them to biblical truths, critical thinking, and understanding of the human experience in relation to providing ministerial support.
The role of “The Pastor’s Study” is to facilitate a healthy exchange of knowledge, ideas, and research between practitioners and potential practitioners of Christian ministry. All who engage in ministry are welcome to join the discussions, register for classes and to share research. A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.