A Three-Pronged Approach
Del Rey Ministries has developed a three-part strategy to fulfill our mission. The inspiration for this strategy comes from the models which are taught in the New Testament. There are a multitude of ways that you can partner with us in carrying out this Biblical strategy.
1. Identifying and providing for local Christians that God is calling into spiritual leadership (The Bible calls these Elders/Pastors).
2. Equipping those leaders through sound Biblical instruction.
3. Helping short-term mission to connect with local leadership for a long-term impact.
How We Identify Local Spiritual Leaders
“The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.”
A key to God’s plan for discipleship involves selecting men of character who can be entrusted with the task of bringing the Kingdom of God to their community in every facet. The name the Bible most uses for these appointed leaders is Elders - today, most churches call them Pastors. The process of bringing the Kingdom begins with the good news of the Gospel, and then spreads to every area of life through the teaching and example of these godly leaders. Without this key element of discipleship, the transition from evangelism to Kingdom transformation will rarely take place.
How this is done
Selection and discernment –
“Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.”
Choosing the right person for leadership is the cornerstone of lasting work in this area. We have found that if extra time is taken in the discernment process, the success rate of leadership candidates improves exponentially. When we discover a person called by God, we find that it is possible to invest heavily in their development – believing that God will keep them strong. If the wrong person is chosen, no amount of teaching or training will overcome the lack of true calling.
Timing –
“He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. ”
Many ministries (ours included) have made mistakes by violating this principle – and often ruin potential leaders as a result. Even though a man may be zealous, hungry for the word, easily teachable, etc. – these are no match for the temptations that are brought on by leadership. Our goal is to wait until a candidate is “tested” and ready for the spiritual battlefield of the missionary.
“You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.” - Titus 2:1
How We Equip Local Leaders
Sound healthy teaching produces sound healthy Christians. There is a deep need for good teaching in the villages of the Dominican Republic. This goes beyond just delivering information; chosen leaders must be challenged and held accountable to model these teachings, living out the Word of God in their daily lives.
How this is done
Pastoral Training Sessions –
Every quarter, Del Rey Ministries conducts a week-long training session for our local pastors. At minimum two of our teaching pastors will host these sessions, teaching on a wide array of important topics such as "Biblical Interpretation," "Preaching & Teaching," and "Pastoral Ministry." With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have had to adjust our training to a Zoom classroom. Praise God that we can continue the training! Every Thursday, our pastors can access the training meetings. We also archive these sessions for review or for those who can’t get a good connection during the session. These are available to any who are interested - please contact us if you would like to share these with others.
Discipleship –
“A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.”
In addition to the training sessions, Del Rey Ministries spends substantial personal time with each of the local pastors, showing them discipleship by example – and teaching them to also model discipleship as a significant part of their spiritual work.
Regular Accountability -
The pastors gather together with the other regional pastors every week to fellowship, pray, encourage, worship, and teach.
How We Collaborate With Short-Term Mission Teams
There is an abundance of short-term mission trips to the Dominican Republic; these are often life-changing for the Americans and a blessing to the local Haitians and Dominicans who live in pain and poverty. However, after a second or third trip, many teams begin to wonder: “How can we make a long-term impact in a short-term trip?” This is a complicated subject, but we have found that when short-term teams connect with and work in coordination with local leaders of integrity, the trip bears greater long-term spiritual fruit. Here are some examples:
Local leaders can have follow-up for any spiritual or physical needs that are left unmet at the end of a trip;
Local leaders of integrity can be entrusted with resources for what is left unfinished;
Teams can have a continual “point of contact” for ongoing prayer, communication and support;
Americans can be better indoctrinated into cultural blind spots that are often a hindrance to deeper relationships;
Teams can become aware of the many other teams that are at work – allowing for communication, preventing duplication, and becoming “Kingdom-minded”.
How this is done
Regional Representatives –
for several years, we have been working on a map of the villages in this area. Recently, we have begun to assign specific regions to our team members for the following purposes:
Build relationships with existing Pastors or Christians in each village
Assess the spiritual and physical condition of each village
Regular visitation and follow-up in each village
With these regional representatives, mission teams can plan ahead for their trips, and follow up after their trips
Click Here to visit the map of villages
Connections –
if short-term teams need assistance in strategic planning, identifying areas of need, finding a local leader of integrity, etc., Del Rey Ministries is always available to help in any way possible.
