Matthew L. Tinkham, Jr.
the journey and reflections of a passionate pastor-teacher
"... his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot" (Jeremiah 20:9 NIV).
"I charge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, ... preach the word!"
(II Timothy 4:1-2 ESV)
CORE VALUES
Values of Being
1. Faith-filled Spirituality
An insatiable desire for intimacy with God that is fostered by a consistent, daily practice of spiritual disciplines (e.g., study, prayer, meditation, giving, etc.) and obedience to his plan and purposes for my life with the result of being fully restored into the image of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:29; 2 Col 3:18; Acts 4:13).
2. Intentional Growth
Complete dedication to self-motivated, life-long learning for the nurturance of a teachable and humble attitude, development of my spiritual gifts and talents, enhancement of my preaching-teaching ministry, and expansion of my horizons through continuing education, broad-based reading and research, vast and new experiences, and meaningful relationships with others throughout eternity.
3. Authentic Integrity
An honorable life before God and others that is morally and ethically unyielding, transparently truthful, and unfailingly loyal by never pretending to be someone other than my own self, always living in alignment with my personal core values, taking responsibility for my actions, and inspiring the trust of others in me.
4. Loving Relationships
A commitment to cultivating intimate and meaningful relationships with others that provide tangible experiences of unity, peace, rest, contentment, and God’s triune love (John 15:9, 12; 17:24; 1 John 4:8, 16) with priority being given to my marriage and family bonds all for the purpose of making unforgettable memories that will encourage contentment and breed joy.
5. Reckless Grace
A radical acceptance of the abundant grace that God has given through Jesus Christ for me and a reckless extension of it to others by compassionately assuming good intent, optimistically reframing that which could be viewed as hurtful, selflessly empathizing with and ministering to the suffering of others, and freely offering forgiveness to all (Eph 4:32; Col 3:13).
Values of Doing
6. Discerning Truth
A fervent pursuit of truth (i.e., theology) and wisdom (i.e., philosophy) through Spirit-enlightened, prayerful, and rigorous study of the inspired canonical Scriptures as the norma normans non normata (i.e., "the norm that norms which cannot be normed") and the only regula credendi (i.e., "rule of faith") (Acts 17:11; 2 Tim 2:15); remaining committed to the Protestant hermeneutical principles of sola, tota, prima, and analogia Scriptura (i.e., Scriptura sui ipsius interpres or "Scripture is its own interpreter") (2 Tim 3:16–17) and spiritalia spiritaliter examinatur (i.e., "spiritual things are spiritually discerned") (1 Cor 2:11, 14); appreciating the rich theological heritage of the Spirit of Prophecy (i.e., the writings of Ellen G. White) and Christian and Adventist history; and always subjecting my own presuppositions and biases (those natured and/or nurtured) to scrutiny (via ἐποχή [epochē] or “bracketing”) for the purpose of growth in the knowledge of God, enrichment of my preaching-teaching ministry, and contribution to Seventh-day Adventist® theology and mission.
7. Servant Leadership
Leading my family, church, and community to be disciples of Jesus Christ through humble, self-emptying service and incarnate ministry (Luke 9:23–24; Rom 6; Gal 2:20; Phil 2:1–11). This involves journeying alongside others, honoring and respecting their self-identity and attainments, ascribing dignity and worth to them, caring for their needs, sharing authority and leadership with them (i.e., delegation) instead of hoarding it for myself (Mark 10:42–45; Luke 22:25–27), communicating with them skillfully and tactfully, collaborating with them on the achievement of a shared vision, developing and empowering their spiritual gifts and talents, and assisting them in discovering God’s plan and purposes for their own lives.
8. Passionate Teaching
Treasuring my God-given call and spiritual gifting to be a pastor-teacher (Eph 4:11), and spending my life passionately teaching others about the triune God and his works, preaching the everlasting gospel and the three angels' messages (Rom 10:9–17; 1 Cor 15:1–8; Rev 14:6–12), and leading them deeper into his word (Jer 20:9) in order to grow committed disciples of Christ and inspire Spirit-filled world-changers (Matt 28:19–20; Acts 17:6).
9. Disciplined Excellence
Striving to surpass ordinary standards in all endeavors of life by meticulously pursuing excellence with all my strength—exceeding expectations, doing more than what is asked, and giving more than what is required (Eccl 9:10).