CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACKET - Ryan Fields

MY ORDINATION: I am ordained with the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA)

MY THEOLOGICAL CONVICTIONS: My doctrinal position is well summarized in the Apostles' and Nicene creeds and in the EFCA statement of faith. Additionally, I hold: ‐ A Reformed view of the doctrines of grace and a covenantal reading of Scripture ‐ A credobaptist position that candidates for baptism are limited to those who are able to make a credible profession of faith ‐ A complementarian position on men’s and women’s roles in the home and the church ‐ A belief that the church should be governed by corporate congregational discernment of God’s will led by a team of pastors and elders and served by a team of deacons MY CALLING: My call to pastoral ministry is integrally related to my conversion; for almost as long as I had been a Christian I wanted to be a pastor. I have always loved the church, and ever since working with my youth pastor in high school I have found it very hard to imagine doing anything else. God has since given me abundant opportunities to explore pastoral ministry (getting exposure to its many joys and struggles) and to be in pastoral ministry as an ordained minister with the EFCA. And perhaps most importantly, I have sensed a calling into pastoral ministry within the local church that has been confirmed both subjectively (within my own heart under the Spirit’s guidance) and objectively (through the affirmations and commendations of others). It has not been a “moment of calling” but rather a gradual “confirmation of calling” as I have tried my hand at pastoral ministry and found that I enjoyed it and even thrived in it while others confirmed that I did indeed have the gifts and graces appropriate for a pastoral role. My formal theological education and pastoral preparation, including my MDiv, ThM, and PhD studies at TEDS, have all provided further confirmation that I have been both called to, and gifted for, serving the church as a pastor ‐ theologian. MY PASTOTRAL EXPERIENCE: ‐ Associate Pastor at Creekside Community Church, Gainesville FL (2011 ‐ 2016): This position was one where I shared overall pastoral duties with the lead pastor in a comprehensive manner. Apart from providing point leadership of the elders and staff, I was engaged in every aspect of pastoral ministry alongside the lead. As an example of this, we shared pulpit ministry 50/50. The position provided me abundant opportunities to gain experience in the breadth of pastoral ministry and has thoroughly prepared me to step into a lead pastor position. During this time I was ordained with the Evangelical Free Church of America (2015), oversaw our church’s faith, work & economics initiative which included writing/executing grant proposals & planning/facilitating an EFCA regional conference, completed continuing education programs on “Mission, Networks & Movements” and “Pastoral Ministry and International Missions,” and helped to oversee church mission trips to Baraderes, Haiti and Budapest, Hungary. Responsibilities included planning and facilitating worship services, administering the sacraments, teaching adult education classes, overseeing ministry teams, assisting the lead pastor in leading

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