Reverend Alan L. Joplin 
     5141 N. 18th Place 
     Phoenix, AZ 85016-4340

     602.218.0886
     joplinalan@gmail.com



Ministry Goals


Offering Christ  through Worship:  through Education:  through Support:  through Service:  and through Involvement.

Offering Christ:   Invite persons to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ and the Church.  
Through Worship:  Develop patterns of church worship, which provides a strong sense of the presence of God.  
Through Education:   Educate people in the Christian faith and how it relates to everyday life.  
Through Support:   Create a broad range of small groups for studying, sharing, and coping with life experiences.  
Through Service:   Relate the gospel to current social issues and community problems providing opportunities for active involvement. 
Through Involvement:   Promote a climate which provides a sense of broad congregationalinvolvement in the future of the church.


First United Methodist Church, Jeffersson City, Missouri

My experience in the clergy, and secular work, spans thirty years of full time employment including progressively responsible administrative experience in the non-profit sector.

Ministry Ordinations And Licenses:


    Ordained Elder. Higher Ground Christian Fellowship International.Philadelphia,PA

    Ordained Elder. Saint Michael Deliverance Ministry. Jefferson City, MO.

    Licensed Local Pastor. Illinois Great Rivers Licensing School for Local Pastor. United Methodist Church. Illinois Wesleyan Univerersity.

Education:  (earned academic degrees)


    MDiv. Memphis Theological Seminary. Memphis, Tennessee. December 2002

    M.A. Religion. Memphis Theological Seminary. Memphis, Tennessee. Jan 2003

    Diploma. La Casa de Africa. Havana, Cuba 1992 thru 1997
    Diploma. Casa de Las Americas. Havana, Cuba 1992 thru 1997

    MSc. Urban Affairs/Policy Analysis. Southern Illinois University/Edwardsville. Edwardsville, Illinois 1985

    M.A.T. Social and Behavioral Sciences. Webster University. Webster Grove, Missouri 1973

    M.A. Administration of Manpower Development. University of Redlands. Redlands California 1973

    B.A. Urban and Community Studies. Johnston College. Redlands, California 1972

Further Study:

    The Baptist Theological Seminary of Zimbabwe. Gweru, Zimbabwe. 2003

    The University of Zimbabwe. Harare, Zimbabwe. 2003
    Saint Ambrose University. Davenport, Iowa 1993

    Atlanta University. National Center for Leadership Development. Atlanta, Georiga 1979 Certificate

    University of Dayton. Dayton, Ohio 1978

    University of California San Bernardino. San Bernardino, California 1972

Honorary Degrees:


My call to action:


To declare an end to social injustice through educational forums, sermons and action strategies; offer training for children, youth and adults in becoming justice seekers and persons not afraid of anger and comfortable/skilled in dealing with conflict; celebrate justice and peace when you practice an act of affirmation of life.

Call it a celebration of life and enable persons to see such rituals as anti-violence acts; share my experience and strategies in courage in the struggle so we can build a variety of strategic responses.

To stand in solidarity with people is to describe this violence with an abundance of details so that their cry and their suffering shakes up the consciousness of majority America.

My usefulness to the church comes with my preaching and teaching ministry and my commitment to community. Shepherding a congregation away from lethargy and towards pro-active, constructive action, which involves listening to the pain and dreams of our nations people, and then to work passionately to make those dreams become real. The church has always taught Biblical messages of love. Today's version of such love includes radical insistence on renegotiating the value base of the social contract which holds us together.

Self-understanding is in key ways founded in the gospel of love and redemption. My own security, self-awareness, and the confidence to face the truths of self-knowledge, comes from the love of God, the redemption Christ offers and the empowering of broken humanity, which the Spirit brings.

I view the role of the church as providing leadership in the ongoing constant for change. The view of the church as a leader in the liberation struggle is most closely identified with "Liberation Theology," which gained prominence in the 1960s. A reading of the Bible from the vantage point of poverty or oppression places emphasis on God's partiality toward the poor.

The Ordained Minister

    Should act in a critical and self-critical way, open to the ideas and suggestions of others. It is this aspect which is so often absent in the understanding of collaborative leadership. The ordained minister's role will change as the collaborative nature of ministry becomes more of a reality, for its shape will inevitably be modified as new members are included and as different people move off and others join in.

Ordination:

    A Gift of God through the descent of the Holy Spirit. We are given the Spirit in baptism, not for some sort of personal comfort (though we will receive comfort from the Holy Spirit) but rather so that we might be empowered to participate fully in the ministry of Christ in the world.

The Calling of God:

    Ordination is a gift of God. It is not our idea. It is God's idea. God has challenged me to be who he wants me to be. He has challenged me to go as Jesus went. Ordination is my hearing Him and responding to his will for my life. (John 20:21) Then said Jesus to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as [my] Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

My Choosing of God:

    He elects and chooses us to be the instruments of his work on this earth. He chose the disciples to distribute the loaves and fishes to the people that the people might be fed. I believe God has chosen me as one of his representatives to the hungry and thirsty. I was once hungry and thirsty and have seen the Lord at work in my life.

Relationship with Jesus:

    First and foremost, a personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ and display evidence of the Holy Spirit through desires, goal, attitudes, and past accomplishments. I came to Christ when he was a college student at The University of Redlands, through the ministry of a United Methodist Pastor in St. Louis, Missouri. I felt the call to ministry and have been involved in ministry ever since. My life and ministry demonstrates a deep commitment to Christ and a passion to make Christ known to others.

Preaching the Word of God:

    An ordained individual with a strong biblical foundation and knowledge, who possesses a passion for preaching the Word of God. Throughout my ministry, I have used my preaching and teaching gifts to open the Word of God for many different audiences. Invited guest at over 500 churches, colleges and universities across the country and around the world. From speaking while working and preaching in Africa and Cuba as a Visiting Professor, God has used my passion for preaching and teaching in a variety of settings. officiated 1241 baptisms; 1843 funerals; and 927 marriages to date.

Commitment to prayer:

    Prayer must be strongly valued and practiced. God led me to him andto others who shared a deeper commitment to prayer, and through our combined efforts we developed seven new prayer ministries. These ministries include The Wall of Prayer, which engages 100 people in prayer weekly, a monthly Renewal Prayer meeting, and weekly Session Prayer as well as a Wednesday noon prayer and communion service.

Possesses the gift of leadership: [This leader will help the Church to refine a progressing vision, be an effective communicator of the vision, and have the ability to motivate others to achieve the vision.]

    I believe, that "perhaps the biggest influence that I have had on a congregation has been the design, adoption, and implementation of a congregation wide mission study. The study resulted in a Beliefs, Vision, and Values statement that set the boundaries for a freer, more permission giving environment for ministry. My role was to define the need, envision the possible result and design the preliminary process.

Provide spiritual leadership: [Implementing a Church mission requires a combination of imagination and orderliness, to create new ideas, to plan their implementation, and to motivate members toward participation.]

    My time has been spent recruiting and training Christians to minister actively in their immediate environment. Areas of focus have included training in Bible study skills, small group leadership, communication skills, planning and evaluation, and friendship evangelism.

    I have also designed and implemented special training sessions for church officers and members such as programs to assist families confronted with the realities of war, homelessness, political violence and AIDS in the countries of Cuba, Zimbabwe, Haiti and the US. In each area of ministry in which I have been involved, my role of helping to cast new visions of how ministry can develop and improve both in the US and abroad has been the focus

Plan and lead worship services:

    Weekly services, different style and different focus groups will require a flexible preaching approach and collaboration with the worship team. I have officiated multiple weekly services, each with a different style and different focus. Preaching a given service or preaching at all services, I work closely with the worship teams and expresses a passion for traditional, contemplative, and contemporary worship.

Develop and train lay leadership for a growing congregation:

    My goal is to emphasize the "priesthood of all believers" and to create a permission-giving environment for lay ministry. A proven background in equipping others according to their gifts and resulting in laity driven ministry is vital. Ministry teams are structured, natural groupings of people who share a commitment to active ministry in their area of responsibility and operate on a lailty team model. I have assumed the role of defining problems caused by the committee structure, proposing solutions, modeling the new patterns, convincing staff and church leaders on the need for a new model, and troubleshooting the gradual implementation.

    I believe, "We are all called serve, we are all gifted, and we are all able to approach God freely as His children". I see the pastor's role as encouraging, supporting, challenging and providing needed help to all who follow Christ so that they will fulfill the roles and ministries God has called them to. There is no healthy church without a balanced, healthy focus on lay ministry.

Serve as Head of Staff:

    Provided direction, training and administrative functions for a professional staff. I served as a Solo Pastor, with support staff i.e., professional, students and laity.

Provide for pastoral care and congregational counseling:

    Develop and lead a team of trained, dedicated people who are wise counselors and compassionate ministers. I began to recruit, train and supervise workers for programs which developed to assist families confronted with the realities of war, homelessness, political violence and AIDS in the countries of Cuba, Zimbabwe, Haiti and on the Lincoln University Campus/Jefferson City, Missouri. I continue to work on issues of hunger and homelessness in the US. I try to provide another level of support for those in need.

Develop specific strategies for specific opportunities:

    I called for a substantial effort to find ways to reach college age people, to respond to ethnic diversity, and to impact the community. I endeavor to develop ways to be a neighborhood church as well as a regional church. I am concerned with social issues and will be intentionally focused, possessing the heart of an evangelist. I have demonstrated creativity in adapting models of ministry within different cultural contexts, on basic spiritual disciplines, such as devotional life, Bible study, and involvement in active service. I have worked with multicultural and multiethnic campus groups while serving congregations in establishing a relationships with a local White and African American church seeking to address local under-served communities

Ability to craft sermons and develop theological topics and programs:

    Sermon
    Theological Topic
    Concept Paper
    Program Development

Sanctification and Perfection:

    I hold that the wonder of God's acceptance and pardon does not end God's saving work, which continues to nurture our growth in grace. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to increase in the knowledge and love of God and in love for our neighbor. New birth is the first step in this process of sanctification. Sanctifying grace draws us toward the gift of Christian perfection. This gracious gift of God's power and love, the hope and expectation of the faithful is neither warranted by our efforts nor limited by our frailties.

Faith and Good Works:

    I see God's grace and human activity working together in the relationship of faith and good works. God's grace calls forth human response and discipline. Faith is the only response essential for salvation. Even repentance should be accompanied by works of piety and mercy. Both faith and good works belong within an all-encompassing theology of grace, since they stem from God's gracious love.

Mission and Service:

    I believe that personal salvation always involves Christian mission and service. By joining heart and hand, we assert that personal religion, evangelical witness, and Christian social action are reciprocal and mutually reinforcing. Scriptural holiness entails more than personal piety; love of God is always linked with love of neighbor, a passion for justice and renewal in the life of the world. The mission and service represent one traditional expression of the intrinsic relationship between Christian life and thought as understood within a Christian framework. Theology is the servant of piety, which in turn is the ground of social conscience and the impetus for social action and global interaction, always in the empowering context of the reign of God.







The War In Haiti

Nurture and Mission of the Church:

    I emphasize the nurturing and serving function of Christian fellowship in the church. The worshiping community nourishes the personal experience of faith. The outreach of the church springs from the working of the Spirit. Christianity ties bind us together in faith and service in our dailey global witness, enabling faith to become active in love and intensifying our desire for peace and justice in the world.


As a successful secular employee, I hold the following professional qualities and abilities which has also aided me in ministry.

leadership and experience in:

  • designing, developing innovative approaches to program development, administering and marketing programs, including staff development.

  • development of external funding resources including foundations, state/local government and national organizations.

  • leadership pertinent to organizational setting including operational issues, strategic planning, resource management, fiscal and organizational skills.

  • collaboration which respects the role of staff and clients which commits me to shared governance principles that empowers and motivates.

  • assessment, community based learning, with experience in global education, which includes an involvement and commitment to community outreach, and collaboration with other communities and social service organizations.

  • philosophy of continuously improving service to diverse constituencies including the principles of clients and staff diversity, affirmative action, and internationalism. A demonstrated understanding and sensitivity to the cultural and ethnic diversity of a community which includes experiences in geographically diverse settings. A passion for the non-profit with strong advocacy for the concept of client.


Reverend Alan L. Joplin, B.A., M.A., M.A., MAT, M.Rel., MDiv.
5141 North 18th Place
Phoenix, AZ 85016-4340

602-218-0886


joplinalan@gmail.com


Available For Speaking Engagements

Secular Vitae'



Reverend Joplin served as the Faith Community Coor.
for the April 6th, 2008 Martin Luther King Jr.
"I Am A Man Campaign"




Alan served as Missouri and National Youth Coor.
for the Robert Kennedy Presidental Campaign.

Alan also served as Missouri Coor., High School
Youth for John Kennedy's, presidential campaign.





Alan with his students while living
on the Hopi Indian Reservation and teaching
at Johnston College

I consider the Pastor's
primary responsiblity to be:






Alan and late Congressman Mickey Leland
discussing the USAID Leland Initiative:
Africa Global Information Infrastructure Project



I consider these qualities
essential for pastoring: