From 1978 to 1998, Pastor A.N. Martin taught Pastoral Theology in the Trinity Ministerial Academy, a church-based ministerial training institution. Every Friday throughout the academic year, all the students would gather for two hours of teaching presented in a four-year cycle. Subsequently various series of the audiotapes were widely circulated. Many expressed their desire to see these lectures printed. As an intermediate step in responding to that desire, Pastor Martin taught his entire Pastoral Theology course “one more time” and the transcriptions of these lectures constituted the basis for these printed lectures. Within these lectures there are very few issues faced by the ordinary pastor that are not addressed in one way or another.

Table of Contents

Pastoral Theology – The Man of God, His Shepherding, Evangelizing, and Counseling Labors
The Work of Shepherding—Church Government
Chapter 1: Shepherding in the Pastoral Office
Chapter 2: The Prevailing Disposition of Shepherding (1)
Chapter 3: The Prevailing Disposition of Shepherding (2)
Chapter 4: The Corporate Identity and Life of the Church
Chapter 5: The Eldership (1) Plurality & Parity
Chapter 6: The Eldership (2) Qualifications
Chapter 7: The Eldership (3) Establishing an Eldership: Supplication & Cultivation
Chapter 8: The Eldership (4) Establishing an Eldership: Recognition
Chapter 9: The Eldership (5) Efficient Functioning of an Eldership
Chapter 10: The Diaconate (1) Roots and Origin
Chapter 11: The Diaconate (2) Functions
Chapter 12: The Diaconate (3) Qualifications & Reward
Chapter 13: Corrective Church Discipline (1)
Chapter 14: Corrective Church Discipline (2)
Chapter 15: Corrective Church Discipline (3)
Chapter 16: Corporate Ministry of the Body to Itself (1)
Chapter 17: Corporate Ministry of the Body to Itself (2)
Chapter 18: Cultivating Interchurch Communion (1)
Chapter 19: Cultivating Interchurch Communion (2)
The Work of Shepherding—Corporate Worship
Chapter 1: Convictions Regarding Corporate Worship
Chapter 2: Leading Corporate Worship
Chapter 3: Characteristics and Climate of Corporate Worship
Chapter 4: Public Pastoral Prayer (1)
Chapter 5: Public Pastoral Prayer (2)
Chapter 6: Public Pastoral Prayer (3)
Chapter 7: Public Reading of Scripture
Chapter 8: Corporate Prayer Meetings (1)
Chapter 9: Corporate Prayer Meetings (2)
Chapter 10: Corporate Prayer Meetings (3)
Chapter 11: The Lord’s Supper
Chapter 12: Baptismal Services (1)
Chapter 13: Baptismal Services (2)
Chapter 14: Principles for Accepting Weddings & Funerals
Chapter 15: Officiating at Weddings
Chapter 16: Conducting Funerals
The Work of Evangelism & Pastoral Counseling
Chapter 1: Doing the Work of an Evangelist (1)
Chapter 2: Doing the Work of an Evangelist (2)
Chapter 3: Doing the Work of an Evangelist (3)
Chapter 4: Doing the Work of an Evangelist (4)
Chapter 5: Local Church Evangelism (1)
Chapter 6: Local Church Evangelism (2)
Chapter 7: Local Church Evangelism (3)
Chapter 8: Overview of Pastoral Counseling (1)
Chapter 9: Overview of Pastoral Counseling (2)
Chapter 10: Presuppositions Regarding the Counselor
Chapter 11: Presuppositions Regarding the Counselee
Chapter 12: Presuppositions Regarding the Counsel
Chapter 13: The Sessions of Pastoral Counseling
Chapter 14: Addressing Problems in Pastoral Counseling
Chapter 15: Assessing Progress and Dismissal
Chapter 16: The Ethics of Pastoral Counseling

About the Author

Albert N. Martin was one of the founding pastors of Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, NJ, where he labored for 46 years. Pastor Martin faithfully expounded the scriptures with a Christ-exalting focus and with passionate, penetrating, and pointed application at Trinity as well as at its annual pastors’ conferences. His ministry was also sought in churches and conferences throughout the States and around the world. In June 2008, he retired from his pastoral labors and relocated to Michigan with his wife, Dorothy, where he now resides while continuing his labors of counseling, writing, and preaching.