Tony with Manuel and Johnny


are moving forward in a process, or is the church just doing what is traditional. What season is the church in at this time?


How are you personally involved in discipling others?


I mentor various children’s pastors, helping them walk with the Lord. I also have mentored my own son, Josh, who is a youth pastor.


on my first fishing trip. These people saw good things in me and pulled them out. The family of God saw me as valuable member of the community of faith. On Sunday night, all ages prayed together at the church altar. I remember winning a Thompson Chain Reference Bible for bring- ing the most guests to church.


In a church my dad pastored, one Sun- day he asked the organist to play “Jesus Loves Me.” She balked, saying that song was too childish for sanctuary worship. So, my dad made me the organist! I was also discipled through Church of God youth camps, Teen Talent, and Gen- eral Assembly youth services.


My dad trained me in a personal evan- gelism class as he had learned it from Dr. Charles Beach. While I was a student at Lee College, Dr. Elmer Odom’s New Testa- ment class taught me a lot.


Where are churches weak in their dis- cipleship efforts?


We are too event-oriented. Events are not what the Great Commission is all about—discipleship is a process. Following the secular education model, churches have allowed programming to separate us. In some churches, children and youth are never with their family or the larger faith community. We have baby dedi- cations in which the congregation pledges to help nurture the child, but afterward the church family never sees the child.


How can the local church improve its discipleship ministry?


Provide more intergenerational worship opportunities and offer resources for parents.


“When Tony and I met, the Lord connected his heart to mine, giving him a burden to care for me and help me achieve my calling in Christ Jesus. Tony supports me in prayer, and helps provide for my material, spiritual, and emotional needs. He is there for me.” —Ghita


Tony with Ghita at Rangers Ballpark


EVANGEL | November 2010 17


We need relationship building between generations, following the Acts 2 model. The older generation should mentor the younger ones. We should recognize the talents and gifts of children at an early age, and help develop those abilities. Local churches need to eliminate what is unnecessary and get back to Great Com- mission basics. The purpose must be to develop devoted followers of Christ.


What encouraging signs do you see? There is a great hunger for studying the Bible. People desire to know God and His Word. As I visit different churches, I see various discipleship models being used.


How would you start a discipleship ministry in a local church? First, I would survey people to dis- cover their biblical literacy and knowledge of doctrine. Next, I would ask if people


Last year I met a young Christian from a Muslim country who is now studying at a Church of God school. He asked me, “Since I cannot have regular contact with my father, will you call me your son, and may I call you ‘Dad’?” Of course I said yes. I am regularly talking with this young man on Skype, answering the many ques- tions he has as a new convert in an under- ground church.


Some of the other internationals I am mentoring are Solomon in India; Johnny in Spain; Melbon from the Philippines; Ari in Mongolia; Robin from Nepal; Ghita from Romania; and some young men who have grown up in the Alfa y Omega Orphanage in Poza Rica, Mexico. Facebook, Skype, information avail- able on the Internet, networking, and hav- ing an accountability plan are means to disciple individuals who live far away. I developed a heart for missions from the missionaries who visited our home when I was growing up, and that passion continues to burn in me.


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