Ministry changed me

Meet the master’s student who’s now a church president

Pr Ben Martin is a changed man, but not in the way you’d expect. “I’ve lost almost all my ideals. There’s really only one that remains: God is good.”

The Master of Arts (Theology) student entered ministry as highly idealistic and with a black and white view of the world, “but I look back and see the massive contradictions in my life. Effectively, I decided what ideals would be important. I based a lot of these on constructions of how I thought things should be and of what I wanted for myself.” He’s grateful for the patience of his mentors who helped on his journey of discovery and development and strives to be as patient with others. Comparing what we think the world is to what it actually is can be disappointing, he notes. “Some give up and get cynical but coming out the other side can be rich and rewarding.” Several “baseline truths” now provide the foundation for Ben’s ministry. “God is with me, He is good, and He has called me to this place.”

This place as of August 1 this year is actually a position: President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s South New Zealand Conference. Plucked from his pastoral role at Bishopdale, Ben feels humbled but honoured to support the vision of the conference—to know Jesus, to live for and with Him, and to serve others in His name. “I would like to see churches thriving—being innovative—preserving our unique Adventist message, while facing up to the realities of the world and modern life,” he says.

With more responsibility at work, postgraduate study at Avondale and young family at home (wife Lenka and sons Zach and Josh), the reality for Ben is keeping things in balance. To do that, he has to think seasonally. “There are times when I’m active and present and times when I’m not. Thank goodness the seasons change.” For the first time, though, he’s exercising regularly having found a group of guys who invited him to their gym. The connectivity and activity is a gift. “I can get into my work with a clear mind having worked out my body.”

Since graduating in 2006, Ben served the church in North New Zealand as an intern at Manna Park, pastor at Hamilton and Cambridge, school chaplain at Hamilton, and regional pastor in Waikato and Bay of Plenty before accepting a call to South New Zealand in 2019. He values his Avondale experience for “contributing to my development as a pastor and a leader” and has returned to “challenge my thinking.” After 15 years in ministry, “I’m at the stage where about 90 per cent of what I do I’ve done before. It seems it has to be this way because the demands on my time force me to economise, which leads to closed loops—doing something the same way thinking it’s the only way. But the world keeps changing and I want to keep up. I want to engage and wrestle with concepts and ideas again.”

Ben is wise enough to understand that even these need adaptation. “Theory is good but once you get into the field you see how it plays out in practice. While you can experiment in an academic setting, you have less freedom in personal and professional settings. For the people affected by your decisions, this is their church, their faith, their life, their story. The ramifications are real.” So, he acknowledges his need for the wisdom of God through the example of Jesus and the leading of the Holy Spirit. “I realise what a privilege it is for people to allow me into their life to influence their faith.”