The Beliefs of John Robert Stevens

What is personal ministry? Personal ministry is the experiencing or receiving of a scriptural experience of blessing through the spiritual help of one or more ministries in the Body of Christ.¹

Stevens used as an example of personal ministry the story of Ananias ministering to Saul the salvation of the Lord, healing his blindness, administering water baptism, and imparting the Holy Spirit (Acts 22:12-16). Ananias ministered to Saul exactly what he needed. Rather than ministering in a generalized way, personal ministry is focused on the needs of an individual for his or her particular life and situations. Personal ministry is closely related to the principle of impartation.

Stevens felt that personal ministry should be primarily concerned with a person’s relationship with the Lord, and not focused on trivial issues. One aspect of personal ministry is the identification of a believer’s spiritual gifts and calling in the Lord. In some ways, personal ministry could be understood as a public blessing.

A vital aspect which makes personal ministry effective is the person’s submission to the Word of God.

Since they are seeking for a word from the Lord, there must be a submission in them to do whatever the Lord says. They are not seeking for a word to confirm what they want to do, or the whole ministry is frustrated right at that point.²

Stevens cautioned against personal ministry without confirmation, believing that a Word from God must be confirmed by two or three witnesses (II Corinthians 13:1).

The term personal ministry appears 98 times in Stevens’ written materials.