During the first full week of January since 1967, Seventh Day Baptists around the world have united in prayer by using the SDB Week of Prayer booklet. This year’s theme is based on Acts 4:23-31 and is titled “The Meeting Place was Shaken.”
About the Author John J. Pethtel
John was born in a small town in West Virginia in the United States. He started attending the Salem (WV) SDB Church after an invitation from a school friend to a summer children’s program. Through the SCSC (Summer Christian Service Corps) ministry of the SDB General Conference of the USA & Canada, he came to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior through a salvation message shared at a SDB summer camp (Camp JOY) at the age of 13. He was baptized in 1994.
John felt a call to pastoral ministry beginning at the age of 17 and his church licensed him to preach. John has served in pastoral ministry for almost 20 years in churches in West Virginia, Michigan, Maryland, Georgia, and Colorado.
Pastor John is a graduate of Salem International University (formerly Salem College in Salem, WV) with a Bachelor of Arts degree (Management of Not-for-Profit Organizations), Capital Bible Seminary (Lanham, MD) with a Certificate in Theology, Denver Seminary (Littleton, CO) with a Master of Divinity degree (Philosophy of Religion emphasis), and is currently a doctoral student at Denver Seminary studying Church and Parachurch Executive Leadership.
He is currently employed by the SDB General Conference of USA & Canada as their Director of Church Development & Pastoral Services, while also serving as Pastor of Stewardship at SpringsLife Church and as Vice President for North America for the SDB World Federation. John has been married for 15 years to his beloved bride, Tabatha. They have two children, Xavier and Addison, and reside in Colorado Springs, CO.
Acts 4:23-31
23 And being let go, they came to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said unto them.
24 And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, O Lord, thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is:
25 who by the Holy Spirit, `by' the mouth of our father David thy servant, didst say, Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples imagine vain things?
26 The kings of the earth set themselves in array, And the rulers were gathered together, Against the Lord, and against his Anointed:
27 for of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together,
28 to do whatsoever thy hand and thy council foreordained to come to pass.
29 And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness,
30 while thy stretchest forth thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of thy holy Servant Jesus.
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness.