My name is Harry Shields. I am an adjunct professor at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL. My calling is to proclaim the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that my hearers will know the living Christ and desire to make Him known to others.
From the time I was young I have always been engaged in the ministries of the local church. I have been privileged over the years to serve His Church as a teacher, an elder and Pastor. It is my conviction that the church is the treasury of God's truth. Christ has called His saints within the context of the local church to make His will and ways known to the world.
Pastoral Ministry
I have served in three different pastoral roles over a forty year time frame. I have served pastorates in Illinois, Colorado, and Wisconsin. In each of these roles I have served as the senior or lead pastor. My love for preaching has equipped me to think about how people receive and process information. In turn, the things that I have discovered as a preacher have uniquely prepared me as a teacher. Even within the context of pastoral duties like counseling and visitation, I approach the event with "teaching" in mind. That is, I ask myself what it is that God wants to communicate and how does He want me to present the information in a unique moment of time.
Teaching
My undergraduate degree is in education, with an emphasis on special education. My first vocational experiences were in the classrooms of Eastern Pennsylvania. In 1972 I enrolled in the Th.M degree program at Dallas Theological Seminary. Following graduation I taught for one year as a member of the Pastoral Theology Faculty at DTS. While serving Immanuael Baptist Church in Denver, Colorado, I was invited to teach at Western Bible College. Over a two year time span I taught courses in Hermeneutics and Homiletics. Then in 1983 I was invited to serve as an adjunct faculty member at Denver Seminary, teaching several sections of homiletics. In 1985 I was invited to become a full-time faculty member at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois, where I served for sixteen years. I continue to serve as an adjunct faculty member with the Moody Theological Seminary.
Writing
I have written several articles and contributed to three books that are currently used in theological education within seminaries and churches.
* Moody Bible Commentary. 2014.
* The Practice of Spiritual Formation. 2008.
* Caring for Souls, Counseling Under the Authority of God's Word. 2001.
* From 1995 to 2000 I was the theology writer for Today in the Word.
* I have written articles for Moody Monthly.
* I developed courses for the former Moody Correspondence School.
Christian Broadcasting
From 1997 to 1999 I served as the guest host for the Moody Broadcasting Network program "Open Line." I also was the teacher for a weekly MBN segment, "The Two-Minute Seminary." While serving in pastoral ministry in Wisconsin I recorded a series of daily broadcasts known as "Think Again" that aired for 10 years and reached over 500,000 households in Northeastern Wisconsin.
Spiritual Life and Practices
I love the Word of God and have always enjoyed studying the Scriptures in depth. It is my practice to read the scriptures chronologically throughout the course of any given year. I also place a high priority on the ministry of prayer. This ministry of intercession is both mysterious and powerful. One cannot persuade anyone else of the claims of the gospel without prayer and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
Spiritual Conversion
I came to faith in Christ as an elementary age student through the ministry of a summer camp. Following my conversion I had a number of people encourage me to consider pastoral ministry as my vocation. Like many young people, there were a lot of options suitable to my talents and skills. During my college years I acquired a degree in education and served as a Speech and Hearing Pathologist in the public schools of Lancaster County, PA. It was during my teaching career that I met my wife Carol. The Lord Jesus was working powerfully in her life and subsequently in my own. Through the influence of a godly pastor, we sensed God calling us to vocational ministry.