For those of you who have read my columns, you may know the answer to this question. Most of you do not. Doulos is the word in Greek that the apostle Paul uses in Romans 1:1 when he says, “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ.” Some translations use the term slave.

I accepted the call to be a full-time minister of the gospel in March of 1974. That means I have been on that road for over fifty years. At first, I thought He wanted me to be a pastor. After two years at Southwest Baptist College, I earned a degree in religion and wanted God to show me what to do next. Cindy and I were married, and He did not want me to go to seminary, which is the normal path for a pastor.

I took a part-time job while still in school and later went full-time with that company. I preached when I could, taught small groups, and ultimately became a deacon in our church. Cindy and I have worked together in the cup of cold-water ministry at the Ozark Empire Fair under the Greene County Baptist Association, as well as in other ministries.

It took me a few years to understand that my calling was not to a pulpit at a church, but to business, and I realized I was a workplace minister. This is what many of you are. We are all ministers in some way. Teachers, businesspeople, and even students can be workplace ministers. When I wrote my memoir ten years ago, the title Jesus gave me was Doulos.

Douloi must serve others. They do this in their marriages, families, and work lives. Have you noticed that this website is Douloigroup.org? When I decided to purchase my own URL, I felt led to name it after my book. I have at least two other books in progress with a version of this word in their names.

Douloi Marriage and Douloi Families are my ideas of how the concept of Christian service in marriage and family life can be incorporated into our lives. I include these ideas in my columns as I know many of you have noticed over the years. These books have written themselves in my life as I just lived it in Christ.

What has Jesus asked you to incorporate into your life as service to him and others? I’ve spent years as a friend and listener to everyone I have worked with for over fifty years now. Both at the companies I worked for and those that I encountered on the job.

If you would like to read the entire story, I have included Doulos in my premium materials that you can read by subscribing for one month for a dollar or a year for ten. The other manuscripts I am working on are also posted there. This subscription will also add you to my e-mail list so I can advise you of any book releases or special offers.

©Copyright 2026 by Charles Kensinger