Minister
V. D. M. or V.D.M. is a religious initialism variously derived from the similar Latin expressions verbi dei minister or verbum dei minister or verbi divini minister or even verbi divini magister, typically appended as a name suffix to a person's full name to denote his status (sometimes self-determined) as a "minister of the divine word". The typically informal designation emphasizes that the holder has accepted responsibility toward the Bible and preaching the Bible. The appellation may be used:
- practically, by a person who acts as a minister or a lay minister despite not having an actual university degree
- situationally, to momentarily emphasize that a minister holding a Doctor of Divinity or Doctor of Theology degree (for example), is or was not distracted by a wish for prominence or by merely esoteric concerns
- conscientiously, as an alternative for those who sincerely believe terms such as "Reverend" are unwise or immodest
Articles regarding this usage may not be in English:
- Verbi Dei Minister, a Watch Tower Society accreditation program beginning about 1913; early predecessor to Jehovah's Witnesses Theocratic Ministry School.
- Verbi divini minister in Dutch
- Verbi divini minister in Slovenian
Read more about this topic: Vdm
Famous quotes containing the word minister:
“[T]he dignity of parliament it seems can brook no opposition to it’s power. Strange that a set of men who have made sale of their virtue to the minister should yet talk of retaining dignity!”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
“But, my dear, you cannot live in isolation from the human race, you know.”
—John Clifford, U.S. screenwriter, and Herk Harvey. Minister (Stan Levitt)
“Just let him be minister if that’s what he desires, but without his brother and his brother-in-law.”
—Franz Grillparzer (1791–1872)