How did you find your job?

I don't have a "job" in ministry right now, but I do preach for other Baptist pastors in the area when they are on vacation. The way I got involved was going to fellowship meetings with my pastor. You can meet Pastors in the area, and from there you can find out about where the needs for ministry are.

 

Brice,

I do not currently pastor full-time. I work a secular job in addition to my pastoral duties. I found this church through a friend of mine, and originally did not intend to come here. I wanted instead to go to one of the several churches that offered me a salary.

 

I began merely as a leader of a discipleship class in January 2003. I was beginning doctoral school that fall and working as a counselor, primarily of adolescents. In the summer, I was offered a job as a summer intern. By August, the church had given me the job of "Director of Middle School Ministries" (I don't think our student minister liked middle schoolers that much...)

So I worked there part-time, as a counselor part-time, and school full-time. (I didn't have much extra time, of course.) In the Spring, I felt God calling me to fulltime ministry. I withdrew from UF and resigned my job as a counselor and worked a part-time job full-time hours (if that makes sense.)

In September, a church was very close to calling me to be their full-time youth minister in Atlanta. All that was needed was my "yes," but I didn't feel that God was leading me that way, as much as I wanted him to. I stuck around, not knowing how I was going to continue paying the bills at my part-time salary.

The next month, our minister of youth was coaxed into leaving (that sounds better than asked to leave, right?) On October 1, they made me the Interim Minister of Students, and never had anyone else apply. I was ordained and made the Minister of Students a few months later, and I'm still around.

It's been a great ride!

 

Before coming to my present ministry I was out of pastoral ministry for 5 years. That period was a very difficult one for me, and I had to learn to trust God's timing and allow Him to open the door back into pastoral ministry when it was His time.

We moved our membership to another church during this time and I became involved in that ministry. I was teaching an adult Sunday School class and one Sunday a pastor was in our class from out of state while on vacation. We got to talking about my situation and he offered to take my resume and pass it along to the state director of the association he was in in Michigan. A year went by and I heard nothing. I assumed he had forgotten about it or the state director buried it. Then I got a call from a church in OH. My resume had worked its way from Michigan to this church. One thing led to another and it was apparent God was opening this door.

As I said, I learned I had to wait on God. When its His time the right doors will open. I had been trying to push doors open and it never worked.

 

I am interested in ministry, specifically that of a pastor. However, I do not necessarily feel that I am called to "full time" ministry.

The reason is that God has opened just as many doors for me in the business world (by starting a technology company) that I kind of wonder what God's purpose for me really is.

My education (Bachelor's degree) is in Pastoral studies, but my work experience is software engineering and testing.

So, I really can't say what God has in store for me yet. I think in terms of the parable of the talents... God has entrusted each of us with something, and it is our responsibility to be faithful. I continue to develop my technical and business skills as well as ministry.

 

Friend or newspaper.

 

I talked to my pastor(I was interning, voulenteer position) so he knew I was feeling led back home to MI. I was contacted by the DOM for the Northland Association here in MI. I was laso contacted by a church in a neighboring association. (never put out an ad or answered any in MI either.) Family felt this may be an opened door or maybe a window... Placed our house up for sale at the price we believed was reasonable and left it to God. # weeks later we had a date for the sale to close and we packed and came here.
I preached for 2 churches and they did not work out. So we attended a church where I knew the pastor, and filled pulpets a few times. One of those churches felt we were a good fit and so did we. I have been here a year now and it is home. I plan to stay in this church in this small rural community for as long as God will permit it.

So, it just kind of fell together for my family and I.. Only took 4 and a half months of living in a motor home with a family of 5. Wondering if we were mistaken about where, or of calling or....

He likes to stretch us. That is how we grow. If you are truly called, He will make it clear to you. Sometimes as clear as mud and sometimes so clear you can see it all... Trust in him.

 

My denomination's state association has a website where, among other announcements, posts all open pulpits in the state.
I called the head deacon of the church, set up a date to candidate for the church, and then let God lead. He will put you where He wants you.

 

I was out of full-time ministry for about 5 years.

I began teaching at a Community College (music, religion and humanities) as an adjunct then as full-time. While adjunct I also worked a part-time retail job and a part-time music ministry posiiton.

Wjile at my full-time teaching posiiton (at which I was very happy) a friend of mine (a mentor) sent me ane-mail that the church in whcich he grew up was looking for a music minister. My wife and I prayed about it and felt I should submit my resume.

The Pastor called and we had a nice chat. The committe chairman called and we had a nice chat. INterviews and visits were set up. All went well.

God knew the time wqas right for me to return to full-time ministry.

I like telling people that my decision to come here was both the easiest decision I ever made and one of the hardest. It was the first time I lecft a posiiton in which I was happy to go to better one.

thanks for asking the question.

Tim

 

With the exception of two church situations that I sought out while in college and seminary, all five of my pastoral calls have come to me. I have never sent out a resume (though I don't think that is necessarily wrong). Someone contacted me and asked me to consider that pastoral ministry and through the candidating process I became the pastor. I did not find them, they found me!

 

Hey it's encouraging to hear some your stories. I'm currently waiting in virtual obscurity myself. But I haven't a single positive break like some of you all that have been on the 5 year waiting plan. Honestly, I felt like giving up on ministry. I'm curious about your 5 year waiting stints. Were there a lot of leads that came to nothing? Did you continue to apply to vacant churches during a 5 year waiting period? Did you continue to just minister in local congregations the entire time?

If you don't care to answer publicly, at least send me a PM, you'd really be helping a fellow minister in need.

 

BaptistXenos, As one who referred to being on the "five year plan" I would be happy to respond to your questions. First, I would challenge you not to give up on ministry. I felt the same way many times while out of ministry myself. Now that I am back in pastoral ministry I could not be happier or enjoy my church anymore than I do.

When I resigned my previous pastorate, I never anticipated I would be out of ministry for so long. I did all that I could possibly do to find another pastorate. I followed up every lead that came my way. But the harder I tried the more frustrated I became as doors did not open. It was either the church showed no interest in me, or the ones that did I knew they would not be a good fit (those were the hardest - walking away from a potential place of ministry was extremely difficult.) I shared my story earlier so I won't repeat what I have already writtten, but I did "give up" the search for a brief period of time in those 5 years. I too was ready to give up on pastoral ministry (even went to a carreer counselor). But God would not let me walk away. The desire was too great and the tug of the Spirit was too strong. I knew I would have to be back in the pastorate, but I had to learn to wait for God's time. Again let me say, when the time was right, the doors came open. They will for you as well. Don't give up. Stay faithful where you are now. God still knows where you are and when He is ready He will guide you to the place of His perfect choosing.

 

Here's my story:

This is the short version.

I was trying to move to Wake Forest, NC to attend seminary full time but could not find a job (I applied to over 60). I could not just go up there because I am married and have to pay bills and can not take just any job due to degenerative discs I could not work with EMS anymore nor could I do any lifting. I started looking for churches as I had been doing for five years but did not have any open doors except for the few that I knew for a fact God did not want me to take.

Fast forward....

I was about to have to take some short term disability (at 26 yrs old) but God worked then. My mother of all people has bad Rheumatoid Arthritis and needed oil in her car. One day she went to a local shop, bought oil and they refused to put it in her car because they were too busy. She was told to go next door to a tire and service center and asked if they could put some oil in her car. The lady that worked their had someone do it and while he was putting oil in the car she noticed a fish on their business and they started talking about church. The woman's husband was on the board of deacons at a church that had been seeking a pastor for a while and of course my mom said, "My baby boy is a minister." They asked for my name and next thing I know I'm preaching one a Sunday morning then another and for about a month then they voted and had a 90% vote for me. I'm a full-time pastor at a church that I wasn't looking for. God placed me here. It is like home to me. This is where God wanted me. He worked on me for a long time. I guess I was never ready until He said I was.

The amazing thing is one of the interims I have done was at a little church down the road from this one. My wife and I rode by a church and I said, "That's a church like I would like to pastor someday." 3 years down the road this was the exact church God let me start the full time ministry at. Honestly, I never remembered that until after I was called here full time.

Sorry the short version is so long.