becoming a preacher

In my experience it worked like this:

1. You feel called by God to be a preacher.
2. Your local church (if you are Baptist or free church) or denomination (for most others) acknowledges and affirms your call by ordaining you. This step could be very easy and short (as it is for most Baptists) or it could be long and arduous (as it is for Presbyterians and others). You may be expected to go to seminary, take an ordination exam, or face an ordination council before being ordained, depending on your denomination.
3. Look for every single opportunity to preach, no matter when or where. Preach at nursing homes, to youth groups, to country churches, in prisons...wherever. Fill in for other pastors who are ill or out of town (if you are Baptist it would be good to contact your area's director of missions and have him put you on the substitute preacher list; I assume that you would do something similar in other denominations). The best way to get better at preaching is to actually preach!
4. If you feel called to be a pastor, then find a church that needs a pastor and send them a resume. They will likely want to hear you preach before hiring you, so work out a time and place with them so that they can hear you. You could also plant a church instead, which means that you would start a church from scratch.
5. If you feel called to be an evangelist (i.e., a traveling preacher), then contact churches and let them know that you are available for revivals, etc. It will probably be slow going at first, but if you are any good, word will spread and you will get more chances to preach.

 

Start with your pastor.

 

StefanM gave great advice! Many people confuse the "call to ministry" with a desire to have an intimate and real relationship with Jesus. Some people assume that being a preacher means you are more spiritual, so they try to do it for that reason. Talking to your pastor may help you decipher if what you are feeling is a call to preach or a call to a more authentic relationship with Jesus.

 

If you are really serious about it, talk with the pastor right away.

Also, talk to your friends and family about it. God gives us Christian community so that we can be held accountable and so that we won't make crazy, rash decisions without thinking about it fully.

 

Eclectic is fine. The greatest Texas Baptist preacher, George W. Truett, didn't even feel the call from God at the start. His church asked him to be ordained without him even yet knowing that that was exactly what God wanted from him! All of our paths are windy...

 

If you don't mind, explain.

It would be helpful to know more about your circumstance. Are you joining a new church? Have you discussed this with anyone in leadership at your church?

 

Your site states you are already ordained. Although this question is a simple one, one with your stated experience should have an answer already I would think.

Jamie


From your site: http://americanworldview.tripod.com/id1.html

Frederick holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science/History from the University of Maryland University College and a MA in Apologetics & Christian Philosophy from Trinity Theological Seminary, Newburgh, Indiana.


Frederick is a regular , and WebCommentary.com, as well as numerous others. His commentaries have also been published by The Free Congress Foundation and CNSNews.com. Back in the 20th Century, Frederick use to publish letters and op-eds in suburban Maryland newspapers, but took to the web to provide greater distribution of his work and to avoid the wrath of neighborhood malcontents. Frederick is also an ordained Non-Denominational Minister and listed in Who's Who In America.

Frederick's interests include Apologetics, Worldview Application, Terrorism Studies, Education Policy, America's and Western Civilization's Judeo-Christian Foundations, Ecology, Science Fiction, Futurology, and Aberrant Theologies & Ideologies. In the future, he plans to continue publishing his commentaries, compile them into a self-publihsed book, and hopefully to write more fictional short stories.


Commentary on The American WorldView Dispatch represents the views of Frederick B. Meekins. Links to stories on other webpages represent the journalistic output of the respective sources and are provided to foster an understanding of the world today. In other words, they aren't his responsibility.

 

The question could of been asked more to see what others would say. Just a thought.

Othewise, I'm not sure the reason for the question- after reading the website info.

Maybe he was ordained but never preached. I guess that could happen???

 

A question I would have is have you taught a SS class or a Wednesday night Bible study? And if you have, how was it received? Do other people agree that you can preach?

Another part of it is do you like to study? Do you enjoy the hard work of taking a passage, finding out what it means through word studies and putting together a sermon in a manner that is understandable to the people listening. Preaching is more than just delivery.

 

[ Preaching is more than just delivery.[/QUOTE]


That is one of the truest things I've read.

Here is a quote about that.

"Buy books and study. We don’t need any more well-dressed, hip, funny, heretics. Who cares how you say it if what you’re saying is wrong!!" :applause: :thumbs: