Call to ministry

Great question.

While I feel that there are many areas of ministry, I feel that I am seeing many more people going into non-leadership ministry than before.

Ironic ...

 

God might not call individuals to remain in a particular ministry their entire lives.

E.g.--Youth ministers: you can't really be a 60 year old youth minister.

 

You can't?

 

Why can't you be a 60 year old youth minister??

 

Would you believe 50?

 

Nope, would you?

 

Actually, I think that is a good thing. It should cause use to move them to a good place of training where God can deal with them in a very specific way. Many who get to Bible College get there to find that God wants them to do something different than they first imagined.

Too many pastors today also do not take seriously their responsibility to train those called into ministry. Many pastors are very reluctant to allow one who wants to follow God to do much more than teach a Sunday School. The pastors seem to ignore rather than to pour those called to full time ministry.

 

You are absolutely right. However there are many churches who feel they are entitled to a pastor and many who feel called. Called to take a dead church which is lazy and loves their building.

Jonathan Edwards took his ministry so seriously that quite a number didn't like it too well. But so did Jesus and Paul. Too many conservatives in the church are proud of their doctrine but are afraid to share their faith and take a stance for Christ.

Personally I think many pastors today expect too little from the people who call themselves Christians. They help them to continue to name the name of Christ and yet be babes in their faith.

Many churches today need to learn what a real believer looks like. They need to have a leader who burns with passion and exudes Jesus.

A preacher is one who leads men from what they want to what they need.
Ralph Washington Sockman (1889-1970)

A prepared messenger is more important than a prepared message.
Robert Boyd Munger (1910- )

Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen, such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of God upon the earth.
John Wesley (1703-1791)

 

I am from the older bunch where we felt called to a specific ministry, though many found as they were preparing that God redirected some to other specific ministries.

Paul seemed to have a real burden for some specific areas of ministry. The idea of the gifts, in my mind tends to bear on the subject. if you are gifted as an evangelist, it is hard to just fill a pulpit teaching the word, likewise a pastor usually doesn't feel comfortable in the long haul evangelizing only.

I felt a call to become a preacher, and the first year of Bible college told everyone I was going to pastor. Wasn't long before I was aimed toward being a missionary, but ended up realizing my gift was teaching. The pastoral and missionary periods were tremendous training for my actual ministry, teaching. (The fact that I ended up teaching in a missionary situation is another story

God may redirect so that the training He wants is present when you finally get into your ministry.

Personal opinion, there has been a watering down of the gifts to where being called to ministry may mean running the sound board smoothly. Many view anything you do as a gift from God. Running the sound board smoothly may be a ministry to the Lord, but it isn't what we normally call "the ministry."

Why would some use the general term "I'm called to ministry" - don't know - ask them. Maybe they just feel called to do something for God and have no real direction yet, maybe they haven't been trained in the Word enough to know what being in the ministry means, and maybe it is just a twenty four dollar phrase of our current generation - you know, like interfacing - a buzz word for witnessing????? Who knows, I'd ask

 

I knew I was called to preach when

(1) I woke up one mornin' and didn't want to get out of bed

and

(2) I was cravin' fried chicken!!

 

We are currently having a great discussion of this very topic in the Baptist Theology and Bible Study Debate Forum under the thread entitled: God's Effectual Call?

Likn: http://www.baptistboard.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/3/3173.html

Since the Pastoral Ministries section is in the Baptist Fellowship Forum this this not the proper place to debate over the idea of being "called." Yet, I would welcome input into the discussion in the Baptist Debate Forum.

 

I served as Miniser of Music ( song leader, choir director, music man, whatever you choose to call me ) for 20 years before I felt God's call to the pastorate. I was so glad that I had a double major in college - music and Bible. I went back to seminary in order to train more for the pastoral ministry.
I was in the position that God wanted me in for those 20 years - I'm sure of that. But then He wanted more. The past 15 years have been filled with wonder and grace since I pastored my first church. He has lead me on a path of continued learning, and this I have been able to pass on to my congregations.

Bill