I am very interested in the reasoning behind having to wait seven years from the
pastor in order to confirm your calling that you felt, was it because you were
young? Did he wait seven years for everyone or just you? I also agree that the
desire to teach is quite an essential component when being called to the ministry.
The affirmation given in the examples that you showed over possible favoritism
and when others just do not listen, as teachers we are put on display for all to
see, we need to continually be in prayer on not only the calling but where we are
to serve out that calling, maybe the church that does not respect the pastor,
needs help from the spirit or the pastor needs to go where the church is more
receptive, there are many churches that have boards that will push good pastors
out however we need to remember that “preaching and teaching God’s word has a
way of stripping ministers bare; it exposes us and puts our gifting on public
display.”[1] As you mentioned “the desire to teach is an essential component
when called to the ministry.” a a
In reading your post I found myself wondering how your call to ministry compared to
what was outlined as the model necessary by Allen. Do you have the unquenchable
thirst for preaching and teaching the word of God to the people in order to fulfill the
Great Commission? a In Jeremiah 1:5 it tells us, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew
you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the
nations” (Jeremiah 1:5, ESV), in this vain God has destined each of us to fulfill his plan
and he has given each of us spiritual gifts to accomplish his mission. In many ways my
call to ministry mimics that refenced by Allen and left me unable to focus on other goals
and dreams until I fulfilled that for which I was pre-ordained to complete. You noted that
“the idea of sacrilege or faithlessness connected to questioning something as serious as
a call to ministry is an outdated congregational notion which should never have survived
in the first place.” a Although I did not fully understand what you meant by
“congregational,” I think the notion of not asking questions is more connected with the
modern Pentecostal movement than anything else, especially the word of faith
movement. a There is a great need for potential pastors to assess themselves to see if
they qualify for the ministry. a One can see the great need for qualified pastors in our
current evangelical milieu. a The failure of Christian leaders who have been so publicized
should motivate churches to be more diligent in making sure that their leaders are called
and qualified ministers of God’s Word. a Allen gives a great observation, writing, “Every
pastor is a steward of God's glory, and every pastor influences his church, for better or
worse.”[1] I think this is an important concept to remember for every church looking for
a new pastor. a Thank you again for your post, and may the Lord bless your studies at
Liberty.
a a a a a a a a a a a a [1] Jason K Allen, Discerning Your Call to Ministry (Chicago: Moody
Publishers, 2016, 2016), 61.
