Assignment Title: Christian Pastors Have Official Duties Ranging From the Holy to the
Mundane
Course: CHMN 699 - Internship
Student: Kristine Sage
2022
Professor: Dr. Mary Smith
Liberty University
Christian Pastors Have Official Duties Ranging From the Holy to the Mundane
Of course, not everything pastors do from day to day is completely profound. There is a lot
of basic, menial tasks to be done in the average ministry which also fall to their shoulders.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
~ James 4:10
You’ll have to be as cheerful and eager to perform those small works as any grand gestures
of charity and salvation. But exactly what those tasks are will be different for different kinds of
ministry.
Ministry Jobs in Churches Offer Blessings to Communities Large and Small
Ministry jobs in churches tend to have a more regular set of duties and responsibilities than
foreign missions. These can be split amongst several priests or end up on the plate of a single
parson depending on the size and organization of the church. The specifics can also vary with
the size of the church, since handling bookkeeping and budgeting in a large parish can take on
some of the same challenges as running a medium sized business.
But in general a church ministry job will involve duties such as:
Managing the church facilities and property – Although the most important parts of the
church are the people, there is often a considerable investment made in buildings and property
where worship services and other activities are conducted. The minister usually takes on some
level of responsibility for maintaining and managing the physical plant of the church, whether it
involves raking leaves or replacing shingles.
Delivering sermons and counseling – Ministers are expected to spread the Word and
provide comfort and guidance. Most church-goers receive their education and guidance
through weekly sermons, so many ministers put a great deal of effort into finding the right
subjects, honing their message, and perfecting their delivery for regular services. But they also
lead small study groups in discipleship and should always be available for individual
consultation and counseling.
Officiating at religious ceremonies – Ministers lend the Lord’s blessing to any number of
different formal ceremonies, ranging from baptisms to weddings to funerals. Although this
doesn’t take up a lot of time, it does put them front and center in the minds of the people
involved. Whether it’s making a joyous occasion more incredible or a tragic one more tolerable,
ministers have an important job standing as representatives of the Lord in these moments.
Selecting and overseeing musical worship – Sometimes singing the praises of the Lord
means literally singing. Ministers are often responsible for choosing and leading hymns and
other music to bring joy and spread faith. In larger churches, worship ministers may take this
job on as the greater part of their responsibilities, using both musical sensibility and technical
mastery of audiovisual equipment to design and choreograph elaborate musical presentations.
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
~ Psalms 105:2
Leading parishioners on field trips – Education is an important duty in the eyes of the Lord
and of your flock. Just like in school, sometimes the most memorable teaching moments come
when you get outside the classroom (or church, in this case) and see first-hand evidence of
God’s works and glory. From local trips to weeks-long journeys to the Holy Land, ministers are
responsible for organizing and leading these trips.
Performing charitable works – Even ministers working in churches try to do as much
charitable work as possible. From visiting the sick in hospitals to spearheading food drives,
there is a remarkable amount of good that can be accomplished for the community when a
spirited minister inspires their congregation to pull together and contribute.
Performing missionary work in their community and elsewhere – A minister is a preacher,
spreading the Word wherever they go. Some ministers never leave their own parish, focusing
their attention on a regular congregation of the faithful and recruiting to those ranks. Others
may be called to spend their lives seeking out non-believers in the furthest corners of the
world, testifying to the salvation He offers and the miracle of Christ.
Living a life in Christ is about more than saying great things about God; it’s also about
reflecting God’s love on those most in need of it. The sick, the poor, and the hungry are all
among those groups who ministers have special need to watch out for and assist.
Meeting the Qualifications for Christian Ministry Jobs
While searching your soul for the peace and dedication necessary to minister to others is
crucial, and building your knowledge and skills through college-level studies is important, at the
end of the day your qualifications for a ministry job will be judged by the church or religious
organization you apply to.
Those organizations will look for all the essential skills and qualifications you need for the
job, but they also usually have a number of other steps you will need to fulfill to be considered
for a full-time position as a minister.
To start with, most minister jobs require that you become ordained by your faith.
Ordination itself can be a lengthy process with a number of important requirements, including:
Earn an appropriate degree in divinity
Belong to the church for a certain number of years before applying
Receive the endorsement of a number of church elders, including undergoing interviews
Pass written examinations of your knowledge of Bible verses and church doctrine
Pass oral exams testing your theological reasoning and personal calling
Becoming ordained is a necessary step in receiving the blessing of your church to perform
official ceremonies and conduct sermons and counseling with congregants. There are several
levels to ordination in most Christian denominations, and depending on the ministry job you
are called to, you may need to ascend through the ranks to achieve the right level of service.
Of course, ordination may only be an intermediate step along the way to a ministry job.
You will likely also have to apply for and be interviewed for specific jobs themselves. That can
involve demonstrating entirely different sets of skills, particularly for missionary work, as well as
undergoing other interviews and sometimes interim periods as a candidate where you will be
tested on the job.
Not all minister jobs require becoming ordained, but as you look for positions of higher
responsibility or more independence, you’ll find that is a common requirement.
