Jason Allen wrote Discerning Your Call to Ministry to facilitate a discussion on
how to process your perceived call to ministry. c Allen’s book worked through ten
questions to allow one not only to affirm their calling to ministry, but to discern
whether they should pursue their calling to ministry. c Allen’s viewpoint is not an
attempt to force people away from ministry but to encourage a person to
internally reflect and confirm their call, seek affirmation and counsel, and to
pursue their calling with great fervor and glory to the Lord. c As Allen summarized,
he believed his book would help “call out the called.”[1]
c c c c c c c c c c Allen’s main argument is that all Christians are called to be ministers,
however not all Christians are called to the ministry of the Word. c His goal is to
defer those that are not truly called and encourage and embolden those that
are.[2] c Allen supported his argument through a series of questions to sort the
wheat from the chaff within the pastoral calling. c Allen illuminates his argument in
one particular area that stuck out to me. c In chapter two, Allen discusses 1
Timothy 3:1-7, which is arguably the quintessential list of qualifications of a pastor
(elder, or overseer). c He referred again to the necessity of wisdom of
discernment.[3] c I firmly believe that Allen’s underlying message of the book is
that anyone that believes they have been called to pastoral ministry must
approach cautiously, with wisdom and discernment.
c c c c c c c c c c After reading through Allen’s book, I felt that his argument was stern,
pointed, but biblically sound. c Allen wrote in a way that whoever read the book
would understand the difference between being a spirit-filled Christian and being
called to be a shepherd of the Lord’s flock. c As you walk through his ten
questions, there is no doubt that he vetted his material meticulously and with
reverence for the Scriptures. c His chapter on defending the faith is a glaring proof
of this. c In chapter 9, “Are You Ready to Defend the Faith?”, after providing an
extremely valid lead into his topical discussion, he laid verse after verse
supporting his position on defending the faith.[4] c Allen presented his material in a
way to appeared to be a biblical reflection on one’s true calling, and a call to use
the Scripture’s to discern one’s true place in ministry.
c c c c c c c c c c c c My call came later in life than many. c I first felt God’s call when I was 32
but did not know what to do with it until I was almost 34. c Many of my friends
received their calling as teens, or in their early years of college. c I have one friend
who firmly believes they were called to be a pastor at the age of ten. c Much like
Allen, I desired ministry but was unsure of my worthiness nor my ability to serve
the Lord.[5] c It was a strong nudge from my pastor at the time that encouraged
me to follow my calling. c They saw what God had called me to do and what gifts
God had given me to faithfully honor and serve Him. c Through prayer, their
encouragement, and a burning passion, I committed to the call that was set on my
heart and chose to answer His call.
c c c c c c c c c c c c The two pastors that were involved in my life at the time I started my
journey walked with me through the Scriptures to determine if I was indeed
hearing the right message and was properly gifted. c I remember sitting with them
walking verse by verse through 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 and being grilled about
every little part of my life. c There were several deep discussions into some of the
dark areas of my past and sins that I committed. c Ultimately, they believed what I
felt in my heart, which was that I was called to be a pastor.
c c c c c c c c c c c c Some areas of a calling are black or white. Those would be subjective
areas. c You either meet the criteria or you do not. c The qualifications for ministry
in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9 would be the high bar that one would need to
meet, God’s standards.[6] c Being a married man and mature Christian checked off
several boxes. c The pastoral office must be held by a man.[7]
c c c c c c c c c c c c Some of the qualifications in 1 Timothy and Titus are objective. c What
does “above reproach” truly mean? c During the discussions I had when discerning
my calling, the question was not “am I perfect” but “do others see Christ in me?” c
Allen goes into details in his description of “above reproach” to include self-
discipline, prudent and respectable.[8] c In my opinion, the review that my mentors
did at that time with their view and Allen’s view result in the same conclusions.
c c c c c c c c c c Ultimately, my call to ministry has proven to be the call I was confident
God had placed upon me. c Throughout my seven years of undergrad and graduate
studies in theology and ministry, I have gained further confidence that I am
fulfilling God’s will. c Over those years, there were times where I sat back and
questioned whether I was truly following the right path. c I went through seasons
where I questioned my path and whether this was what God wanted for me and
my family. c I believe it is good to question your call to ministry. c When you
question your call, you must take the time pray and meditate on His guidance and
spend time in His Word to gain clarity. c Only God knows your complete path. c I
know many pastors who reached a point in their lives where they questioned their
call and they found that they no longer were called to be pastors. c Some could
argue they were never truly called. c In a few cases, I believe that. The others
retired after serving faithfully for most of their lives and felt God called them out
of the pulpit and into a role of mentors and role models for the next generation of
pastors.
Bibliography
Allen, Jason K. Discerning Your Call to Ministry. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers,
2016.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
[1] Jason K. Allen, Discerning Your Call to Ministry (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers,
2016)., 12.
[2] Ibid., 23.
[3] Ibid., 38.
[4] Ibid., 118-119.
[5] Ibid., 14.
[6] Ibid., 35.
