After reading Allen’s treatment of Discerning Your Call to Ministry, define
his main argument and analyze his assessment. How has your call to
ministry been similar to what Allen promotes? How has it differed? What
were the objective and subjective elements to your call? Is it okay to
question God’s call on your life for ministry? Why or why not?
*********** The main idea in Jason Allen’s book Discerning Your Call to Ministry
is directly and simply stated in the title: How to determine the call that
God has placed on the life of the Christian reader for Ministry. Allen
clarifies in the beginning that all Christians are called to minister. This is
clearly addressed by Jesus in the Great Commission when he tells his
followers to go and make disciples. Allen continues past this statement to
clarify that some Christians are called to ministry, or to a “vocation [with
a] direct ministry component to it,” while still some others are called to
“the ministry,” meaning a full-time ministry position, such as a
pastor.1*After setting the stage for book’s goal, Allen uses ten questions to
assist the reader in determining whether they are truly called into the
ministry. The questions asked are poignant and directed to help the
reader move through the steps of determining the call, beginning with
whether the reader has a desire for the ministry, increasing in intensity
through the ending with addressing his willingness to surrender, to the
point of being willing to “follow God's call wherever it may lead.”2*Through
the course of the work, Allen does a fantastic job of directing the reader to
the heart of the matter at the center of each question, and encouraging
him to address the reality of the call on his life. Aside from one major
detail, my calling has been similar to what Allen promotes.
*********** I believe that I was called to ministry during my training of the US
Army Special Forces when I met a passionate Christian who first
introduced me to Christ and the Bible. From that time on the calling only
grew louder, through my BA in Biblical Studies, my MDIV, and my
Chaplaincy internship and residency. My Christian journey has not always
been easy or efficient, but as I continue to follow that once faint call, it
continues to grow louder and I continue to grow more resilient in my
relationship with Jesus Christ.
*
Allen, Jason K. Discerning Your Call to Ministry: How to Know for Sure and
What to Do About It. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2016.
