My call to ministry was not all that exciting—quite mundane, actually. I had always thought that when you were called to preach, such a calling would come when you least expected it. Perhaps during an emotional high at church camp or missions conference, and probably during the seventh verse of “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.” And, if you were really called, you should give a tearful testimony and immediately announce your call to preach publicly.
That’s not how it happened for me. I don’t actually remember a specific moment I was “called.” No tears and no altar. There wasn’t a sinking feeling in my chest. No burning bush like Moses, no running like Jonah, and no voice in the night like Samuel. Thinking back, I always desired to be in ministry since my early teen years. Maybe as a pastor, maybe not.
My Journey to Ministry
As a teenager, I was heavily involved in my local church singing in the choir, leading worship for our high school group, and helping with inner-city ministry. This level of involvement in the local church came about due to youth leaders who encouraged, emphasized, arranged, and trained us to do these things.
Fast forward a few years to the age of 21 when I was graduating from Bible college. I had spent every Sunday of the previous five years of my life doing upfront local church ministry. Along the way, people would say things like, “I truly feel like God is going to call you to preach one day.” My answer was usually something like, “Well, I suppose that’s not too different from what I’m doing now.” Sometimes, they would come back with something like, “Well, you’re not an actual ‘preacher boy,’ though.” I would laugh it off with something like, “Well, I don’t even know what that is.”
After college, I took a full-time position as music director at my home church. Because I was not ordained, the word “director” was used for my title rather than “minister” or “pastor.” I thought this was probably a fine thing. But I also decided that I should share my desire (as I read in 1 Timothy 3:1) to be ordained as a minister of the gospel with other ministers. I knew that this was not solely an internal calling, and that I should also seek the confirmation of the church (1 Timothy 4:14). One particular meeting took me by surprise.
Are You Called to Preach?
With nervous joy, I explained how I desired to lead the church through preaching and teaching, sharing in the pastoral care of hurting people, and assisting in the administration of various ministries. I explained how I had examined the Scriptures diligently and also pored over Teacher, Leader, Shepherd by Robert Picirilli.
“So, are you saying you’ve been called?” this minister asked.
I don’t remember exactly what I said, but he eventually asked basically the same question: “But have you been called? Have you been called to preach?”
I’m sure my answer wasn’t this eloquent, but I responded with something like, “I don’t know exactly what ‘called to preach’ means [I had not encountered this exact phrase in Scripture], but I desire the office of overseer. I meet the qualifications given in Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus. Several other pastors and church leaders have affirmed and noticed the gift of leadership and the ability to teach and preach. I would like to be ordained. I don’t know if I will ever be a lead pastor, but I desire to do pastoral work in the church.”
The reply was earth-shattering: “When you know without a doubt that you’ve been called to preach, then you should seek ordination. It doesn’t sound like you’re ready.” I would not be ordained for another few years.
God Opens Doors
I’ve often thought back to that conversation. Maybe I should have just agreed: “Yes, I have answered the call to preach!” Perhaps I was too literal, and this was really a matter of semantics. But maybe it wasn’t. Perhaps we have over-mystified God’s call to ministry, and in doing so, we are confusing many young men.
Is God calling laborers? Absolutely. Does this happen during church camp or mission conference? Certainly. But perhaps the thing we should emphasize is not the moment of surrender, but rather the process by which the Holy Spirit cultivates desire in the heart of a man. (Of course, this cultivation sometimes culminates at church camp or mission conference.)
Thankfully, God had placed other voices in my life who advised me to continue diligently in my role and to let God work out the details. I did just that. I preached, taught, witnessed, worshiped, counseled, and discipled while working full-time at the church. And sure enough, in God’s timing, He opened the door for me to be ordained. Since that time, God has allowed me to serve in a variety of pastoral positions. Before coming to Welch College, I pastored as a lead pastor for four years in North Carolina. Currently, as the director of enrollment at Welch, I minister to students through preaching, teaching, and mentoring. I coordinate and lead the worship in college chapel and at Immanuel FWB Church, and I am also the moderator of the Northern Quarterly of the Cumberland Association of Free Will Baptists. I am humbled that He would use me.
Whether I am being paid as a full-time pastor, bi-vocational pastor, associate pastor, or pastor with no title at all, I am a pastor until the day I die or no longer meet the qualifications given in Scriptures.
Scriptural Answer
The church needs to be ready to give scriptural answers. I’m not recommending we abandon the term “called to preach.” I think the concept of “calling” in terms of a vocation is a good one. But I would like to see the church examine the Scriptures and be ready to explain to young men what this “calling” entails, and how they can know if God is leading them to ministry. (I also don’t think we should hold fast to any terminology not found in the New Testament text.)
God’s call to ministry is not necessarily an individual experience. I believe I am in step with the historic, Protestant position when I suggest that the call to ministry is as much external—a combination of divine guidance and affirmation from the church—as it is internal.
Practical Advice for the Church
The church needs to hold young men accountable. Every young man in the church who shows the fruit of being a true believer and manifests a sincere desire to follow Christ needs to be challenged to consider a call to ministry as a vocation. I suggest something like this:
- The men of the church pull a young man aside and let him know they are praying the Spirit cultivates the desire in him to become an ordained minister of the gospel.
- These same men meet regularly with him to invest in him.
- The young man is held accountable and shown the biblical requirements for a minister so that he might cultivate spiritual habits and flee youthful lusts.
- Throughout the process, which may stretch from several months to several years, this young man should be challenged to consider a life of ministry.
Truly, the fields are ready for harvest! But, oh, how the laborers are few. Let’s be faithful to pray that God would call laborers. Let’s be diligent to prepare laborers. Let’s be listening and waiting for God to send us as laborers.
A version of this article is published at NAFWB.org.
