Probably no other profession talks about divine calling more than Christian ministry (i.e. pastor, priest, missionary, etc.). The truth is that God calls every one of his children to a life of holiness and service to him, and every profession can be viewed as a calling by God to his service. Nevertheless, because Jesus personally called 12 men to follow him and ultimately carry his mission of salvation to the world, and the apostle Paul himself received a dramatic call to ministry we often tend to elevate the call of God to those he leads into a career of ministry. During the research for my dissertation I had the privilege of interviewing pastors from all over the country regarding their own calling. One thing that I discovered was that the range of experiences people shared with me was as diverse as their fingerprints, and they were also deeply personal. This blog is a reflection on my own personal call to ministry.
I began to recognize my call to ministry when I was a teenager, not long after accepting God's grace of salvation. I recall attending a Youth for Christ rally one evening where the film "Riding the Pulpit" was being shown about the life of preacher Jess Moody. I sensed God saying to me that night that he wanted me, like Jess Moody, to dedicate my life to service to him. I knew that my strongest gifting was in the area of music, so I decided to go to college and pursue a career in music that would be focused on Christian ministry. Thus, while in college I formed a musical group that sang at youth events, college campuses, and coffee houses, using those opportunities as a venue to share my personal faith in Christ. Over several years of doing that my passion for verbally communicating my faith began to supercede my passion for a career in music.
As I was wrapping up my college education I diligently sought the mind of God as to where he wanted me to serve him. Since my fiance (eventually my wife) was not keen on being a pastor's wife at that point in her life, I abandoned thoughts of attending seminary and began to work for the para church ministry Youth for Christ. However, after five years I recognized that I was not wired for a lifetime career in youth ministry, so I decided to obtain a graduate degree in theology with a mind to eventually teaching Bible and theology. It was while I was finishing that degree that my wife also began to sense God's calling on her life, so instead of continuing my educational track we decided to pursue a pastoral assignment. Over the next 33 years I had the privilege of leading four different congregations to increased discipleship and ministry to their communities and the world.
My call to ministry was not like that of the apostle Paul. I did not hear any voices from heaven. There was no blinding bolt of light. I didn't experience the visitation of an angel. And for many years out of college I wrestled with that call, wondering if I had made a mistake by not pursuing a career in music. I wrestled with the correctness of my decision to abandon a career in teaching. I wondered if I was truly gifted in the right areas to lead a church. But on one occasion while I was debating within myself the wisdom of my choices, particularly with the music question, the Lord spoke very clearly to my spirit these words: "That is not where I led you." Immediately a peace came over my soul, along with a deep assurance that I was at that moment exactly where God wanted me to be. And that assurance followed me throughout my years of pastoral ministry, especially during the times when it became difficult and I was tempted to pack it all in.
That personal call to ministry is important, but it is just one of three different aspects to pastoral calling. The other two (the recognition of the church of one's gifts and graces and the call of opportunity) I will write about in future posts.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Transitions and New Perspectives
I haven't posted anything to this blog for over two years because my life has been in transition during that time. I left my position as Sr. Pastor of a church after 6 years of attempting to turn it around and, after 33 years of shepherding congregations in my denomination, sensed God's direction to move into a new field. I am currently working as a regional director of development in the college where I did my undergraduate study. This blog post is a little of my spiritual journey during time of transition. In the coming weeks and months I hope to give a little post pastoral perspective on the challenges of being a minister in a rapidly changing secular culture.
One of the greatest battles that pastors continually face is discouragement. Over the years I found ways to deal with it, including prayer, reading, study, pastoral conferences (which sometimes only added to my discouragement), and counseling. In recent years my discouragement reached new levels to the point where my effectiveness as a leader had slowly declined, and the church and I both realized that we needed a change. I hoped for an appointment in another church, because that was what I had trained to do and what I had done effectively for the majority of my career. Unfortunately I was unable to find another church that would call me to shepherd them.
On a networking trip to my denomination's General Conference I had a conversation with the president of the college I now serve. She encouraged me to apply for an open position they had posted in the development office, but I balked because that was not what I was seeking at the time, and I did not see myself as a "fundraiser." After returning from the conference I began reading a book on fundraising that had recently been sent to me by my wife's former boss, the VP for Advancement in another institution. As I read it I immediately sensed that I was indeed wired for that kind of work, and that it was an extension of my pastoral calling. My whole pastoral ministry had a mega-theme of stewardship as I had encouraged people to invest their lives in things that truly mattered for the kingdom of God. With this change to development work I would be doing that still, only on a one-to-one basis. So not ready for retirement, I took the leap in faith.
Surprise - God knew what he was doing all along! I have found a new lease on my life, thoroughly enjoying this new chapter. I get to meet a lot of interesting people who have done some amazing things with their talents and education and encourage them to invest some of their resources in the education and shaping of the next generation of "scholar servants" who are going to impact the world for Christ.
Now, a year out of pastoral leadership, I have a new and fresh appreciation and understanding of the challenges facing today's pastors. I hope to share some of these in the coming editions of this blog.
Blessings!
One of the greatest battles that pastors continually face is discouragement. Over the years I found ways to deal with it, including prayer, reading, study, pastoral conferences (which sometimes only added to my discouragement), and counseling. In recent years my discouragement reached new levels to the point where my effectiveness as a leader had slowly declined, and the church and I both realized that we needed a change. I hoped for an appointment in another church, because that was what I had trained to do and what I had done effectively for the majority of my career. Unfortunately I was unable to find another church that would call me to shepherd them.
On a networking trip to my denomination's General Conference I had a conversation with the president of the college I now serve. She encouraged me to apply for an open position they had posted in the development office, but I balked because that was not what I was seeking at the time, and I did not see myself as a "fundraiser." After returning from the conference I began reading a book on fundraising that had recently been sent to me by my wife's former boss, the VP for Advancement in another institution. As I read it I immediately sensed that I was indeed wired for that kind of work, and that it was an extension of my pastoral calling. My whole pastoral ministry had a mega-theme of stewardship as I had encouraged people to invest their lives in things that truly mattered for the kingdom of God. With this change to development work I would be doing that still, only on a one-to-one basis. So not ready for retirement, I took the leap in faith.
Surprise - God knew what he was doing all along! I have found a new lease on my life, thoroughly enjoying this new chapter. I get to meet a lot of interesting people who have done some amazing things with their talents and education and encourage them to invest some of their resources in the education and shaping of the next generation of "scholar servants" who are going to impact the world for Christ.
Blessings!
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