a call to preach?

[t4inted-]

hey everyone, i am just wondering what do i do if i feel like i may know what the Lord is calling me to? i believe the Lord may be calling me to be a preacher, but im not sure who to go to or ask about it. i recently just started going to a new church and have told the pastor there that i think the Lord may be calling me to ministry but i also did not know how to present it. i am a bit nervous to go to him again because i fear he may say something or make a statement about it in service.

i also do know if God is calling me to it he will bring me to it if its the Lords will.

i am wondering what do i do if i have a sense of it looking also that i may be counselled or what not? im not too sure

 

[sandman]

The next step is the next step .....I know what your thinking ....how profound!!!
It will not come at once... the next step will be the door that opens. It may not be what you think or what you had envisioned ..but let God direct your way. Just ask Him as you go.

 

[Aussie Pete]

hey everyone, i am just wondering what do i do if i feel like i may know what the Lord is calling me to? i believe the Lord may be calling me to be a preacher, but im not sure who to go to or ask about it. i recently just started going to a new church and have told the pastor there that i think the Lord may be calling me to ministry but i also did not know how to present it. i am a bit nervous to go to him again because i fear he may say something or make a statement about it in service.

i also do know if God is calling me to it he will bring me to it if its the Lords will.

i am wondering what do i do if i have a sense of it looking also that i may be counselled or what not? im not too sure

God will open the door in due time. In the meantime, get the word of God into you. It has to be real in your experience, not just intellectual. This is a lifetime's work, but God knows when you are ready to preach. A Chinese leader was asked how long should a pastor spend preparing a sermon. "Twenty years!" was the reply. God is as much interested in the man as the message. God's timing is always perfect.

Don't fear what other people say. Very few Christian ministers start off in a big way. Ask the Lord if you should do formal training. For some it is a blessing, for others a blight. Keep close to God and know that God does not choose us because of any inherent good in us. He often chooses the weak and the poor in themselves. They are less likely to end up in pride and self glory.

 

[Arcangl86]

hey everyone, i am just wondering what do i do if i feel like i may know what the Lord is calling me to? i believe the Lord may be calling me to be a preacher, but im not sure who to go to or ask about it. i recently just started going to a new church and have told the pastor there that i think the Lord may be calling me to ministry but i also did not know how to present it. i am a bit nervous to go to him again because i fear he may say something or make a statement about it in service.

i also do know if God is calling me to it he will bring me to it if its the Lords will.

i am wondering what do i do if i have a sense of it looking also that i may be counselled or what not? im not too sure

First off I will repeat what the others have said. Take your time. The second thing I have to say may sound obvious, but pray. Keep praying over it. You said you have just joined a new church right? I say just take the time to embrace that new community and the ways you can contribute to it.

 

[pdudgeon]

I think the most important thing would be to be available to God,
and accept His will for your life.

The second important thing would be to accept God's timing on all of this call. That means preparation, finances, maybe a change of location.

The third important thing would be your willingness to speak for God with whatever message that He sends.

And the last thing would be to enjoy the journey and the close fellowship with God for all of your days.
May God bless you!

 

[tturt]

Also, just listened to Robert Morris' sermon entitled "Apostles." One of the things that's included is the time between being called and sent with Biblical references.

For Apostle Paul it was about 14 years. Not that it will take that long for you.

 

[Cute Peonies]

Ask God for confirmations and direction. Talk to a trusted Christian friend or family member first. Our loved ones know us best. I won't ask the new pastor again because he/she barely knows you.

 

[Paidiske]

How did your pastor respond to your conversation? That would be a big indicator, to me, of what might need to happen next.

If you think this is your calling, you can begin to do some study. Even if it's just something like a teach-yourself-NT-Greek computer programme, more equipping can't hurt.

 

[Tolworth John]

hey everyone, i am just wondering what do i do if i feel like i may know what the Lord is calling me to? i believe the Lord may be calling me to be a preacher, but im not sure who to go to or ask about it. i recently just started going to a new church and have told the pastor there that i think the Lord may be calling me to ministry but i also did not know how to present it. i am a bit nervous to go to him again because i fear he may say something or make a statement about it in service.

i also do know if God is calling me to it he will bring me to it if its the Lords will.

i am wondering what do i do if i have a sense of it looking also that i may be counselled or what not? im not too sure

Go back to him and ask where in the church can you help.
Show him and God that you have a servants heart, willing to serve whereever you are needed.

Start reading and studying the bible so you can participat in any church bible studies.
Start reading theology and apologetics.
Once your minister can see that you are serious about serving God he will give you opertunities to do more.

If there are charities linked to your church, be willing to serve there.

It is a case of get ready and show yourself as willing.

 

[The Liturgist]

How did your pastor respond to your conversation? That would be a big indicator, to me, of what might need to happen next.

If you think this is your calling, you can begin to do some study. Even if it's just something like a teach-yourself-NT-Greek computer programme, more equipping can't hurt.

Indeed. Actually while knowing NT Greek is helpful, its also helpful to learn the vocabulary of Greek theological terms I think, which I learned very early on before seminary in my teenage years largely by reading books about the early church and the Eastern Orthodox church. Since we can now using sites like BibleHub access interlingual translations and concordances for free, this really helps.

You can’t go wrong with Paidiske’s advice however if you want to do this job right, even if you don’t want to be an Anglican pastor.

 

[The Liturgist]

Go back to him and ask where in the church can you help.
Show him and God that you have a servants heart, willing to serve whereever you are needed.

Start reading and studying the bible so you can participat in any church bible studies.
Start reading theology and apologetics.
Once your minister can see that you are serious about serving God he will give you opertunities to do more.

If there are charities linked to your church, be willing to serve there.

It is a case of get ready and show yourself as willing.

Indeed all of this will help.

 

[Tolworth John]

Indeed all of this will help.

No it is vital. How else is a minister to determine whether this newcomer actually has a call from God to serve him, without seeing whether he will actually serve.

 

[Paidiske]

Yes and no. Sometimes people with a vocation to a particular type of service end up being stuck doing something else because that's what other people want done (or don't want to do themselves). And where churches have formal pathways to prepare for ministry, then, if that's the OP's vocation, that's the direction he should be heading.

Absolutely a heart to serve, and a willingness to get in and do what needs to be done, is important. And can all be valuable experience. But if - for example - you feel called to preach and lead, don't let yourself be stuck in another role with no chance to explore and take on more, indefinitely.

 

[The Liturgist]

Yes and no. Sometimes people with a vocation to a particular type of service end up being stuck doing something else because that's what other people want done (or don't want to do themselves). And where churches have formal pathways to prepare for ministry, then, if that's the OP's vocation, that's the direction he should be heading.

Absolutely a heart to serve, and a willingness to get in and do what needs to be done, is important. And can all be valuable experience. But if - for example - you feel called to preach and lead, don't let yourself be stuck in another role with no chance to explore and take on more, indefinitely.

Indeed, sometimes pastors want people to serve in particular capacities within the church and some are not above exploiting people who should be in seminary or the equivalent vocational development program of their church.

 

[Paidiske]

Or deciding a priori that someone couldn't possibly have a call, because they don't have the right chromosomal equipment, and therefore should be relegated to the Sunday school roster, world without end, amen.

Oh, wait, no, that won't happen to the OP.... I digress.

 

[The Liturgist]

Or deciding a priori that someone couldn't possibly have a call, because they don't have the right chromosomal equipment, and therefore should be relegated to the Sunday school roster world without end, amen.

Oh, wait, no, that won't happen to the OP.... I digress.

Not a digression, because actually discrimination could still happen on other grounds:

For example, a pastor could decide a priori he doesn’t have a call because he dislikes something about him, or because they are of a different opinion on some issue, or because he resents anyone who presents expressing a desire to serve as a priest, or because he is of the wrong ethnicity. I know people who have experienced all of the above. In the last case, I would note that in North America, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has a reputation for accepting non-Greeks into their seminary with assurances of ordination, and then either not ordaining them or assigning them to small parishes which pay extremely low salaries. Indeed they were sued for discrimination by one of their priests in Canada who was not ethnically Greek; the parish he had been assigned to paid only CA $900 /mo, which when you consider the high cost of living in Canada and the lower value of the Loonie compared to the USD, is a really low salary.

Also, the point you made about the discrimination experienced by women wanting to serve is something that needs to be heard more; it is my opinion based on the canon law of the early church that every church is required at a minimum to admit women at least to the diaconate and all holy orders thus far, and the sad fact is only a relatively small number of denominations are properly welcoming of women who want to do more than that, indeed, even only a small number of denominations ordain women as deacons. So in the early church, it is unquestionably the case that women had more ministerial responsibilities than the church at present, including critical roles of evangelism. For example, as I have mentioned before, the country of Georgia, one of the oldest Christian nations, was evangelized by St. Nino, an Armenian woman, shortly after Armenia was evangelized by St. Gregory the Illuminator.

 

[The Liturgist]

I am sickened by what people who want to serve as presbyters have to go through just from other people. I also know of a case where someone was supported as going into the ministry by a mainline pastor, who then changed his mind and attempted to talk that guy out of it, simply because the man in question had a severe anxiety attack when both of his elderly parents became critically ill at the same time, or rather, one fell and was admitted to the ICU and in panic and fear the other had to be admitted to the ICU as they had cardiac and other issues. So with both of his parents critically ill, the man reached out to his pastor, but was apparently too open about his anxiety, and this pastor apparently figured postulants had to have nerves of steel or be completely callous or detached from the wellbeing of their own parents to the point of psychopathy. Or the older pastor, more charitably, misinterpreted the panic attack or failed to understand the acuity of my colleague’s situation.

It did not stop my colleague but it did contribute to the emotional distress caused by the emergency he faced with his parents, and he has PTSD regarding the entire episode to this day. I consider him a good pastor, however, and I also admire him because he does some low key advocacy for mental health for men and women in ministry, being a pastor who suffers from post traumatic stress disorder.

So indeed @Paidiske you made a very relevant point.

 

[Paidiske]

There are some people who truly, genuinely are not suitable for ministry. But my general feeling is, if in doubt, let them test their sense of call. In my experience, the vast majority of people who aren't cut out for it work that out along the way, and can do that while being supported and affirmed in their desire to use their gifts in service.

 

[The Liturgist]

There are some people who truly, genuinely are not suitable for ministry. But my general feeling is, if in doubt, let them test their sense of call. In my experience, the vast majority of people who aren't cut out for it work that out along the way, and can do that while being supported and affirmed in their desire to use their gifts in service.

Indeed. I really wish there could be some kind of vocational “open altar” initiative where anyone who is not disqualified, for example, by having murdered someone or being a convicted sexual predator, (I myself like the specific disqualifiers which the early church had, which included both of the above, as well as having castrated oneself, which is actually Canon I of the Council of Nicaea), could learn how to serve at the altar, and from there, learn to be a reader, and keep going, and this program would let them test themself so they could reach the ministry they were cut out for, and would include extensive “shadowing” of currently serving ministers of all types, because the church needs a lot of people and there are several forms of ministry, and in this way someone’s potential of finding the right work for the church would be maximized.

Generally the only people who we positively cannot allow to test themselves would be those where we feel our duty of care over our congregation requires us to limit them to the laity, for example, people who have been convicted of various crimes or who are known to the church to be dangerous otherwise, for example, sex offenders. Or people who were fired or resigned from another church for misconduct, for example, someone like Mark Driscoll, the disgraced former pastor of the former Mars Hill megachurch in Seattle, who was quite a bad guy.

 

[tturt]

"Now also we beseech you, brethren, get to know those who labor among you [recognize them for what they are, acknowledge and appreciate and respect them all]—your leaders who are over you in the Lord and those who warn and kindly reprove and exhort you." I Thess 5:12

Seems this would be a good starting point along with studying.