So, you’re thinking of going into the pastorate? Here is some of the general advice I give to people who are considering it.
1. Don’t.
If you can do anything outside of the pastorate and find satisfaction in it – do that. Full time, vocational ministry – and the pastorate in particular – is difficult and places unique pressures on your life, marriage and family. Even those who are called by God to serve in this way must be very careful to manage one’s life and house well.
Update: I did a poor job wording this. My apologies. The ministry is wonderful and I would not be happy doing anything else. Read the follow up post for a bit of clarification.
2. Go to a liberal arts college.
If you are young and thinking Bible College vs the University, I’d encourage you to get your undergraduate degree at a liberal arts college – especially if you plan on attending seminary afterward. Pursue a degree in something that will assist you in the ministry. This can be anything from history, to art, to journalism. I say this as a guy who went to Bible College and enjoyed his time there. It was not the wrong decision, but there is a lot of repeat if you go from Bible College to seminary. I believe the university route can provide a more well rounded education.
3. Get the best theological and ministry training possible.
And that may not be the seminary. I am still a supporter of our seminaries – especially places like RTS, Trinity and Southern. But there are other options as well. More churches are now offering training to prepare people for pastoral ministry and depending on where and who you are, alternative models may work better for you. Whatever your choice, get the best education and preparation for ministry possible.
4. Check with your wife.
If you are married, and God calls you to pastoral ministry, he will call your wife as well. This does not mean that she will immediately share the vision or even like the idea. But it does mean that your family comes first, and if God wants you to lead the church he will lead your wife to support you in this calling.
5. Check with your church.
Talk to your pastor about your desire. Can he affirm your sense of calling? Does the church agree that you should pursue this? They are the ones who should be best equipped to assess your qualifications and character. If your church cannot see you functioning in that role it should give you considerable pause.
6. Determine your calling.
Is the pastorate something you think you can do, or is it something you believe God says you must do? I am one of those guys who believes God calls us to specific vocations. Our spiritual gifts, abilities and God’s design for each person is unique and extends to what we do “for a living.” How can you know if God wants you to go into the ministry? Though this is a bit simplistic there are three things to begin with: 1) Do you have an unquenchable, passionate desire to do the work? This of course assumes you know what the work actually is. It is not simply preaching sermons on Sunday. 2) Do you bear fruit when you engage in the work related to this calling (teaching, leading, serving, etc.)? 3) Does your local church affirm your calling? If you can answer yes to these questions be encouraged.
7. Pray.
Honestly, far too many assume that they should go to seminary or into pastoral ministry without really talking to God about it. Labor in prayer over this. It is no small idea or decision.
8. Talk to pastors you respect.
Get the insider’s perspective. Find out from them first-hand what makes ministry so hard. Ask these men to give you reasons not to be a pastor and take those answers to heart. Seek counsel as you move forward following God’s will. As you prepare for pastoral ministry it is critical that you remain connected to the church and her leadership. It is easy to blow your 3 years in seminary, disconnected from the local church, while wrapped up in the classroom and library.
9. Read. A lot.
As you consider this calling – read. While in college – read. It is especially important that you read while in seminary, but read well beyond what is required of you. Read where the seminary leaves off. Determine what is missing and fill in the gaps. Again, seek the counsel of your pastor(s) and men you respect for advice here.
10. Get Real.
When most guys are thinking about pastoring a church they envision themselves pastoring churches like Mars Hill, Tenth Pres’, etc. We tend to dream big (as we should), but the reality is that most of the guys who go into the ministry will pastor relatively small churches. I am not suggesting that anyone think small and avoid anticipating God’s powerful work. I am suggesting that you have expectations that are birthed by God and his word that are aimed at your particular context and not another’s. Do not hijack someone else’s vision, but have an eye for what God can do in the city or town he sends you to.
Recommended reading for those considering and pursuing the office of pastor:
Note: I do not necessarily agree with everything in each of these books. In fact I take issue with a number of things in many of these volumes, but in each is something so important that it merits reading thoughtfully.
The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter
Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders
An Earnest Ministry by John Angell James or Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon
The Christian Ministry by Charles Bridges
If you are a pastor, what advice would you give those who are considering entering the pastorate?
I am the Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship; husband to Jen; Dad to Katherine, Elias, Madeline, and Kilian. If you're in town you can probably find me in the local coffee house or running through the neighborhoods.
{ 57 comments }
I’d add the book “Pastor” by William Willimon to that reading list. More conservative folks might object to some of what Willimon has to say, but I think this is BY FAR the best book out there on pastoral ministry in our modern context.
I would reccomend listening to or reading others sermons. Anything by Martyn Lloyd-Jones is good. Also read Preaching and Preachers by Lloyd-Jones.
Great list, Joe. I would also add ‘Serve your church as a contented layperson: Your calling will come out in the wash.” Too many of us aim for ‘the top’ without serving in the trenches, and thereby lose – or never gain – perspective on the Mon-Fri Christian life for 99% of Christians. *Called to the Ministry* by Edmund Clowney is a great resource for discerning the call – see the 9marks.org review.
Joe,
Massive post – thank you. I wonder if anyone has actually read Baxter before surrendering to the ministry. I am listening to it now. I can’t imagine anyone hearing Baxter and thinking the ministry is a job.
I would add – do family worship. Praying and studying to lead my family to God was very powerful in my own calling.
Great post Joe. I’d add:
Grow the calling in the local church
The best – and safest – way to test out a calling is to take on a volunteer role in your home church. Speak to your minister or pastor and offer to do whatever needs to be done. ‘Cream always rises to the top’ and if God is at work in your life in this way the fruit will be evident to you, the church and your pastor. I don’t mean build an empire – just serve God and ask him to use you; be faithful in small and trust God for the rest. Working in this way is a great training ground – all of the opportunity but still protected from the full responsibility of being a pastor. You’ll also be learning stuff, especially about your character, weakness and faults – reflect, repent and learn and ask God to change you by his HS.
All excellent suggestions. I committed my life to vocational ministry when I was 15. I was mentored by a great pastor and nurtured by a church. In my baptist tradition, it was the closet thing to being a “lay pastor” as my church would get. If someone wants to go into ministry, he ought to serve as an unpaid, unofficial, volunteer, minister-being-mentored-by-the-pastor in a local church. Start preaching sermons, teaching lessons, going on pastoral visitation to the hospitals and nursing homes, do the work of an evangelist, sit in on church leadership meetings as a silent observer (if permitted) and do anything your pastor will let you do. Be the first in line to sweep the floors, clean the nursery, welcome visitors, and pick up trash in the parking lot. In other words, be a servant of the people. If you won’t do these things, forget it. You aren’t call or you are qualified.
Joe, I would add two recommended reading books. These two really helped me out in thinking through my calling.
The Call, by Os Guinness
The Christian Ministry, Charles Bridges
Thanks for the comments and suggestions guys. Good stuff. I hope to see more. Bill – Bridges is listed above, but not Guinness.
Great stuff.
I would also suggest Peterson’s pastoral books and Johnny Mac’s Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry. I’ve found them beneficial, though none as much as Baxter’s book.
My recommendation would be to get involved in a church doing some “menial” stuff rather than just coming in to be the hero who gets to teach as we have other people to clean and set up chairs.
We need more pastors who are really willing to serve, and beyond just teaching & preaching. Amen, Joe, there’s more to the job than that, though those things are crucial.
Pertaining to #3, you might want to consider church-centered seminary options, like the Midwest Center for Theological Studies.
http://www.mctsowensboro.org/
Preach, work, disciple, do ministry. Just go out and obey the commands of Christ. DO MINISTRY. Don’t wait for sweet offers, preach on the street, in rest homes, rescue missions, jails… wherever anyone asks you. Just do ministry.
Seek God every day with all your heart and read the Bible over and over again. Preach and minister out of the overflow of your own walk with the Lord.
Good words Joe. I especially like #2 & #9 as these points are often neglected. I’m so thankful for my liberal arts education and for wide and deep reading habits that were forged in my early undergraduate years, all because my pastor encouraged this in me.
Additional advice I’d give:
-Start saving money now.
-Soak in the Pastoral Epistles. Let the apostle Paul counsel you through your call to the pastorate.
-Make sure you understand the gospel and know how to preach and apply it in the pulpit and in meetings with people. Then, realize that you’re going to spend your whole life trying to wrap your head and heart around the realities of the gospel.
-Spend several years working a non-church job.
Oh yeah … I also appreciate my liberal arts degree (Speech Communication) and post-seminary studies (Rhetoric).
My minor at Texas A&M (Whoop!) was psychology, but I wish in retrospect I would have gone history or philosophy instead. I went the lazy way since I was able to clep out of half of the necessary hours, however.
Excellent advice thanks. I agree with seeking counsel from your church, someone truly called by God will be affirmed by the Body of Christ.
I would add George Herbert’s “The Country Parson” to the list.
Great stuff. If I could add something I have not yet seen in these helps, I would say to examine your life in the area of conflict resolution.
1) Are you skilled at resolving conflict, especially when you’ve been done an injustice?
2) Are you skilled at helping others resolve conflict, where they not only forgive, but learn to love one another?
In light of this, I would recommend Ken Sande’s stuff on the “Peacemaker.”
I have found that the deepest pain I’ve felt in the ministry thus far has had a lot to do with poor conflict resolution, both in myself and in the sheep. It takes great wisdom and skill to be a peacemaker.
When you enter the pastorate, expect to be hurt. Expect people to walk away, rather than resolve.
Excellent guidelines! pls those of you reading this article and comments pray for us in 3rd world countries. We struggle to find well educated, servant type leadership with a passion for the gospel driven by Christ’s love in our churches. We are in the 21st century yet the churches in the 3rd world are falling behind in true followers of Jesus as we struggle with leadership.
This is really helpful to me, Joe. Vocational ministry has been tugging on me ever since I graduated from high school (eleven years ago), but I went another route instead. After an almost ten-year IT career, the tug has become stronger than ever . . . even served a stint on my church’s pastoral staff recently and loved it (though it was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done).
Seminary is a must–it is my opinion that if a guy is going to be faithful to the Word he needs seminary and especially training in the languages, if it were not for my language training in seminary i would have to quit the ministry.
Joe,
Good post. As a 20 year old heading into the ministry I really appreciate it. I am at a liberal arts college majoring in history and philosophy, and I would not do it any differently. Thanks again for the good thoughts.
Thank you for point number 2. When I went to Bible College they strongly pushed the idea that anyone called to ministry shouldn’t think about other “secular” preparations because it was “setting themselves up for failure… for something to fall back on.” How I now wish I wouild have gotten both a vocational prep and seminary training together.
Joe, this is a great top ten on the issue. There are always twists and changes some of us would make, but generally speaking you provided a very good post that young wannabes can think through. Thanks for the resource.
Chris –
What about guys who can’t afford seminary, either financially, time-wise, or otherwise? Think busy professionals or inner-city guys. What are they to do if God calls them to plant a church or otherwise minister to their communities? Do they just have to wait for some seminary grad to swoop into town to come to their aid?
I personally appreciate Joe’s point that a seminary degree isn’t necessarily a must (and isn’t necessarily feasible for all those called to ministry) and am equally thankful for those denominations and networks that are seeing this and providing alternative means of education for potential pastors. Sovereign Grace Ministries’ Pastors’ College and LAMP (Leadership and Ministry Preparation) from the Presbyterian Church in America (my own denomination). Those are two means by which pastors are being educated (including languages), trained, and put into ministry without a seminary degree.
I certainly appreciate (and agree with) your desire to see educated pastors entering the field, but that doesn’t necessarily have to come in the form of an M. Div.
Can any of you pastors out there describe what you mean by “calling”? I hear this word tossed around a lot, but never have understood it.
Joe,
Great post! I have sent this to a couple of our guys studying for the ministry.
A book I would add:
“Making Sense of the Ministry” by David and Warren Wiersbe
I would also get some accounting courses
Thank you for this. This was very informative.
Great post. I linked it onto my own blog for guys I know who want to pastor. I have a test for guys who come to me and say they want to be pastors. I ask them to take out the garbage or clean the toilets. The guys who do that without complaint and joyfully I find will make great servants. Those who say no way, I want to preach, I don’t bother with them. I am always looking for the servants and those who are teachable. God will definitely use them greatly for His Kingdom. Thanks for posting this.
What, you’re not listing my current seminary, MBTS, as one of the top schools? Snap!
Joe, I would add one other thing:
Consider a Dual-Career Approach to Ministry
One of the common regrets voiced to me by many godly men who are already in ministry— especially when they are wrestling with the decision to become a church planter—is “I don’t have any marketable skills because I went from Bible college straight into seminary.” Well, if you’re going to get a degree anyway, why not get one that can enable you to feed your family, like a B.S. in Business Administration or Engineering?
Some men just don’t have the stomach for denominational politics and they often resent the subtle pressures to compromise God’s Word when Bro. Deep-Pockets gets upset and threatens to leave the church. Some are forced by circumstances to recognize that it would be better to work as an accountant or marketing specialist to provide for one’s family rather than become a man-pleaser. Secular jobs often provide great stability and benefits, as well as giving you the opportunity to minister in the marketplace.
Plus, there’s a great need for bivocational pastors, especially in North America: hundreds of small churches do not have pastors right now because they cannot afford one, or they simply cannot provide a complete “benefits package” to attract pastoral candidates.
One last thing. Think about how this decision could benefit the huge gap out there for church planters! Solves the funding problem right up front! And it keeps you from shouldering too much of the pastoral burden, so you can spread the load to other men whom God sends alongside to labor with you.
Hey, What a great post. I have just been accepted to study theology at WEST in the UK in view to be going into the ministry. I agree with all you said and hope to be contiunally bringing this stuff before God on constant basis. Bills comment is also excellent, your not called if you ain’t there!
I hate to disagree with Spurgeon on this, or you for that matter Joe, but the fact of the matter is that if a fellow comes to you for counseling about going into the ministry he’s probably wavering a little anyway. He knows what he feels he should do but he’s thinking maybe a trip to Tarshish will fix it. Don’t punch his ticket. Those who approach the subject of being a pastor with fear in trembling will most likely hold the office in the same way.
That said there’s a lot of merit in leading someone to make sure of their calling.
This was a great piece Joe.
Josh
“…the word of God is not bound.”
–2 Timothy 2:9
“With fear and trembling” doesn’t exactly seem like a bad way to approach Gospel ministry, actually.
Josh,
Good point Josh. I actually think it’s fair to say we do not disagree. Though it is not an exact parallel, one thing was clear with Jonah – God had called him to go. His calling was clear, though he was rejecting it. So it is with some men and the ministry: they know they are called but are afraid (hopefully that’s all of us to some degree), and others are not sure if they are called and are trying to figure it out.
So yeah, when people talk to me about it, and they aren’t sure I try to help them in their journey.
Just wondering, what are your thoughts on Dallas Theological seminary and The Master’s Seminary out in CA?
Great post and greatly encouraging….definitely agree!
NG
Great Post,
I think anyone desiring to serve in church should read Servant Leadership. It made a huge difference for me in the focus I had on ministry and loving the sheep.
I have theological problems with Dispensationalism; so in general I encourage people to go to schools that are more diverse, or teach Covenant Theology. Having said that I have known some very sharp and godly men to come out of Dallas. One of our elders is a Dallas grad, and he just took his family to Israel to continue his education and then he’ll hit the mission field for the second time.
Dear Joe,
I am glad to discover your blog today, brother! I hail from Chicago and visited Moody years ago. I have friends that went there in the late 90s who you might know. Benjamin Nelson? Dan Risley? Chris Edwards?
Anyway, great post. Bill mentioned an undergraduate in engineering — that’s my background. On your first point (Don’t – if you can do something else, do it). I understand and agree that there has to be a compelling burden. But I’ve also noticed that many good pastors would also be good at non-ministerial jobs (sales, finance, etc.). Because many of the common grace skills end up being transferrable. For example, the logical rigor in engineering helps in working through a difficult passage in Greek, and being able to rank the possible meanings of a verse, with their inherent strengths and weaknesses.
Anyway, just some ramblings. In terms of church-based theological training, The Bethlehem Institute (where I study with John Piper and Tom Steller) is a good option.
Grace and peace,
Alex
Rae,
In resonse to your question (s), I agree. Let me re-word my statement, instead of “seminary is a must” I mean “training is a must.”
I come from a background of pastors who have little to no training–the thought of studying Hebrew and Greek is foreign to them, this is not cool in my book. A pastor needs to be familiar with the languages and know how to use the tools available and be able to read good commentaries. If you can learn this by training in your denomination, do it. I couldn’t, I had to go to grad. school–I knew of no church that had that caliber of training. All in all, languages are a must as well as Systematic Theology and Biblical Counseling, etc., etc. There is no end to training.
I hope that clears it up for you–I’m not trying to pick a fight, I’m a champion for education in any form.
Chris
Alex, my point (#1) was not that ministry should be the only thing one is good at, but that ministry is the only thing that will satisfy. So while one can excel and enjoy another field there will be an unquenchable longing for what God has called a man to do. it all hinges on the idea of calling. Like in my case, I would be an excellent model. I am very tall, slender and handsome. But that would leave me empty.
Interesting thoughts, I’ve been a pastor for 5 years now and I think that what we need now more than ever is pastors! Not that we shouldn’t be telling people to take a good long hard look. But to tell you the honest truth I don’t think anything can prepare you for what pastoral ministry throws at you. I found seminary to be a place that would prepare you for further scholarly studies BUT not really pastoring – I think that we need a Bible school education first because a lot of the university undergrads I went to seminary with had little or no biblical knowledge and so I would NOT have recommended them for pastoral ministry. But enough of my opinions! GOOD BOOK and a MUST READ – Spiritual Leadership by Henry & Richard Blackaby also an encouragment for pastors to read the Imitation of Christ it has been a huge source of encouragement and incite from 500 years ago! The lord bless you in your ministry.
How do you defien “the call”. I ‘ll be 40 years old this year. I have a sales job that most people would love to have but I find it unfulfilling. I’ve had dreams of God talking to me about preaching. I’m active in prison ministry and I really feel excited at the thought of saying “thus saith the Lord”. I get the feeling that a lot of Christians have this same experience so I don’t know if this is a “call” or just a God-given love for His word. Help!
My concern here gentle men, is no one has mentioned anything in regard to the need of relying in the Holy Spirit.
In terms of books I’d also add Kent Hughes’ ‘Liberating Ministry From the Success Syndrome’. I still refer guys to this who struggle with a robust appreciation of God’s sovereignty…rather than their own emotions in the ups and down of ministry.
Marcus
Here’s a question thats been bothering me so since we’re all driving the ball that way I’ll ask it: How does that whole ‘call to ministry’ thing work if you’re a cessationist?
Josh
“…the word of God is not bound.”
–2 Timothy 2:9
I believe a cessationist would argue that cessationism deals with uniquely apostolic/miraculous gifts that ceased with establishment of the NT church and the completion of the canon of Scripture, and not a divine call to the ministry. Most dispensationalists I know believe in this “call,” as do most in the reformed tradition though each tends to articulate it differently.
excellent list…I would also recommend “Brothers, We are Not Porfessionals” by Piper.
So whats the difference between God ‘speaking’ to the charismatic and God ‘calling’ a person to ministry? It sounds like a Baptist-ism to me but I’m not sure. The funny thing is that whenever I ask a question like this on a thread all the participants usually back way off so I won’t be surprised if it happens here…just disappointed.
Josh
“…the word of God is not bound.”
–2 Timothy 2:9
From Curtis Thomas’s “Practical Wisdom for Pastors” pg. 20-21 “…to summarize: The biblical concept of a “call to ministry” does not include a vision, special revleation or mystical experience. Rather, it involves such factors as: (1) does the man reach out for the work? (2) Is he qualified biblically? (3) Does he possess the gifts necessary to fulfill the functions? (4) do the elders and the church think he is gifted and morally qualified? (5) Are his life and doctrine sound? (6) Will he live as an example before the flock? It is true that in the Old Testament and in the first century of Christianity, God did intervene directly to call men to ministry. But today His revelation has been completed by the New Testament, and it is our reliable guide. Therefore the local church should be able to take God’s Word and help the candidate assess whether or not he has been called to the Gospel ministry.” Actually do a word study on “call, called, and calling” and you find that it always refers to the calling to salvation in the NT (not to some special ministry position).
Trev
Marcus,
I have the book you mentioned “Liberating Ministry from The Success Syndrome” it is one that has stayed on my shelf since Bible college, it is a refreshing read and I encourage any Christian to read it esp. those preparing for ministry.
There is no need to backpedal from the Biblical position of cessationism when thinking about entry into the ministry. One must first and foremost rely upon the Holy Spirit and His work, since before all else a minister of the gospel must be a Christian. This may seem like a tautology, but the first think a man who seeks to enter the ministry must search out is evidence of his own conversion. Is he a changed man? Does his wife see evidence of faith in Jesus Christ in him? Does his church? Does he seek to serve others and the Lord Jesus Christ right now right where he is, or is he waiting for some mystical future time? Does he desire to read the Word? to pray? to be found among God’s people? to worship the risen Savior? Far too often these questions are skipped over or ignored because a man seems earnest to be a pastor, or because he displays more than rudimentary Biblical knowledge. But this is the Spirit’s work.
A man who would be a pastor must also search his own heart, counting the cost. Is there a sense of compulsion? Does the Word burn within Him? Does he ache for the lost? Do others see this in him, and thus verify that this is the work of the Spirit of God, not some late night tacos?
Finally, we have come to a place, sadly, where the only place we think that the Spirit of God works and moves is in mystical rustlings of wind, visions in the night or voices in our ear. But the Spirit of God has worked in His Church from the beginning. It is the delight of the Holy Spirit to use His Church to encourage and to test potential ministers. How did David know he was to serve the Lord? Was it a thunderous pronouncement? No; Samuel anointed him. How did Timothy know? He was cultivated and discipled by Paul. What of Augustine? It was primarily the work of Ambrose that encouraged him. Brothers, do not denigrate the work of the Spirit in His Church as somehow less spiritual than a voice in the night. It is HIS Church. The work of the Church is important in verifying a call to ministry. There is an inner call – yes! But there is also an external call that verifies that inner call.
Excellent post. I am in the training grounds for ministry. To Joe’s words I would add a few things: 1)If you are older and need several hours to complete a liberal arts education, it may be easier to attend Bible college (and cheaper too 2) If you do attend secular/liberal arts college, keep your head in the game, you will be tested by the world! 3) Lose your despair. Preparing for the ministry is a calling to follow God which is difficult at times. Be prepared to fail in actions, attitude, and emotions at times, but always be ready to get up reconcile with God and man and get on with it.
I think that, other than the religious training and experience that prepared me for ministry, the best preparation I received was working in the business world with people very much like the people I now minister to. I have a deeper appreciation for the hardships of employment across a broad range of industry because of my work in administration while preparing for ordination. Anyone considering “first career” ministry should spend some time working full time outside the church for this experience (and it will definitely help prove or disprove Joe’s #1 point in the process!)
I thought I wanted to be a pastor; seriously considered attending a “bible college.” Then I served as an Elder in a former church. I have NO desire to ever pastor a church OR serve as an Elder again. Church can be a very mean, angry place.
I appreciate the advice! I also like John’s Piper’s advice to college students, to read and to read older things like JI Packer’s work first, before reading the newer material. Also, concerning education, I agree. My BA in Journalism has helped immensely.
http://zdoppelt.blogspot.com/
Seems you’ve touched a nerve Joe.
Josh
“…the word of God is not bound.”
–2 Timothy 2:9
Are women allowed to be pastors? If you respond yes, please give biblical foundation.
Great post.
Though it is not a book specifically about ministry, I think every prospective minister should read Watson’s “The Art of Divine Contentment.” The ministry is not all a bed of roses. This book helped me through the briars.
Hi Joe,
I’d like to know whether I could find something similar, but for missionaries ?
… thanks!
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