Becoming a pastor

[Fez]

Grace to you,

There are several ways that God will speak to a person. Seek confirmation from the Lord in these matters.

I too am in the process of becoming Ordained in my Denomination. I started out just merely listening to the Lord and took some adult courses for a local ministers license in my Denomination.Of course I sought elders and the Pastors counsel first. I found out once I got there that it was indeed Gods will. I am now on track to being Ordained. I may not even be a Pastor but more of an Evangelist. However, for some reason God is leading me to be Ordained and it is confirmed by several sources.

I am in the Wesleyan Denomination. We have in house courses from our Denomination for adult ministerial students. Most denominations do. I too have been gifted to speak and was being used as an Evangelist in a live action in the streets Homeless Ministry in Washington, D.C. for some time. I began to see a huge impact and knew it was another confirmation. It was a training step in the process.

God will confirm your feelings and others words if they are truly from Him.

I had no thought of being Ordained and I thought I knew what Gods plan was but sometimes we don't know all of the details up front, just the big picture. We have to walk by faith and lay hold of the next opportunity or open door as it comes.

As Botz and Fez have said, seek the confrimation of the authorities and confidants that you have in Christ. Also seek His will through fasting and prayer. He will confirm for you whether or not it is His will.

John Wesley used to pray with like minded folks, (other Holiness Methodists) fast, pray, and even cast lots for Gods will.

Peace,

Dave

Excellent advice. Being a pastor, as Dave will tell you (I am not a pastor, but teach when I am led to), is so much more than the preaching. Ministry, house visits, funerals, weddings, baptisms, wisdom, finance, planning, administration, leases, vehicles, salaries, hiring and firing, the list is endless...

Give some thought to the mundane. It is all part of a pastors life.

[Matthitjah]

It's a hard call, no doubt, as is any career decision. I have always encouraged people to follow their hearts.

However, I can think of few vocations in which persons sacrifice more for so little material gain. I've known several people in full-time ministry, either as pastors or in other capacities. Most had the equivalent of a master's degree or higher. Many started out as interns making little or no money, worked long hours, sacrificed time with family and friends and often felt unappreciated. One pastor told me that a senior pastor had warned him "If you can do anything else and be happy, do it."

It's important to remember there is far more to being a pastor than preaching a 40-minute sermon on Sunday. Most pastors rarely preach. They work on administrative stuff, lead small groups or have a dedicated ministry (youth, seniors, kids, etc.) Even a lead pastor spends the better part of his week preparing a message, reading and studying the work of others in hopes of gaining various insights. The delivery -- how ever smooth or choppy --- is just the finished product.

In short, if this is a desire of your heart, go for it. But just keep in mind it is a job like anything else.

For many years I worked in a field where lots of people envied my work, said they would love to do that. Of course, they rarely saw the sacrifices I made, either. Rarely are things as glamorous as they seem.

Wow! That was a joyless description.

One must be called to the Ministry and then be given the necessary Grace.

The thing is, there is no place else they'd rather be because they know that there is a meaningfulness in the work that far surpasses anything they could or would have done in the world.

I believe that someone seeking it as merely a vocation sincerely needs to be Saved and sanctified.

peace,

Dave

[nebula]

A pastor first and foremost is a shepherd of the flock.

The word translated as "pastors" in Eph. 4:11 elsewhere in the NT is translated as "shepherd".

poimen

One note given there:

"The tasks of a Near Eastern shepherd were: - to watch for enemies trying to attack the sheep - to defend the sheep from attackers - to heal the wounded and sick sheep - to find and save lost or trapped sheep - to love them, sharing their lives and so earning their trust."

Are you prepared in your heart for this task?

[NeedYouLord]

Oh Lord You Are So Good and Your Mercy Endures Forever...I Pray Indwell Your Children Mightily For Your Glory...Lead and Guide us, O Father...Into Your Perfect Will...Wow...In The Name of Jesus, I Pray

And Thank You For Your Word...Which Is Sharper Than Any Two Edged Sword...

Ephesians 3:8 (New King James Version)

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ...

The Lord has given me this word to meditate on...several times now...I'm a housewife (One that has been changed mightily by The Power of God)...Hahaha...Asking, Seeking and Knocking...Lord...Use me any way You see fit...Amazing what God can do in a life that is submitted to Him...The Lord showed me years ago how He could take everything He had ever given me in this life and use it for His Glory...Just to testify: Waiting on The Lord...Is an amazing, amazing thing...because now this many years later (I'm not saying it takes everybody as long as it did me...I had to be carnal for a very long time...highly don't recommend it either) but waiting is amazing because now---and believe me I knew when it was time---to start walking in The Plan and Purpose God has for my life...ever heard of preaching through a sewing machine? Uhhh...Our God is Amazing...I'm still In Awe of Him...

Love,

NeedYouLord

[D. OSAS]

Pastoring is far more than a public sermon or Sunday School lesson. Pastoring requires God's special gifting to meet the needs of others. You'll have to deal with death, spiritual warfare, fellowship relations, political hot topics (like green versus red carpet), time management, business management, computer offices, special temptations and more.

Make your decision on far more than human praise for a wonderful moving public message.

Dr. OSAS

[Leonard]

I'll place this under 'Doctrinal Questions' Welllll....since becoming a Christian (Junior High 1985) I have always been seeking God's will in my life. In my old church I used to serve as Liturgist and took part in the Last Supper drama. Each time someone would comment to me, "You should be a pastor." I gave it no thought and went on to earn a BA in history and now work for the Post Office. Needless to say the Post Office is in poor shape and the future is bleak. I spoke at a church here some time ago and another pastor caught wind of my "speech/sermon" and has now asked me to speak at his church on Memorial Day Sunday. This past Sunday (4/29) I spoke at my new church (Lincoln Chapel - United Methodist Church) and, once again, at the end of the service people made comments to me...one said, "Have you thought of becoming a pastor? God has given you a gift!" I have been asking God lately to use me as He wants in His service. Now I'm praying for His answer in this direction. I have been told that since I already have a BA degree it wouldn't be hard to become ordained. I would be honored to think that He would use me to further His kingdom in this manner and humbled. Any ideas?? Please pray for me concerning this decision. It is certainly not one I am taking lightly.

Unless the calling burns so hotly inside you that you CANNOT stay away from it; DO NOT go into the Ministry. It is a CALLING from God, not an 'ability' which matters.

[JohnD]

My advice on the subject is we can never have too many pastors.

I noted on one response that the UM church is considering altering its position on homosexual marriage and I suppose homosexual clergy as well.

There is no doubt that the Bible considers homosexuality differently in the New Covenant than it did the Old Covenant (no longer a capital offense) as apparently adultery is not either. Both were capital offenses and demanded capital punishment. The death penalty.

BUT

...while we are no longer required to stone these to death, both are grevious sins of perversions...

as is divorce...

The prominence of perversion is directly the result of the reluctance of the Church to deal with such matters. Or in other words the salt has lost its savor and not the world is trampling in under foot as the salt has become good for nothing other than the dung pile and the foot path,

I have often said about gay marraige that it is no more an abomination than heterosexuals mocking marriage with adultery and serial monogamy and with allowing all the avenues of lust and pornography to assail the sanctity of the sacred union. Two divorcess, two men, two women, two men and a woman, three women and a duck... etc. How about parents with their children? What's next and when will it end?

Should we leave yet another fallen denomination? Or should we stand and fight?

As far as women clergy is concerned, I used to fight this one to the nth degree. Then it occurred to me that as long as 99.98% of Christians are not becoming the priests before God we are all called to be, then the shortage of priests is the exception to the rule of no women preachers (the Prophetess Deborah case in point Judges 3-4).

And one last thought to the OP... if you by suggesting you enter the pastorate people are encouraged by the fact that you are a "business as usual" type (who will never hold them accountable to God's Word and who will never rock the boat or make them uncomfortable)... may I suggest you consider a pastorate of getting the Church back onto the path of righteousness and off of the path of sin and retreat it has been on for several hundred years now. ?

Then I say go get 'em, preacher!