How do you become a pastor?

[exrockstar]

The Bible tells us exactly how our preachers are to "come about"

Paul told Timothy, "[W]hat you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Tim. 2:2). In this passage he refers to the first four generations of pastors

Edited April 10, 2007 by exrockstar

[Marnie]

So somewhere between Dr So-and-So and the isolated smaller conmmunity church there is a need for someone to serve, and in that the good Dr is appearantly all to frequently called to larger, more well funded service, there is a little place called reality where someone that cares steps in to serve even though they are not a Dr of Theology.

As for a place where there are lots of churches, I would rather see lots of churches than lots of bars, and having served as the pastor of a few very poor and small churches, I can tell you that having a lesser degreed minister verses no one at all, there is really no choice.

I served twice as assistant pastor (the mentoring program as the educational model), but the first time I served as pastor I was driving down the freeway when I suddenly was overwhelmed with the presence of the Holy Spirit, and I began weeping so strongly that I had to pull over on the side of the road. I had no idea what was going on. I would soon meet a grandmother in that little town (I had never been to that town before in my life, and was not going there as I was driving that day either), a 65 year old widow that had been praying for God to send a pastor to her and her grandchildren, as the former pastor had left with no one to replace him. There was no church building, and no money, but we had wonderful services in her living room (some of the best I have ever been in in my life). There was never a church sign, nor was there a wage to serve (I worked to support my young family, many pastors do, you know), but it was what God decided He wanted.

I will always treasure that dear grandmother, the few that came and were impacted in Christ Jesus, that tiny town, and the loving opportunity to even know such a dear, faithfilled lady. I received much more than wages there.

My church, which has a membership of 50 and an attendance of maybe 70 on a good Sunday, is small, yet our pastor has a Ph.D. You don't enter the ministry for the money! When we interviewed him he made it clear he never took a church or turned down a church based on salary; it was always the calling of the Lord. His attitude was--and this a big reason why we hired him--if a church didn't meet his needs, the church would have to answer to G-d, not him. I love that attitude! A true man of G-d is really a man from G-d, called to shepherd the hearts of a congregation regardless of salary or size. Our pastor, to his credit, turned down a large church in Las Vegas to come here.

It sounds good to say it is better to have a lot of small churches than bars, but, to use your words, there is a place called reality. When churches are started out of vanity or for wrong reasons, how can the Lord bless such an undertaking? I think there is nothing more dangerous than a pulpit in the hands of someone who doesn't understand Biblical doctrine or church polity. Imagine the damage a man like that can do to a person's faith or to the church in the eyes of the community. When my husband mentioned all the small churches in his hometown, the follow up response was something to the effect that it was good to get out of that redneck town. The church already has an image problem, and much of that image problem in perpetuated by men preaching nonsensical ideas not rooted in the Word. My goodness, there is no excuse for a man behind the pulpit to not know where the book of Micah is located, or who cannot pronounce "Hezekiah" correctly or who cannot explain the phrase "substitutional atonement " when asked.

[Kansasdad]

The Bible tells us exactly how our preachers are to "come about"

Paul told Timothy, "[W]hat you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Tim. 2:2). In this passage he refers to the first four generations of pastors

[CaritateDei]

The Bible tells us exactly how our preachers are to "come about"

Paul told Timothy, "[W]hat you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Tim. 2:2). In this passage he refers to the first four generations of pastors

[Iryssa]

I would think that anyone who TRULY has a calling to be in such a position of leadership would want to grow deeper in their knowledge of the Bible through constant study anyway, by any good means available to them. (holy run-on sentence, Batman)

[CaritateDei]

I would think that anyone who TRULY has a calling to be in such a position of leadership would want to grow deeper in their knowledge of the Bible through constant study anyway, by any good means available to them. (holy run-on sentence, Batman)

Actually...you are grammatically A-OK! (*pushes masking taped glasses further back on nose*)

I'm a dork.

[Iryssa]

I would think that anyone who TRULY has a calling to be in such a position of leadership would want to grow deeper in their knowledge of the Bible through constant study anyway, by any good means available to them. (holy run-on sentence, Batman)

Actually...you are grammatically A-OK! (*pushes masking taped glasses further back on nose*)

I'm a dork.

*laugh* Good. I learned grammar intuitively, so I'm never quite sure about the technical aspects.

[exrockstar]

Very good, more examples where the Bible shows us that the pastors of the church from its beginning were taught by the Apostles. Further these men then taught others, and so on. The pastors of the church were never just anyone who claimed to have inspiration or knowledge. They were appointed and taught by the church fathers before them. We see the Apostles laying on of hands to appoint such men. Can your pastor trace his/her teaching back to the Apostles. Is there any other formula prescribed by the Bible. All other methods are traditions of men.

thats why Im a believer of seminary schools.

Paul was trying to organize, preach, and teach the good news.

He did this without a bible, on foot under a time constraint.

If he would of lived another 200 years he may be would of opened one.... 3xR0c|<stAr

[TheoMike]

I would think that anyone who TRULY has a calling to be in such a position of leadership would want to grow deeper in their knowledge of the Bible through constant study anyway, by any good means available to them. (holy run-on sentence, Batman)

lol check out Marnie's last post. Talk about a run-on, RUNAWAY, sentence. tsk tsk.... whew.

Good points, Iryssa.

[Marnie]

I would think that anyone who TRULY has a calling to be in such a position of leadership would want to grow deeper in their knowledge of the Bible through constant study anyway, by any good means available to them. (holy run-on sentence, Batman)

lol check out Marnie's last post. Talk about a run-on, RUNAWAY, sentence. tsk tsk.... whew.

Good points, Iryssa.

Hey, I was typing fast. Gimme a break.