When James P. Boyce placed aside his business, money, and career to follow God’s calling in the ministry, he received critique from those that knew him. “Well, well, why don’t he follow some useful occupation? If he would only have stuck to business, he would have made one of the best merchants in the country” (Memoir, p. 54) – cited in Baptist and the Bible, 183-184. Rather than becoming one of the best merchants in the country, he followed the calling of God on his life and became one of the greatest preachers in history. For Boyce, it was the Bible rather than business. It was Scripture over success. It was his Master over materialism. It was Christ over career. And because of that dedication, we have a legacy that is worth remembering. One that has affected me and many other preachers who have graduated from the Seminary he helped found.
Recently, I have found myself being asked by a few people to provide pastoral counsel regarding being called into the ministry. So, below are my thoughts on the subject of God’s calling. It is a calling – not an occupation!
I. Nobody is Worthy of the Pulpit Ministry
When one considers the ministry, it should not be examined on the basis of worthiness. We have heard many times people make statements such as, “He would make a great preacher.” I often want to respond by saying, “I wonder what the folks in Damascus thought about Saul shortly after his calling to ministry?” The point is, they were afraid of him and did not want to embrace him as a brother, much less as a minister of the Gospel. Later Paul would say that he was the chief of all sinners.
Therefore, nobody should approach the pulpit ministry as if they are worthy of it. No matter what their family name is in the community, how gifted that individual is in administrative areas, no matter how intelligent the individual is, and the list could continue on and on from here. The point is simple. Nobody deserves the pulpit ministry and nobody is worthy of it. All men are sinners. All Christians are saved by Grace. Therefore, we should approach the pulpit as God’s sacred desk whereby only those called by God should stand to proclaim the Word.
II. Calling is Determined by Giftedness
God never calls those who are not gifted by Him for the ministry. What we must remember is that God’s calling on the life of a preacher is not something that just occurred in recent days. God did not just get an idea and decide to send the Holy Spirit to call a person into the ministry. It happened in the sovereign plan of God before the foundation of the world (Jeremiah 1:5). Therefore, if God is in control of all things and knows all things, He would not extend a calling to someone who is disqualified and does not possess the gift of teaching and preaching God’s Word.
Unfortunately, many people are “Mommy called and Daddy sent” into the ministry. That is extremely dangerous to that individual, but also to those to whom that person seeks to minister.
Only 70% of pastors felt called of God into ministry when they began.
Only 50% of pastors felt called of God into ministry three years later.
80% of seminary graduates who enter ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
The very first thing that must be considered when any thought regarding ministry enters the mind of a man is whether or not he fulfills the Scriptural mandate of an elder located in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Nothing else should take presidence over what the Scripture says about those God calls into the ministry. The calling of God is not a mystical thing – it is a God thing.
III. The Ministry is not About Money
Undoubtedly, many people today are in the ministry for selfish motives. That is obvious from those we see on television each week. A person should not seek the ministry for money, because more times than not, the ministry will be a long road of financial struggles as opposed to financial success.
When I speak to evangelists about coming to minister in the church I pastor, I do not invite any man who speaks about money. I know that money is a need, and I am committed to making sure that each person who comes to preach and minister in our church is taken care of, but it should not be a priority in their ministry. I have had preachers make statements about helping them increase their love offerings at revival meetings. Shame on any man who would ever say such a thing. If that is the heart of a preacher, he should seriously evaluate his motives to ensure that they are pure.
80% of pastors’ wives feel their husbands are overworked.
70% of pastors are grossly underpaid.
On average, the pastor is overworked, underpaid, and under appreciated. Therefore, true God called ministers should remember this from the beginning and make smart decisions that will prevent added stress in their personal life. In the end, anyone called by God into the ministry should enter with a conviction that God will provide – and He certainly will.
IV. Ministry Involves Affliction
It has been said that the true Christian life will involve suffering. If that is true about the Christian life, it should be noted that the Christian ministry is an intense area of affliction and suffering. Although some preachers seem to have less affliction and adversity in their ministries, on average, the ministry is full of harmful critique, gossipers, liars, and difficult people who would rather stand against you than with you for the glory of God.
80% of the adult children of pastors sought professional help for depression.
80% of pastors’ wives feel unappreciated by the congregation.
Over 50% of pastors’ wives feel that their husbands entering ministry was the most destructive thing to ever happen to their families
85% of pastors report that their biggest problem is dealing with abstinent elders, deacons, worship leaders, worship teams, board members, and associate pastors.
90% of pastors said the hardest thing about ministry is uncooperative people.
The point – ministry is very difficult. The ministry is not a career path. It is not something we should approach like we do a booth at a career fair. The ministry is demanding, discouraging, and destructive at times. At all costs, the preacher should approach the ministry with caution and protect his family from the problems that are lurking on the horizon. However, the man called by God must walk that path of suffering.
V. The Ministry is About God
Many times I read autobiographies and media printouts from preachers who desire to promote themselves more than God. That is a troubling thing in our day. It seems that many preachers are self centered as opposed to Christ centered.
Humility is a Must: If a man is going to be the preacher that God desires him to be, he will need to be humble rather than arrogant. Humility is a virtue and a must in ministry. Nobody wants to hear a self proclaimed expert talk about life from the presumption that he has everything figured out.
Ministry Must be Word Centered: When a man stands behind the sacred desk to preach, it should be to proclaim the Word of God. Preaching is about God – not about the preacher. People do not gather to hear jokes and fancy phrases of humor. They do not gather to hear high intellectual grammar. They gather to hear from God. That is what should occur in each service. When the preacher shifts attention on himself rather than the Word – he has prevented the people from hearing what God says.
Much more could be said about this, but I will conclude by saying that in order to tell people what God says, the whole counsel of God’s Word must be preached. Any man with the brain the size of a BB could stand up and proclaim a “sugar stick” message (often from what he has heard his favorite preacher say in a sermon on that topic) without any real preparation, study, and direction. When preachers preach like this, it leaves the people starving to death and confused as to what God really said. Therefore, I am committed to expository preaching (verse by verse through books of the Bible) so that the people can hear the full counsel of God (even the tough passages) as opposed to my favorite topic of the week.
Conclusion:
Today, 1,500 pastors leave the ministry permanently each month in America. That is a startling statistic. Anyone aspiring to the ministry should consider these very important facts. However, in the end, we need more men like Jeremiah, Paul, and James P. Boyce to stand in the pulpit and tell people what God said. Bow down before God – trust Him – follow Him – serve Him – adore Him – and He will raise you up to accomplish His task for His glory!
By His Grace,
Pastor Josh Buice
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