I’ve received comments over last week’s blog entry from a few individuals seeking consideration for those full-time positions I wrote about. To them, let me say that, while your desire to serve our Lord through His church is welcome, it is only one of several criteria necessary.
I could point you to 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, or my favorite, Paul’s letter to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20, and be done with the conversation. But, because I love you guys, let me make some additional points.
Aside from the desire to serve, one must be qualified for the role in question. I know many who seek church employment who are not qualified. Some are godly disciples who lack the spiritual or personal maturity but may, in time, grow into fruitful ministers. Others lack the spiritual giftedness or practical understanding essential to serve in the desired position. These will benefit from discipleship and equipping. But I regularly hear from those who, after checking their backgrounds, we learn they are just not godly! Character matters! No one expects perfection, but we do expect “a man above reproach.”
A friend seeks a position in a Baptist church, yet he current attends one with distinctly different doctrine. I hold him in high regard, but let me be direct. If you want to serve on staff of a Baptist church, you need to demonstrate commitment to Baptist doctrine as an active member with a Baptist church (or at least Baptistic, of like faith and order).
Here’s the bottom line: You can’t shepherd people along a path you’ve not walked.
So, to be qualified for spiritual leadership, and especially to be compensated for ministry service, I recommend this path.
First, obviously, you must be a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ. You must have experienced authentic conversion and live an observable pattern of consistent growth in godly belief and behavior. Must you be perfect? No. But sustained faithfulness over time is necessary.
Second, you should be a faithful and serving member of a Baptist church (we are talking about employment in a Baptist church, after all). I’ve had men come to me seeking a position, and when I ask where they serve they say, “Oh, I just visit different churches.” HOW CAN YOU CALL PEOPLE TO MAKE A COMMITMENT THAT YOU ARE UNWILLING TO MAKE? So, join a church. Yield yourself to their disciple making process. Serve as the Lord gives opportunity. Please don’t tell me you are called to lead in the church when you’ve never been a follower.
Third, develop your gifts in the context of your church. Yes, as believer with no mediator between you and the Lord, you can discern God’s direction. But, given our bent towards sin, His direction is affirmed with greater clarity in fellowship with the church.
This doesn’t negate service with parachurch organizations, or representing Christ within the greater community. But remember, this conversation is about those who desire a place on church staff, as a ministry leader and teacher. Through service with your congregation you receive equipping, encouragement, and when necessary correction. Service for Christ as part of a biblically faithful congregation will empower, not inhibit, your ministry.
Fourth, look for independent confirmation of God’s call on your life through other believers, especially those in your church. As you serve, do others show evidence of growth through your teaching? Do they see and affirm God’s hand on your life? Is there anything different at the back-end of your service than before, or is it all just the same?
Finally, as you sense God’s call to serve “at the next level” such as vocational staff or missions, make your sense of calling known through the church. Take steps to prepare through seminary or other equipping. But amidst it all, continue serving. It is through faithful service where you are today that you demonstrate readiness for service tomorrow.
As a word of personal encouragement, don’t be in a hurry for that paying gig. That itself can be a red flag. Share your sense of call with your church and serve as you have opportunity.
Some churches across GTBN shape their disciple making processes for members to have every opportunity for discovering God’s call on their lives. If yours isn’t as clearly focused, reach out to the network. We are partnering with the North American Mission Board to implement a Leadership Development Pipeline. Through this we hope to help churches develop church planters, pastors and staff, some serving full-time, others co-vocationally. I’ll share more of this as we lay the groundwork.
One more thing. Focus on God’s call to ministry, not primarily to “vocational ministry.” I realize we’re used to a certain number of funded church positions in southeast Texas. But your sense of call should be so clear that, paid or not, you can’t avoid doing it. As the church economy changes, we can expect far more church staff roles to be filled by covocational ministers, or even volunteers.
If you have the privilege of receiving your full financial support from the church, steward that opportunity well. But even today there are not as many of those opportunities as their once was. Prioritize God’s call. Once that general sense of call sharpens to a particular people and place, then you can work through the other details.
Bro. Jim