Ok, so this was a document which I had to prepare for my Pastoral Education class this past Fall. I am going to break it down into 4 parts (each part being a different section of the document). I would really welcome compliments/critiques in the way I have formed this document, as I strive to be a faithful minister of the Gospel in every way.
Call to Ministry
I first began to feel a call to full-time ministry work shortly after I believe I was truly saved. I had grown up in the Church. We went to church every Sunday, went to AWANA every Wednesday, and went to any other function the church had on any other night. I learned Bible songs, memorized countless Bible verses, and spent time with church friends every week. With all this training, however, I don’t think the message ever went from my head to my heart. I had a head knowledge of who Jesus was, and I had a knowledge of the way of salvation, but it was all just stuff I knew—like math problems. It didn’t affect my everyday life anymore than my schoolwork affected the way I lived every day. This became evident when I got older, and I began to embrace sinful patterns as “ok”. I knew they were sinful, but I allowed myself the privilege of partaking in them because, “at least I’m not as bad as some people.” I followed my sinful desires wherever they led me, and I was a slave to them throughout my high school years—although quite secretly, for fear that someone might find out what a hypocrite I was. I finally realized what a wretched sinner I was as I began to actually read the Bible for myself. I saw the Bible’s true message as a personal one, one that I had to personally embrace and trust in. This happened around the time I was 20 years old. After I was saved by God, I grew to love my Bible. As I continued to read it, I had an intense desire to share with others what I was learning. I also had an intense desire to use the Bible to minister to others. I shared these desires with my Pastor, and he gave me some subjective tests which may prove if this desire was truly a desire God had given me or if I was just experiencing impulsive feelings. As I tested myself, I didn’t feel at the time that I was called to ministry. However, as I attempted to pursue other things, I was continually pulled by this urge to minister to others and an urge to teach the Word of God. I began to listen to many Preaching podcasts, and I grew in my understanding of the depths of God’s Word, and I knew that this was the “work” God had for me. I desired to minister to others using the Word of God—I wasn’t sure in what area particularly, but I knew that God was drawing me into ministry. I had heard that a good way to discern whether or not God has gifted you with a teaching gift is to teach and ask others if they recognize the gift. So when I was given the opportunity to give a “talk” at a men’s retreat (my first truly public teaching experience), I asked the elders of my church, who were a part of the retreat, if they could see God’s gifting on my teaching. They affirmed that they felt God had gifted me to teach. After this time, and being given other opportunities to teach, I began to pursue a theological education so that I would be grounded in my theology and also understand the practical necessities of ministry toward others. I found Liberty University’s Online program through one of the elders of our Church (who is currently pursuing a Master’s degree), and I enrolled in the Bachelor’s of Religion degree program. Currently I am approximately four weeks from finishing the degree, and God has providentially guided the whole process. I am thankful to God for what I believe to be His gracious call to ministry for His Son Jesus Christ.
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