My call to ministry:
Graced by Christian parents, I was raised in the
womb of the church. The church was a normal part of my life from
the beginning. In college I found my faith being put to the test
and it was Christian mentors who assisted me during this time. My
faith went through maturation as it was shaken. It was during this
time of studying and struggling that my mentors begin to speak to
me about the ministry—something that initially shocked me and surprised
me. I had not thought of myself in this way. Eventually, I seriously
considered the counsel of my mentors in this regard and came to
accept the call to ministry. There was no vision, no audible voice
from God, no earth-shaking message to me; simply a growing conviction
that this was the direction I should go.
I did my seminary work and served as a minister
for a few years as soon pursued additional graduate work. My educational
work and other events led me to do counseling and teaching for several
years, but I always maintained a sense of calling in these areas
as well and remained a pastor at heart. I found it difficult to
not think of the pastoral ministry even when on other career endeavors.
Recently I have accepted a call to the First Christian Church (DOC)
of Rome, Georgia to a bivocational ministry. This means I will keep
my position as Director of Behavioral Medicine in graduate medical
education at a family practice residency, but will also work as
senior minister for the church. This will be a great challenge,
but I believe we need models for bivocational ministry and this
is becoming imperative for many smaller churches today.
The ministry is one of the most challenging of
careers. It provides one of the most effective means for helping
others and I firmly believe that good practical, compassionate,
caring and preaching is very much needed in even in our post modern
world. My belief is that if you really care for your members and
know how to work with individuals on a personal basis, the ministry
can be very rewarding. However, it is important to be able to take
care of yourself and know how to set limits and keep boundaries.
Many seek to be complete people-pleasers and accommodate to the
demands and whims of all which results in depleting pastors of their
love for ministry and leads to burnout. A minister has to be sensitive
to the pains of others, aware of his or her own needs, yet tough
enough to disagree without being disagreeable. Also, intense study
should be a component of ministry, but if you simply like books
and not people, it is better to go into another profession! The
ministry is mostly about relating to others and encouraging them
spiritually. My main counsel to anyone seeking the ministry is to
join up with a good, honest, and stable experienced pastoral mentor
who can point you in the right direction. Good luck, and God bless
as you explore your options. There is a need for those who have
the ability to develop the gifts of ministry and have the fortitude
to stay the course with church members through the pains and joys
of life.
Best regards,
J LeBron McBride
lebdeb@mindspring.com
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