Feeling Called Isn't Enough pt 1

Feeling Called Isn't Enough pt 1

When the church takes a backseat to the self.

(This is part one of a four-part series on a calling to ministry. This article is diagnosis and description of a pastor’s unhealthy view of the inward call. Part 2 is prescription, a biblical vision for the local church in pastoral formation and their role in the outward call. Part 3 is diagnosis and description of a church’s unhealthy view of the outward call. Part 4 is prescription, a vision for the called in his own pastoral formation.)

Peter just graduated from seminary. He aspires to a noble task. He put in his time. He’s trained and ready. Now, he needs to float his resume. He’s a blue-chipper. Who wouldn’t want a young, intelligent, degreed, well-spoken, family-man who’s “called” to pastor. He may have to settle for a part-time, bi-vocational gig, but surely it’ll be short term. Fulltime, vocational ministry is the calling. It’s God plan for his life. Or, is it?

There’s a well known stat in ministry circles that pastors average about three years before moving on to another church. Thom Rainer, President and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, addressed this phenomenon in his book Breakout Churches and in a shorter article. I think it’s worth digging in a little deeper. Could the assumed inward call of a pastor and the lack of assessment by a local church correlate as culprits producing the three-year “new calling” pattern? 

Diagnosis: Inward Call greater than Outward Call? 

There's a flaw in our typical definition of "calling." Unfortunately, our seminaries often don't help much. Many churches with their pastor search committee also promote this defect. I think the primary weakness is that most believe a calling to pastoral ministry is essentially between the man and God, the inward call, with very little emphasis on God's provided means of discerning and extending the outward call, the local church. Many functionally have divorced the inward call from the outward. A proper biblical view would recognize both the inward call and the outward call. In the outward call, a congregation submitted to the Spirit and Word observes and examines a man to see if he is qualified for pastoral ministry, and extends an outward call as God leads. The church, with Bible in hand and candidate before them, observes and assesses the man’s character, confession (doctrine), commitment (reasons and desires), competency (God-given gifts and abilities), context (where to pastor), and circumstances all culminating to affirm, or not, a calling. Best case scenario, the man is evaluating his sense of an inward call along these same lines while the church is evaluating him, and together they hear what is God's direction after sufficient time. 

10 Pastors You May Know 

Here are some of the results of a pastor candidate’s  inadequate understanding and the resulting imbalance of inward over outward evaluation and calling by the church.   

1.     Entitled Pastor (Credentialed Pastor): “I've earned my calling and affirmation through what I’ve done. See the plaque on the wall? I walked the aisle, prayed the prayer, and surrendered at camp.” This unhealthy view assumes that a ministry position is earned and de-emphasizes the outward evaluation of the local church. This view also lends toward men not seeking further growth, education, accountability, or submission to mentors after they've received their "credentials."
2.     Celebrity Pastor: “I've got the skills and the following as attested to by Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. By the way, when will my sermons start live-streamming? We need to get our online campus running ASAP! And! Can we talk about our first satellite campus two towns over?” In our social media age, it’s relatively easy to amass a following, or at least think you have. We can assume our personality and charisma are the most essential factors in a call, and de-emphasize the authority of local church in recognizing calling. 

3.     Upwardly-mobile Pastor (Ladder climbing): “I'm working my way to the top. My calling is bigger than this church.” We all know the guy who’s starting low and working up. The local church is a means for his platform. “’Feed my sheep?’ ‘Let’s be honest, not all sheep are created equal. Some are “more equal” than others.’” 

4.     Church-less Pastor: “I don't need a church to know I'm called to be a pastor. God placed a call on my life. Of course, I have a side ministry. I’m just in between churches and still trying to find a church that will partner with my ministry.” How can we say the inward call is legit when the very God-ordained means for its evaluation is so unimportant? 

5.     Vocational-only Pastor: “I’m called to full-time ministry. It’s a special calling. I wrote it in my Bible the day I got the call. Some guys are called to part-time work. That’s just not me. Not only do I have the right to be paid for my pastoral labors, but I must. Don't muzzle the ox! Am I right!?!” Sadly, as there’s an increased hostility to Christianity, these men will find themselves as Church-less Pastors. Pastors have the right to receive compensation. But, that’s all it is, a right, not a requirement of the church. Paul laid down the right. 

6.     CEO Pastor: “Look. The search committee and the church recognized me and did their part in my ‘outward call’, as minimal as it was, now it’s my show. They brought me in because of my vision. They need to get on the bus or get run over by it. Are you with me?” When leadership skills take the place of mutual submission between pastors and church, the sheep become customers and resources to be bought and controlled. “They don’t know any better anyway, or they would be in charge.” 

7.     Susceptible Pastor (Puffed-up Pastor): “Folks, my calling is MY calling. Who are you to question what conviction God has given me? I heard from God. I felt the call, and read the circumstances.” If we don’t submit ourselves to the accountability of the Word and church, we are susceptible to the dominant power groups in the church if, and when, our game plan begins to crumble.  

8.     Schizophrenic Pastor: “Did you see the latest resource toolkit from Always Relevant! Looks like that’s the direction and kick in the pants our church needs right now!” Six months later . . . “Sheldon, bro, the latest vision kit from Always Relevant just dropped. Check it out. I just downloaded it. That’s where we’re going.” A man not submitted to the accountability of the Word and church, is susceptible to being led by the whims of culture, dominant programs, philosophies, and emotional appeals of others.

9.     Youth-ministry-transfer Pastor: “I loved youth ministry, but it was time to keep the party going at the next level. It’s pretty similar now as pastor. I just have to put in a little more time at the office. But, the benefits are better. That membership to the golf course is where it’s at! There’s no time to work hard when you’re hardly working. But, hey, that’s the calling and somebody’s gotta do it.” Who’s to question the inward call? If we start thinking ministry is according to our own agenda, and the church doesn't step up and disagree, then they’ve made the bed they’re lying in. 

10. Under-served Pastor: "I've been trained. I've been mentored. I've got a call. But, it seems churches in the past and even now don't have a very clear biblical vision for pastoral formation. Can they help me discern not only my calling, but also the biblical qualifications, and nature and expectations of pastoral ministry?" Many have felt this urge and need. Lean into this, brothers. 

Could it be that one of the reasons for the three-year leave trend is because a pastor’s inward call has been exhausted and a new setting is the needed B12 injection to give life to a one-sided, or dare we say, no-sided call? As a friend observed, “Now he's off to the next church with a resume not a mandate! A man not undergirded with a real call and a real recognition by a local assembly is simply an educated stick for the all consuming flame of the church grind” (Travis Bennett). 

Inward Call + Outward Call 

A local church could well serve a man sensing an internal call by developing a process for discerning whether sufficient evidence exists that God is making him a pastor. The whole church family ought to observe evidence of God’s grace to them in a pastor. Areas for discernment of the call would include the aforementioned: character, confession, commitment, competency, context, and circumstances. In evaluating these areas, and having a vision for pastoral formation, the local church could then discern God’s inward call and, if fitting, confirm with an outward call.

Thankfully, during and coming out of seminary, a faithful, local church challenged and assessed me in these ways. Often, these realities--needing outward evaluation and calling--are better caught than taught. No doubt, when a church steps up to test a man, it can strike against our pride, but that’s a big part of God’s purpose in the church’s role in pastoral formation. May God shape a new generation of pastors who submit to God’s ordained means for evaluating the inward call, the biblically faithful, local church. 

Part 2: Prescription: A Vision for the Local Church in Pastoral Formation 

In the article to follow, I will share a vision for how churches could take a greater role in pastoral formation. Particularly, we’ll walk through the six previously mentioned C’s and give tangible examples for each.

---

What's the Greatest Danger Facing the Church?

Jim Hamilton's take is that it "is from within...from well meaning pastors."

How could well meaning pastors pose the greatest threat to evangelical churches today?

Do they deny the truth?

No, the pastors who pose the greatest threat to the church today will all confess belief in the right things. They will say they believe in the authority and inerrancy of the Bible, that Jesus saves, and even that Jesus is the only way of salvation.

So how can these guys who mean well and make the good confession pose such a threat to the church?

His advice for our avoiding a psychologyzing shepherd "who will harm the church by turning Christianity into the American religion of self help therapy"...

1. Look at the biblical qualifications for men in the ministry (1 Tim 3:1–7; Tit 1:5–9), and ask pastoral candidates direct questions about whether they meet these qualifications.

2. Since the feature that most distinguishes the qualifications for an elder (pastor) from the qualifications for a deacon is that the elder be “apt to teach” (1 Tim 3:2), pay close attention to his teaching.

3. Based on what you have heard of his preaching, ask yourself these questions:...

4. Ask direct questions about what he understands pastoral ministry to be about:...

• Check out The Greatest Danger Facing the Church

Are We Amusing Ourselves to Death?

Short Review and Response to Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Showbusiness.
Disclaimer: I do not want this to come across as if I think I have all the answers or that the effects or solutions I see and posit are all inclusive. I do hope it spurs on your thought in regards to being a good steward with TV.

In the form of a response to Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman, I would like to: 1) state the problem as postulated by Postman; 2) apply it to Evangelicalism during television's brief 20th century setting by showing some of the effects of TV epistemology on our seminaries, churches and missions agencies; and, 3) give four potential solutions.

The Problem. Neil Postman, with sharp discernment, posits that the television as a

“major new medium changes the structure of discourse; it does so by encouraging certain uses of the intellect, by favoring certain definitions of intelligence and wisdom, and by demanding a certain kind of content – in a phrase, by creating new forms of truth-telling” (27).

Formerly, the structure of discourse in the American culture was dominated by print. Under the influence of typography,

“public discourse tends to be characterized by a coherent, orderly arrangement of facts and ideas…which revealed the world…to be a serious, coherent place, capable of management by reason, and of improvement by logical and relevant criticism” (51, 62).

However, “as typography moves to the periphery of our culture and television takes it place at the center, the seriousness, clarity and, above all, value of public discourse dangerously declines” (29).

Application to Evangelicalism. Neil Postman’s juxtaposition of the typographic mind and television-based epistemology can be applied to evangelicalism by way of seminaries, preaching, the laity and missions agencies.

God has revealed Himself through Christ and a Book, the Bible. Thus Christians should be the most highly adept readers possible, able to develop thoughts, track proposition on proposition, focus intently on a text, and clearly and accurately articulate positions as a reflection of their love for the Text-Giver. The Age of Show Business with its easy access entertainment, context-free environment and amusement driven come-back-for-more TV ideology has devoured the Age of Exposition which had a

“sophisticated ability to think conceptually, deductively and sequentially; high valuation of reason and order; abhorrence of contradiction; capacity for detachment and objectivity; and tolerance for delayed response” (63).

“Television’s way of knowing is uncompromisingly hostile to typography’s way of knowing; its conversations produce incoherence and triviality; the phrase “serious television” is a contradiction in terms, and television speaks only in one persistent voice – the voice of entertainment” (80).

How has television-based epistemology affected the seminaries, churches and missions agencies? (in no particular order)

1. A decreased ability to focus intently for sustained periods of time and demand from ourselves rigorous attention to the study of the Word and the preaching/teaching of the Word .
2. A decreased ability to intelligently read, question, ascertain meaning, demand academic work from a text or a sermon/presentation.
3. The evaluation of methods by means of their visual excellence rather than their God honoring accuracy.
4. Aesthetic value is elevated over biblical accuracy.
5. Acceptance of what is biblically profane as commonplace.
6. Instant access and the remote control have elevated autonomy over the denial of assumed personal rights and living in community.
7. Comfort elevated over conviction due to the ability to control the output of “the tube”.
8. Humor esteemed of greater value to the soul than serious reflection and conviction over sin.
9. Felt needs esteemed over real needs the Text says one has but does not feel due to the blinding effects of the sin nature (i.e. conviction and godly shame for sin, fear of God, trembling in His presence).
10. The weighty things of God (gravitas) traded in for levity (levitas) due to the value of humor and entertainment on television.
11. Affluence prized over modest living.
12. Polished professionalism prized over servant hearted work in the trenches.
13. Sermons become commercials (Sermercials) built to address “the psychological needs of the viewer” (130).
14. Uncritical acceptance of ideas.
15. Pastor/teachers become celebrities (a cult of personality can happen without the TV).
16. The emptying of substance for the sake of image.
17. A decreased ability to retain information or memorize.
18. Emotionalism becomes commonplace over a consistency and balance of the heart’s affection and the mind’s attention.
19. Topical sermons mirror television as a “non-graded curriculum” which “excludes no viewer for any reason, at any time” (147) and do not push one to in-depth study due to a non-hierarchical, non-systematic bias doing away with systematic and biblical theologies.
20. Because on television “perplexity is a superhighway to low ratings”, (147) and “contentment, not the growth of the learner is paramount” (148) so churches can become comfort driven rather Gospel-driven.
    

Four Potential Solutions.
First, we must foster environments in seminaries, churches and missions agencies which are open to dialogue and serious thought over the effects of television-based epistemology.

Second, we must recover the Text by rigorous exposition aimed at conforming the heart and mind, which shows itself in joyful obedience to God (which is faith). This may force us to preach with notes as we attempt to develop Text-driven sermons and classes, built proposition by proposition through determined study.

Third, help people to set stewardly parameters on their consumption of television.

Fourth, if we televise our services we should ask “What is accurate to the text as God honoring?” rather than, “What is best for television?”

Below I have provided some links that you may find interesting.

• You can attend church online - totally autonomous.
• But, if it's too autonomous, you can join an after service chat room.
  
• You donate to the online offering plate.
• Check out how these two churches are promoting their series on Desperate Households and mylamesexlife.com