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I ended up having to delete this entry and redo it. I lost some comments. Sorry about that.

Wow, a way cool preacher dude AND a geek. You are the total package Mr. Atkinson.

Arrrr-gh!! RLP: pastor, writer, traveller, hacker and wireless pirate! :D

Wouldn't Jeanene be happier with the caption as "Jeanene in front of Pueblo Ruins"? My BF is much too young and pretty to be ruins of any kinds. Heh. ;) BTW, your mission is church, so not so much a problem on your picture.
Cynthia

Gordon,

You have taken your life in your own hands now, commenting so wryly on the scenic demerits of the west Texas plains. The Levelland locals will tell you that trees just get in the way. Indeed, when I lived in Lubbock folks would report regularly of claustrophobia when visiting back East.

A few thoughts on call to ministry

I've been doing some thinking about call to ministry (I know it's Monday and I am not thinking about quitting!—not today at least!). I have always remembered the old preacher who said, "Some pastors were called to ministry and some just went!" Now, I'll admit that there were times when I walked through dark tunnels and questioned whether being "in the ministry" was my idea or God's plan for me. In these times, I poured my heart out to God and revisited some basics about “call”.

Remembering one’s sense of call to the ministry is beneficial. Perhaps God used the influence of another leader or a specific challenge from the Word to initiate your desire for leadership. The important thing to remember is that all subjective experience must yield to the objective criteria of Scripture. The following considerations should be weighed:

(1) Desire to serve as an overseer (I Timothy 3:1)

(2) Qualification for eldership (I Timothy 3:1-6;Titus 1:5ff)

(3) Life experience in leadership (I Timothy 3:4-5)

(4) Demonstration of a shepherd’s heart (I Peter 5:1-4)

(5) Spiritual giftedness (I Timothy 4:14;Romans 12:3-8)

(6) Formal testing and recognition by spiritual leaders (Titus 1:5,9;Acts 14:23)

In my interactions with Church leaders, it seems to be increasingly common for pastors to doubt their call to ministry. Another concern consistently associated with these doubts is a feeling of burn out. The pressures of pastoral ministry are often more than an individual feels capable of handling. This reality is further complicated by a prevailing confusion about a pastor’s role. Is a pastor a shepherd tending to the needs of a flock or an entrepreneur leading a business that markets a product? Pastors are viewed as spiritual teachers and overseers, biblical scholars, administrators, CEOs, financial advisors, professional counselors and personal friends. Why should we be surprised by pastoral burnout? Many (if not, most) pastors long for a more defined understanding of their role. There is a great need for a clear understanding of God’s design for pastoral leadership.

Along these lines, all Church leaders would benefit from a revisiting of the Jethro principle: “This is too much work for you; you cannot do it by yourself” (Exodus 18:18). It may be that we know many of the truths about God’s design but we do not know how to practice them. Sometimes the fact is that we are unwilling to practice them because it would require giving up some control or challenging the expectations of people. The desires to have things “go our way” or to be liked by those we lead can become obstacles to fulfilling a biblically defined leadership. More later!

________________________________________
Steven W. Cornell
www.MillersvilleBibleChurch.org

s.cornell@millersvillebiblechurch.org