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| Open Theism Discussion Board > Public Forums > Questions about Christianity > HELP! I wanna be a preacher.....I think..... | Forum Quick Jump
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JimmyGgp
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2002
Total Posts : 11
| Posted 8/19/2002 12:27 AM (GMT -6) |   | Hi all!
I tend to read rather than post here, but I could really use some feedback. Lately I have been wondering if I should go to bible college and become a minister. I love the Lord and want to find my place in the body, and I love talking in front of people, but right now, my life has been spent pursuing my dream of becoming a musician, (read: rock star  ), or pursuing a more lucrative line of work. I am pretty sure the Lord is pushing me to make a change, but this kind of radical change frankly scares the crap out of me. So, I guess what I am asking is:
1. For those of you in bible school now, how did you know it is what you wanted to do?
2. What can I expect attending bible school?
Any comments or advice would be appreciated.
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Electra
Registered Member
Date Joined Feb 2002
Total Posts : 611
| Posted 8/19/2002 4:04 AM (GMT -6) | | Hi Jimmy. There are usually (at least) two prerequisites to becoming a preacher: 1) a sense of God’s calling; 2) seminary. Most churches also require ordination in a particular denomination. The Catholic church requires a vow of celibacy. People decide to become preachers for reasons other than calling (e.g. pressure from their context, an interest that passes in time) and by other means than seminary (I’ve met pastors without college educations, let alone seminary) and without being ordained (ordination is necessary for sacramental church contexts, but non-sacramental churches don’t place much weight on it).
I’m currently in seminary in order to become a professor (full-time geek) rather than a pastor, but I have a lot of respect for the training my fellow students receive to prepare them for ministry. It is very hard work, but it is invaluable preparation. There is a sense in which all believers are already “priests.” God is faithful and empowers all believers to minister to one another in the church and in the world. But I highly encourage those who have a sense of calling to a leadership role to take advantage of the training that is available from experienced men and women ministers if you possibly can. This training is also a result of God’s faithfulness.
I highly recommend going to a Christian liberal arts college (like Bethel) rather than a Bible college. At a Christian liberal arts college, you will receive more of a well-rounded education, and you will have opportunities to pursue other fields if you change your mind about preaching. Although a college degree as a prerequisite for seminary, your degree does not have to be in Bible or Theology. In fact, most people in seminary studied Chemistry, or English, or Physical Education, or History, or Music, or Art. Most of them didn’t even get their degree from a Christian college. But what they all share is a sense of calling and passion for ministry.
Blessings,
Electra
~·• kyrie eleison ·~•~· christe eleison ·~•~· kyrie eleison •·~
Edited by - Electra on 08/19/2002 09:13:07 AM | | Back to Top | | |
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churchmouse522
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 163
| Posted 8/19/2002 11:56 AM (GMT -6) | | Hi Jimmy,
Dave told me you were considering this: I didn't even know you were on board until I read your profile. How cool! (I guess all those mini-sermons on the evils of rock and roll finally wore you down.  ) Anyway, I would love to hear what exactly got you considering this? How does God speak to you? What part of the idea "scares the crap" out of you? You can get all the feedback in the world about how other people have made this decision, but in the end you will have to be the one to decide whether God is drawing you.
By the way, if you decide to pursue this, would that mean you would be crashing at our place? 
Keep the faith sweetie.
Mouse (aka, Auntie Terri)
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JCsites.com
Registered Member
Date Joined Jun 2001
Total Posts : 169
| Posted 8/20/2002 2:36 AM (GMT -6) | | What are you crazy? 
Let me encourage you, in your journey to make a decision on this, to try to look realistically at the negatives.
I have seen many people make decisions to make ministry a vocation based on glamorized and fantasized notions of ministry life. Those people never make it in ministry for the long haul unless those ill-concieved notions die, and they learn to accept reality and find they still want the job.
I have not every been in a seminary program. But here's what my friends say:
It's not just hard academically, it's hard financially, and it's hard spiritually. So much learning of scripture takes place, that it's hard to keep in touch with the spirit, the personal side of your relationship with God. It becomes all too easy to "think" your way through your Christian life. To intellectualize it.
On being a Pastor:
Odds are you won't get a job as a pastor at some "mega" church where you have one ministry and focus. It's more likely that you'll be the lone pastor at a Church of less than 100. It's like a small company, you'll have to wear many hats, not be a specialist.
Sounds fun? Let me shed some light. It's 3am, one of your "flock" calls, their Child has been rushed to the hospital and they'd like to you join them right away. This happens at least once a month cause people get sick or know someone who gets sick, and part of your job is spiritual comfort.
Or
You decide it would be best for Church health and growth to stop singing Hymns for every song, and to sing contemporary praise music. Half the congregation threatens to leave the church if you don't go back to they way it was done. So then when you crumble under pressure and change back, the other half threatens to leave cause they've been waiting for this kind of change for years and they're tired of a church that won't change.
Are you married? Has anyone told you that Churches generally hire a pastor with the assumption that your spouse will do ministry work for free? I mean, hey you're husband and wife. They are paying your family unit, so that's not wrong to just give all the money to the pastor to cover the salary for both right? 2 for the price of one. It's an awesome deal, especially when you consider that your spouse will likely work as hard as you do. BTW did your spouse really understand all this when they agreed you should go to seminary?
Then there's the fish bowl you're stuck in. When you are the pastor, everything you do is watched. Everything your family does is watched. And for everything you and your family do, there's someone who will dis-agree with it, no matter how "small" or insignificant. Don't worry, they make sure that somehow, you find out they don't like what you or your family has done.
I could go on and on with gunky, yucky scenario after scenario of the un-glamourous side of being a Pastor. Really, unless you really are called by God, this job sucks royally.
If deep down, all you want is people to sit at your feet and learn from you as you give a sermon, then why not just volunteer more at your church? You'll likely get the same desired "dream." Course that will come crashing to reality sooner or later as well.
Electra said a very true thing. That many people become pastors for many different reasons other than God's call. I personally don't think our American Christian culture is set-up to help people understand what the job really means. We recruit and gloss over the tough gunky part cause the laborers are so few.
Seminary can help un-recruit some, but still many go to their pastorships with their idealized views that never were or will be in reality.
In some ways, I encourage you to view this as anyother job you might apply for. Because like it or not, you are human, and so are the church people you'll work with.
They sin, and so do you. Given that in a vocational ministry context, are you willing deal with the effects of sin? BTW just add the fact that major spiritual warefare will get sent your way.
To some degree, humanly and american hedonistically speaking, you'd be crazy to become a pastor!!!!
So please, please do yourself a favor and try to uncover and "fantasies" or glamorous notions you might have about being a pastor. See if you can kill those un-realistic notions and then, with what you've got, decide if you would still do the job. Don't talk yourself into "hearing God's call", know that you did hear God's call.
Sorry to be such a wet blanket, I just don't feel the American body of Christ does a good enough job at saying these hard things to seminary candidates.
JC sites guy
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JimmyGgp
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2002
Total Posts : 11
| Posted 8/20/2002 8:27 PM (GMT -6) | | hey all!
Let's see.....
Electra - Thanks for the info and advice. I used the term "Bible college" as a generic term. Shows how little knowledge I actually have.
Mouse - I'll call ya!.
JC - So how do you really feel? Seriously, I apreciate your comments and they do not fall on deaf ears. One of the reasons I am hesitating is just what you said: what is the reality of being a pastor? I know that The Lord gave me a talent AND passion for speaking - all my life I have loved giving speeches and performing in front of people. Of course, the Christian walk is not about performance, and I want my motives to be pure - furthering the Kingdom, not Jimmy's ego, but if the ability is there, why not use it for God? On the other hand, do I have the heart for people that is surely nessessary for the job? I think I do, but this is not a decision I am making lightly. I will continue to pray about it and use what ever other resources (such as feedback from this forum) available to me.
Keep the comments coming! They are much appreciated.
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geej
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 93
| Posted 8/23/2002 3:44 PM (GMT -6) | | JG
If you feel God calling you to do this you should go for it! I have not been called to do so and have not gone to seminary but as to what you can expect, it depends entirely upon the school you choose. I believe you will find huge differences between Maranatha/Pillsbury/Bob Jones, Bethel/Gordon Cromwell/George Fox U (my current personal favorite because David Brandt is the president and I have nothing but respect for his leadership, spunkiness and attitude toward academic scholarship) and say the Church of Christ or Catholic or Lutheran seminaries.
From some, you will get strict legalism, some will present you with excellent scholars, some will be so not legalistic that Christianity would be ridiculed, others will possibly have a little of everything.
Choose wisely and choose through extensive research and prayer.
Having been the best friend of a PK in a small church, I've experienced the "dark" side and it isn't pretty...your kids constantly under the microscope of prying eyes, your spouse's every move being criticized, your entire family the subject of gossip and judmentalism, being rousted out of bed in the middle of the night to referee a stupid sparing match with some couple bickering over how to decorate the living room...and of course, your wife being expected to go to because, she is a pastor's wife, after all.
On the other side, you also get to minister to families in times of trauma and great need, you get to celebrate the birth of a new Christian, or celebrate in other times of triumph and you get to speak the truth because God has called you to do it.
It can be awesome and awe inspiring but it can also be a nightmare.
My peice of advice would be to set ground rules and stick to them!
GJ
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BJS
Registered Member
Date Joined Dec 2001
Total Posts : 587
| Posted 8/24/2002 5:20 AM (GMT -6) | | Having grown up as a pastor's son, I'll just say this: If our world is a spiritual battleground, pastors serve on the front lines.
Best to you, JimmyGgp.
Brett
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