This is something we deal with all the time, isn’t it? As pastors we are charged with helping others understand their calling, along with their giftedness. What we may forget is that position and calling are different. Let me explain. When I was in seminary, I had several classmates over the years who told me that they were “called to preach.” But by the time I went to seminary, I was on my second church plant and had been on staff with two established churches. What I had learned regarding calling is this: there are parts of every position that will not perfectly line up with your calling, and you have to do them anyway.
For those who are “called to preach,” they will probably be doing so in the context of pastoring a local church. And doing so in Colorado means not being a part of large, multi-staff congregations. So they will have to do other things besides preaching, including things they may not feel called to do. For instance, preachers may wake up excited about preparing their upcoming message. But how many of us wake up excited that we have to meet with the church insurance rep, or the budget committee, or the church maintenance committee? I would imagine that number is very small. But all those things go with pastoring. Very few guys who are called to preach are going to spend their careers doing nothing but preaching. And it falls to us who are established leaders to make sure the up-and-coming leaders in our charge understand this truth.
This is something we deal with all the time, isn’t it? As pastors we are charged with helping others understand their calling, along with their giftedness. What we may forget is that position and calling are different. Let me explain. When I was in seminary, I had several classmates over the years who told me that they were “called to preach.” But by the time I went to seminary, I was on my second church plant and had been on staff with two established churches. What I had learned regarding calling is this: there are parts of every position that will not perfectly line up with your calling, and you have to do them anyway.
For those who are “called to preach,” they will probably be doing so in the context of pastoring a local church. And doing so in Colorado means not being a part of large, multi-staff congregations. So they will have to do other things besides preaching, including things they may not feel called to do. For instance, preachers may wake up excited about preparing their upcoming message. But how many of us wake up excited that we have to meet with the church insurance rep, or the budget committee, or the church maintenance committee? I would imagine that number is very small. But all those things go with pastoring. Very few guys who are called to preach are going to spend their careers doing nothing but preaching. And it falls to us who are established leaders to make sure the up-and-coming leaders in our charge understand this truth.
This is the difference between calling and position, as I see it. In a sense, a position allows you to practice your calling. But position is going to be bigger than a single aspect of calling. To be a lead pastor certainly requires the ability to preach effectively. But it also requires volunteer management, leadership development skills, certain administration skills, and small group management. Financial management, counseling skills, and community development will also be important. The pastor will need to preach, but that is one of a number of responsibilities that go along with the shepherd’s office. So how can we pastors, who have come to realize this fact, help our up-and-coming leaders understand this truth?
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First, clearly communicate the difference between calling and office. Make sure your younger leaders understand that preaching and pastoring are two different words with two different meanings. If they do not understand this, then you have some educating to do. Let them know that there is a reason that a standard seminary degree includes Pastoral Counseling, Administration, Church Growth, Missions, etc.
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Second, make sure you expose your younger leaders to a variety of pastoral leadership roles. I was fortunate to be called while attending a large, multi-staff church. When I was allowed to serve an internship, I worked primarily with the college and singles department. However, I was also assigned to spend time with our pastoral care pastor, learning to do hospital visits. I spent time with our youth and children’s ministers, which helped me to understand these areas in which I had zero experience. I spent some time with our senior pastor, where I learned about the leadership aspects of shepherding a church. This experience was invaluable as I entered my own pastoral journey.
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Third, make sure you spend the needed time listening to your younger leaders. This will allow you to gauge their understanding of the calling they are pursuing. If you hear them focusing too much on one aspect, such as preaching, make sure you elaborate on the shepherding role of the pastor. Be blunt with them. Use Jesus as an example. Regarding preaching, we know Jesus preached a few major sermons (Sermon on the Mount, Upper Room Discourse, Olivet Discourse, etc.). Most of his recorded teaching was either one-on-one or in a small group format. This is not meant to downgrade preaching, but to remind the person that their calling will include other things besides it.
In all probability, the future of ministry is going to be multi-faceted with many different kinds of tasks for each office, including pastor, teacher, evangelist, and others. The idea that you can be called to one aspect and only do that aspect is less practical than it has ever been before. Frankly, we need preachers that will effectively communicate hard Biblical truths to a spiritually dead nation. But we also need leaders who can do all the tasks of the shepherd, not just one. No one will be experts at everything, but we can all be better at certain things.
Finally, beware of making any aspect of an office an idol. Maybe you are called to preach but your identity should never be wrapped up in what you do for Jesus. It should be grounded only in who you are in Jesus. If you begin to confuse calling and identity, seek some help from a counselor or pastor, or even your trusted Regional Director. Remember, to be Southern Baptist is to be part of one of the world’s largest co-ops. You don’t have to go it alone.
Chris Nason is the Regional Director of the Pikes Peak Baptist Association.
