Discerning a Call to Ministry

“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’”

Matthew 9:37-38

What do you do if you believe you are being called to ministry? Where do you begin? Who do you speak with? What steps should you take? Many of you reading this are already ordained, but many of you may also be discerning a call to ministry and may one day be ordained ministers. This very practical article will primarily deal with the calling to pastoral ministry, but I think you will also find principles and guidance for calling as ruling elders and as deacons.

Initial Discernment

When you first begin experiencing a call and desire for ministry, there are several things which I would advise you do:

1. Study the officer qualifications in Scripture

Take a look at the officer qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and in Titus 1:5-9. These are the clearest lists of what is required from an ordained officer of Christ’s church. Read these qualifications, pray through them, and ask both yourself and God whether you match up to them. Now, none of us match up with them completely. Obviously, we are all sinful men. But take an honest assessment of your life and ask yourself and God whether your life is characterized by these Biblical requirements or not.

2. Ask yourself why you are seeking the ministry

Another question to ask yourself is “why am I seeking the ministry?” This is another opportunity to take an honest assessment of your life and your heart. Are you desiring the ministry because you want to be in charge of something? Are you desiring the ministry because you think you are really smart? Are you desiring the ministry because you want to be the “head guy” on Sunday morning that everyone is looking to? Or are you desiring the ministry because you want to glorify Christ? Are you desiring the ministry because you have a burning desire to proclaim Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2)? Are you desiring the ministry to build up the church and the sheep?

3. Speak and pray with your wife

If you are married, speak with your wife. I cannot stress this one enough. Your wife’s opinion and support (or lack thereof) ought to matter a great deal as you discern a call to ministry. Yes, you are the head of your family and household and you are ultimately responsible for making the decision as you lead your family. You may also have to lead your wife in this area if she is unsure or apprehensive. But the fact remains that you and your wife must be united on this front. Speak with her, share your calling with her, and devote time to prayer together, seeking the Lord’s guidance in this endeavor. You and your wife are one flesh and she ought to be involved in this process.

4. Speak and pray with your pastors and elders

What do your pastors and elders think about a call to the ministry? Do they think you are called and ready? Do they see ministerial giftings in you? Do they think you should wait and mature a bit more? Those men whom God has called to shepherd you and your church often have a very clear understanding of the spiritual maturity of those in their flock. Trust their advice and take it to heart. They will also be important in guiding you through this discernment process and in giving you recommendations.

In this entire process, devote yourself to constant prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Ask the Lord to give you guidance and wisdom for your life and ask God to reveal to you His calling for your life.

Preparation for Ministry

After this discernment process, what are the next steps which you should follow? The time of discernment and testing now becomes more intense. Now is the time when you will begin preparing and training for ministry. If you have come to the conclusion, after much prayer and conversation, that you are indeed being called to the Gospel ministry, how should you begin to prepare?

1. Read good books

Read some good books about pastoral ministry. There is a plethora of writing about pastoral ministry, calling, preaching, etc. that can give you a well-rounded picture of pastoring. Here are some good ones, just to name a few:

• Terry L. Johnson, The Pastor’s Public Ministry: Leading in Worship, Praise, Prayer and Preaching (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 2024)

• William Still, The Work of the Pastor (1984; repr. Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 2022)

• Bobby Jamieson, The Path to Being a Pastor: A Guide for the Aspiring (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021)

• Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor (1656; repr. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2021)

Read these books and discuss them with your pastor, elder, or mentor. They can help you work through these things and continue to discern your calling.

2. Look into seminary

I am a minister in the Presbyterian Church in America, a denomination which requires seminary education for its ministers. In most cases, the Master of Divinity program is the degree which most effectively trains a man for pastoral ministry. You will take classes in the Scriptures, hermeneutics (preaching), theology, church history, pastoral counseling, and many other topics. Many seminaries also require you to complete practicum hours in pastoral ministry, where you will have opportunities to gain experience in the local church. Sometimes, this can be done within your local church if you are in a distance program and sometimes, it can be done with other churches near the seminary if you are in an in-person program.

There are many excellent seminaries here in the United States. Most of them have distance education options if you are not able to relocate for seminary. Here are some excellent seminaries (this list is not meant to be exhaustive and the schools are listed in no particular order):

• Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia, PA)

• Reformed Theological Seminary (various campuses across the country)

• Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (Greenville, SC)

• Birmingham Theological Seminary (Birmingham, AL)

• Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary (Grand Rapids, MI)

• Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (Pittsburgh, PA)

• Covenant Theological Seminary (St. Louis, MO)

The seminary years are years of intense preparation, study, and training. Take it seriously, because God will form and shape you through that time.

3. Read the ordination vows

Read the ordination vows listed in Book of Church Order (BCO) 21-5. If you cannot agree to these vows and swear them in good conscience, then you should not continue pursuing ministry. Upon your ordination, you will be required to swear these vows:

1. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as originally given, to be the inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice?

2. Do you sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of Faith and the Catechisms of this Church, as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures; and do you further promise that if at any time you find yourself out of accord with any of the fundamentals of this system of doctrine, you will on your own initiative, make known to your Presbytery the change which has taken place in your views since the assumption of this ordination vow?

3. Do you approve of the form of government and discipline of the Presbyterian Church in America, in conformity with the general principles of Biblical polity?

4. Do you promise subjection to your brethren in the Lord?

5. Have you been induced, as far as you know your own heart, to seek the office of the holy ministry from love to God and a sincere desire to promote His glory in the Gospel of His Son?

6. Do you promise to be zealous and faithful in maintaining the truths of the Gospel and the purity and peace and unity of the Church, whatever persecution or opposition may arise unto you on that account?

7. Do you engage to be faithful and diligent in the exercise of all your duties as a Christian and a minister of the Gospel, whether personal or relational, private or public; and to endeavor by the grace of God to adorn the profession of the Gospel in your manner of life, and to walk with exemplary piety before the flock of which God shall make you overseer?

8. Are you now willing to take the charge of this church, agreeable to your declaration when accepting their call? And do you, relying upon God for strength, promise to discharge to it the duties of a pastor?

These vows are serious promises which every minister is required to swear to God. Read them, study them, and take them seriously.

4. Come under care of your presbytery to seek licensure and ordination

If you are presbyterian, you will need to come under care of your local presbytery at some point. This means that your presbytery has brought you under their wing, so to speak, as you continue to train and prepare. When you come under care, you will gain opportunities to test your ministerial gifts, so take advantage of them! Take advantage of opportunities to teach Sunday school, preach, go on pastoral visits, or sit in on session or presbytery meetings. You will be able to go with your pastor to many of these and other churches in your presbytery will also be able to help you with these opportunities. You will gain firsthand experience in pastoral ministry.

At some point, you will be able to begin the examination process for licensing and ordination with your presbytery. This is another intense period of examination where the candidates and credentials committee and the entire presbytery will examine you, your motives, your experience, your skills, your knowledge, and your giftings. Surrender yourself to this intense examination.

Conclusion

The church needs called, devoted ministers to fill its pulpits and preach to its people. These men, these ministers, are called by Christ to shepherd His people. The process of discerning a call to ministry is difficult and oftentimes uncertain, but two things are certain: Christ will always call men to serve as heralds of His truth (Ephesians 4:11-12) and the gates of hell will not prevail against the church (Matthew 16:18).

Jared Dean serves as Assistant Pastor of Liberty Presbyterian Church in Owings Mills, MD, as a police officer and chaplain at a county police department in Maryland, and as an editor of Reforming Men.