Preparing for Ministry

The concept of call and our understanding of call to ministry has often been misunderstood to be reserved for certain people who are called to be “set apart” in the Christian community to provide leadership in pastoral, prophetic, and priestly roles. People who are called are seen as having a particular vocation in the church.

For Christians, call and vocation have a much deeper meaning than simply noting where one works, what one does, and how much one is paid. Rather, for the people of God, call and vocation are focused on the call from God for us to live faithfully in who we are and what we do. Vocation for Christians includes both our being and our doing as we respond to God’s call. Our response is expressed in our relationships, our community, our stewardship of God-given gifts, and our daily work.

The United Church of Canada recognizes that God’s call is to the whole church. Every member is called to participate in and extend the ministry of Jesus Christ by witnessing to the gospel in church and society.

Four Elements of Call

In considering call and vocation, we are guided by theologian H. Richard Niebuhr, who in his book The Purpose of the Church and Its Ministry (Harper & Row, 1977) recognizes four elements of call:

The Call to Be a Christian

The first call is the call to be a Christian. This is the common calling that we all share described as the call to discipleship of Jesus Christ—to hearing and doing the Word of God. In the letter to the Ephesians (4:1) is the reminder “to lead a life worthy of the calling [vocation] to which you have been called.” All Christian believers have a vocation to be “co-creators” and stewards of community and all creation, to fulfill God’s purposes for humanity. This is the call of all.

The Call from God to a Specific Leadership Role

The second call that may come to some is the call from God to a specific leadership role in the church. This is the call of some from within the call of all. This is a call to ministry leadership in diaconal or ordained, or designated lay ministry. In the United Church, people serving in paid, accountable ministry positions are known as ministry personnel.

The inner call to a specific leadership role may persist for a long time. For some it is felt as discomfort with current life plans; a struggle to find meaning in life; a nudging, yearning feeling; or a growing awareness of God’s purpose for one’s life. For some people the call may come in a highly dramatic fashion—one or more “mountaintop” experiences or a bolt out of the blue. One thing inward calls have in common is that each is different. Each of us is unique and special in God’s sight, so God approaches us in unique ways.

However, there are many different voices calling to us. It is necessary to listen for and separate out the voice of God from the voice of society or our own self-interest. A personal spiritual experience that is the call to be a Christian may not be a call to the Order of Ministry or Designated Lay Ministry—hence the third call.

The Outward or Providential Call

The third call that comes to some is the outward or providential call. This call that comes from the wisdom, care, and guidance provided by God recognizes God-given gifts and talents necessary to exercise the office of leadership as affirmed by the faith community.

The purpose of the outward call is to examine and confirm the preliminary intuition of the call to a specific leadership role. The people of the faith community who nurture and support individuals in their struggle to find meaning, and the committees who interview these individuals, are all part of this outward call.

Note that the call to a specific leadership role or the outward call is not more important than the call to be a Christian. They are different expressions of how God calls all to faithful living as we exercise our gifts for the glory of God and the well-being of our world and its inhabitants.

The Call of Gifts

The fourth call is the call of gifts. This call is the confirmation and invitation of the church to engage in ministry personnel leadership in the church. In The United Church of Canada, presbyteries and Conferences determine suitability and readiness for this leadership through processes of discernment, education, formation, accompaniment, and examination.

The role of ministry personnel requires a great deal from a person. As the church is discerning an individual’s outward call and the call of gifts, it might consider the evidence of or potential for the following gifts:

Deep spiritual life

Ministry requires a profound sense and experience of the Spirit of God within the individual and ongoing discernment of the Holy.

Integrity of self

The integration of the emotional and spiritual self with acquired knowledge and abilities is the grounding for authentic ministry.

Understanding of human behaviour

Pastoral ministry requires a well-developed capacity for active listening. It also requires a psychological and sociological understanding of human dynamics in individuals and groups.

Scholarship

The ministry of leadership requires an ability to comprehend and teach theological concepts, the traditions of the church, and biblical scholarship, as well as to nurture the faith in others.

Passion for justice

The commitment to work prophetically for all is the direct result of a robust faith.

Capacity for critical reflection

The ability to be self-critical, to assess situations appropriately, and to reflect on one’s actions and their effects on others is important.

Capacity to be a lifelong learner

The openness to admit there is much to be learned and a growing demonstration of the willingness to integrate new ideas, patterns of behaviours, and skills are essential for ministry.

Appreciation of administration

Ministry requires respect for, and knowledge of, church polity and the ability to oversee the institutional health and well-being of a congregation or community ministry. Does the individual understand administration to be part of the call?

Other Skills and Gifts

In addition to the above gifts, the potential to develop certain skills is important—skills in preaching, counselling, outreach, education, leadership, administration, and group dynamics.

All of this is not meant to identify the “perfect” person or to provide a shopping list of qualities and skills. Clearly, no one person will ever embody all of these qualities perfectly. Nevertheless, it is a helpful guide in thinking about responding to a call to ministry.

Further information is available from:

• Ministry Vocations
  Human Resources
  The United Church of Canada
  3250 Bloor St. West, Suite 300
  Toronto, ON Canada M8X 2Y4
  E-mail: Ministry Vocations