That Ministry Be Not Blamed-2

Last month Elder Vandeman began a searching discussion of the timely question so many young men are facing today—How can I truly know whether or not I am called to the gospel ministry? In his first installment two of several qualifications were considered—Do I have an intense desire? Am I physically fit? He continues now with further qualifications.

3. An Indicating Providence

"Those who accept the one principle of making the service and honor of God supreme, will find perplexi­ties vanish, and a plain path before their feet."—The Desire of Ages, p. 330.

One of the sure evidences indicating a gen­uine call to the ministry will be converging cir­cumstances. The Holy Spirit is adept at throw­ing about the candidate for the ministry a net­work of influences and circumstances that will shape his course. In some cases the hand of God is seen in providing means and opportunity for training. With others, great sacrifice and disappointed hopes may come before the goal is reached. In any case, circumstances will con­verge and indicate the will of God.

4. Mental Capacity.—Another qualifica­tion that is most necessary, and which we can expect to find in one chosen of God, is a sub­stantial mental capacity. God never calls with­out equipping. In fact, that very equipment, though not fully developed at first, is one proof of the call. The message we have to give, the varied problems and emergencies we have to meet, the intelligent and unbelieving world we have to reach—all demand the utmost in men­tal aptitude. It is very true that an emotion-minded minister who neglects his education is no worse than an education-minded minister who short-cuts his emotions. Therefore, in order to meet effectually a confused world, harassed as it is by unparalleled human per­plexities, not only must the Seventh-day Ad­ventist minister possess a full measure of evan­gelical passion, but he must also be a thorough student.

I am fully aware that one's weakness may become a strength to him through proper ap­plication. But, generally speaking, a man ought to have "brains" for the ministry. No man is called to be profound. Our object is not to dis­play our mental resources. Nevertheless, in order to present our message simply and with power, we need to think clearly and logically.

Now, there are varied degrees of mental abil­ity. I do not infer that a man needs to be equipped with a photographic mind, as it is sometimes called. Some of us have to work for what we get, and have to use that knowledge in Order to keep it. Perhaps this limitation gives one sympathy and insight when dealing with other minds. Generally speaking, how­ever, the ministry demands the best of intellec­tual caliber.

5. Leadership.—Closely allied with mental aptitude is the quality of leadership—an abso­lute must for the gospel minister. The church of God needs men who are daring and who have the ability to give powerful evangelistic and preaching leadership to the people. Our people must be led into worship, led into soul-winning activity, and led into victorious relations with God and with man. There is a vast difference between the ability to stand before a group and deliver a good but passive Bible study, and the ability to bring an inspiring challenge through dynamic preaching. When Archimedes spoke, the people cried, "What a beautiful oration!" When Demosthenes spoke, the people shouted, "Let us march against Philip." Such is the true object of preaching—to inspire people to action in their march against sin. The molding of opinion calls for initiative, a clear voice, cour­age of heart, directness of mind, and decisive­ness of will.

Leadership also demands that you be wholly committed to your task. There is no summons here for the dreamy, pious youth, nor for the one looking for a comfortable profession. As John Oliver Nelson puts it, the ministry asks "for those who are absolutely, prayerfully com­mitted to whatever portion of God's will they know thus far. The ministry may not take much of a man, but it takes all there is of him."

I am well aware that such a qualification as leadership is capable of development. The need here presented should not discourage the young man who has this gift in limited evidence now. But evidence there should be. A healthy, domi­nant personality will be recognized by others during one's college years.

Allow me here to expose a popular misconception on the part of many young men as to a distinction between evangelistic and pastoral leadership. These are not wholly distinct groups. So often we hear young men say, "I don't intend to be an evangelist, I want to do pastoral work." Or another says, "I don't wish to be a pastor, I'm going to be an evangelist" Such statements of desire, although well mean­ing, reveal a pathetic lack of understanding of the minister's call. True, a small percentage of the young men now studying will develop into full-time conference revivalists, with a corps of workers traveling from place to place, laboring in the cities.

The term evangel, however, simply means the "gospel," and ism means "propagation" or "preaching" this good news. Therefore, in its most vital sense, the evangelistic vision must be standard equipment for every gospel worker. The successful man with the gift of handling people in pastoral work is one with the evange­listic vision. Men are ordained to win souls to Christ; and this work is most effectually done by personal contact. As E. Stanley Jones aptly puts it, "It is not 'done by proxy but by prox­imity. It is not done by purse but by person." Anything less than this is a work not fully ac­cepted of God.

The term evangelism has suffered disrepute. In some minds it connotes doctrinal teaching only, and a form of emotional excitement, not appealing to the thoughtful student of religion who wants to build solidly in his ministry. If this has been your conception of evangelism, then by all means prayerfully peruse the pages of the book Evangelism by Mrs. E. G. White. Bathe your spirit in the penetrating statements found there, and ere long you will see that true evangelism is the sole work of any minister. It is lifting men from the depth of sin and plant­ing their feet solidly upon the Rock of Ages.

If the call of God is resting upon you, virile, evangelistic leadership will challenge your soul. Then, determine not to be a dead channel of a living Christ. Such a Christ ! Such a message! Such a need!

—To be concluded in January