Most articles in this issue are written by ministerial students who are among the winners of our second Student Writing Contest. When we commence these writing contests, we wait with great anticipation to read the submissions and anticipate outstanding work from the students. Once again, they have fulfilled our hopes. I believe that our readers will likewise appreciate the quality of these articles and that these writings will help each of us personally and professionally.
These winning submissions were chosen after each were thoroughly evaluated by up to five individuals, reviewed once more by the editors, then edited for publication. The evaluation process was anonymous. Neither the reviewers nor the editors knew who the writers were or from where they came until after the winners were chosen. We congratulate each of them and thank God for the quality of young people studying for ministry.
With the publication of these articles we are announcing another Ministerial Student Writing Contest. If you know of any individuals preparing to be pastors, please encourage them to consider sending an article for admission into the contest. The financial reward will help them; but more than that, they will be blessed by their research and writing, and their manuscripts will be a blessing to others. We have published the details of the contest on our Web site at www.MinistryMagazine.org.
Your replacement
While we think of those now studying for pastoral ministry, let us also focus on those who may replace present ministerial personnel. I am not suggesting you need to leave your current assignment to make room for those newly graduated, but I am suggesting that we need to think ahead and look at young people who are good candidates for pastoral appointments. God appreciates our work, but He always beckons those individuals who enthusiastically live and effectively proclaim the gospel. I am asking you to take specific action in recruiting others to be ministers of the gospel. Here are some suggestions:
Ask. Look around and ask some of the young people if they have considered preparing for ministry. Ask the Lord to guide you in this process, and He will lead you to the appropriate individuals. While I refer particularly to young people, I would not want us to forget mature individuals who also show promise for ministry. In many countries, seminaries have a large ratio of older persons preparing for ministry. Many of them have succeeded in other careers, and God has been speaking to them about planning for ministry. A word of encouragement from you may be just what they need to help them make the decision. Not too long ago, I had the opportunity of talking with the captain of the airplane on which I had flown. While still working as a pilot, he was studying to become a pastor; and he was looking for his first assignment with great anticipation.
Some may question the need to ask individuals if they might consider ministry as a summons from God, for does God not do the calling? The reality is that God often uses others to help us in the decision-making process. I started thinking of studying for ministry only after a young pastor asked me if I had considered going into the ministry. Actually, up to that point, I had not—and I explained that to him. Once he asked the question, the thought of ministry resided in my mind, and after several months, I decided to change my plans and study for ministry. Your question may be just what someone needs to hear. Ask them.
Tell them to ask God. While your encouragement to consider ministry may be pivotal in the decision-making process, each individual needs to be invited by God to study for ministry. Encourage the prospective candidate to ask God for guidance. The call to effective, spiritual, and long-lasting ministry is more than a human appeal. God beckons the person. Human beings, as outlined above, can be important in the process of preparing for ministry, but God’s call is an absolute. Unless God asks one to ministry there is no real request. While our emotions are part of this conversation with God, the summons from God is much more than an emotional reaction. Such an appeal comes only through much prayer as we follow God’s guidance.
Tell them to prepare. Remind the individuals whom you believe would make good ministers that along with the call from God, a need for human preparation also exists. While such preparation for ministry may vary from one denomination to another, and from one country to another, this remains a necessity. A candidate may see another pastor preach and conclude that they can preach with only a little practice—not realizing that ministry involves much more. Those who do not want to be trained may want to be pastors; but their commitment would usually not be sufficient to sustain them in ministry. God’s call does not eliminate the need for thorough preparation.
Please do it
My final request? Look around you for individuals whom you believe may be good candidates for ministry. They may be waiting to hear a word of encouragement from you and God’s church will be blessed.
