A Minority Report on the Call to Ministry

Abstract

Most evangelical conceptions of the call to pastoral ministry in the American context argue that a compelling inward desire or personal sense of certainty is a prerequisite for entering ministry; these experiences are essential to discerning if one is genuinely called to ministry. This article argues that there are significant biblical and theological problems with this experience-centered understanding of the call to ministry and seeks to resource several sources from the Christian tradition that center the call to ministry on the outward qualifications of a ministerial candidate. In conclusion, the author offers several contemporary applications of seeing the call to ministry as focused primarily on the outward giftedness and qualifications of a candidate.