Am I Called? The Summons to Pastoral Ministry

Written by Dave Harvey Reviewed By Drew Hunter

Many Christian men have wondered if they should enter into pastoral ministry. They ask the very question that has become the title for Dave Harvey's new book: “Am I called?” Other questions rise along with this one, which is why it can become an agonizing question. Is God calling me to change the course of my life? Should I go to seminary? Should I leave my current job? Perhaps surprisingly, there are not many good resources on this topic, which is why Harvey's excellent book is a welcome addition. Simply put, his overarching agenda is to answer the question, “How do you know if you're called to plant a church or be a pastor?” (p. 24).

The first three chapters form the first section of the book, “approaching the call.” After introducing the topic in the first chapter, the second sets the call to ministry within the broader context of a call to Christ and salvation. In Harvey's words, “before [God] calls us to ministry, he calls us to himself” (p. 36). The third chapter sets the call within another context: the church. Harvey presses the individualism expressed by so many men who feel called to “ministry” viewed in the abstract rather than viewed in the context of the mess of a local church. Regardless of the role higher education might serve, pastors are to be raised up in a local church for a local church.

The second section is the heart of the book. Here he “diagnoses” a call to ministry by exploring several questions for prospective pastors. Most of the questions arise out of the biblical qualifications for eldership in 1 Tim 3 and Titus 1, as well as other texts in the Pastoral Epistles that apply specifically to those elders whom we often refer to as preaching or teaching pastors. The first two questions emphasize a man's character: Are you godly? How's your home? The next three emphasize a man's capabilities: Can you preach? Can you shepherd? Do you love the lost? A final one revisits the importance of the local church as the context of the call: Who agrees? Yes, a man must look internally to see if he has the qualifications for pastoral ministry, but there must also be a confirmation by others in the local church. He defines this external confirmation as “the process of evaluation whereby the church affirms God's call to the man” (p. 167). The book closes with a third section (oddly consisting of only one chapter) on how to prepare while one waits to enter into ministry.

There are several clear strengths. First, Harvey shows that pastoral ministry must be gospel-driven ministry. Certainly some men who head towards pastoral ministry aren't even Christians themselves, but Harvey addresses the temptation of even Christian men to pursue pastoral ministry in such a way that they forget their identity in Christ. From the outset, he wants men to slow down in their pursuit of discerning whether or not they're supposed to be pastors so that they don't lose sight of that which is of first importance, the gospel itself. The gospel is not only the reason pastoral ministry exists in the first place; it is the wonder of the gospel that should continually compel pastors on in their service.

Second, Harvey addresses the radical individualism that is often present when a man wonders if he should become a pastor. From beginning to end, Harvey sets the call to pastoral ministry within the context of the local church. The decision to pursue pastoral ministry should be affirmed by those in a local church; much of the training should be done within the local church; and the reason for ministry should be a love for the church. This emphasis on godly character and pastoral gifting identified within the local church provide a robust approach to thinking about the pursuit of pastoral ministry.

One thing some readers (including myself) will wish were different is how the topic is framed. The image used in the title and throughout the book are the “call” and “summons” to pastoral ministry. Although a thorough explanation of this idea is missing, with the picture of a telephone on the cover and language of hearing a summons from God throughout, we get an idea of what he means. While this is not the place for any thorough interaction with the idea of calling, the NT doesn't seem to frame pastoral ministry this way. It speaks of godly, qualified men who desire to lead the church as elders (1 Tim 3:1-7), one or more of whom will likely be recognized and freed up to be the primary teacher/preacher (1 Tim 5:17). The NT doesn't seem to note any particular summons that one or all of these elders must discern, nor do the qualifications serve as “signs” that “demonstrate” that God is necessarily summoning and positioning a man for pastoral ministry (cf. pp. 75, 103, 108).

Aside from this aspect of framing the discussion, the content of this book is excellent. With his numerous stories and conversational writing style, Harvey pulls up a chair beside us to help us think about the decision to enter pastoral ministry. He helps us all to see that the decision to pursue pastoral ministry isn't merely about an individual and his intuition; it is about desiring to serve Christ as a leader in the context of the local church. And it is about others affirming your qualifications for such a task. It would be very useful for pastors to put this book in the hands of any man wondering if it would be wise to pursue pastoral ministry.


Drew Hunter

Drew Hunter is the teaching pastor of Zionsville Fellowship in Zionsville, Indiana.

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