I have often mused on the matter of uncalled men 'taking up' preaching as a kind of part-time occupation which they can have in conjunction with their full-time employment. Men who will not leave their full-time paid post in order to serve Christ in the full-time Christian ministry obviously do not see the Christian ministry as a full-time work. It is not the kind of work that they want to 'waste' their lives doing, but they don't mind the pulpit supply fee that goes along with it - especially in the big denominations.
I have no problem with men being paid their fee for exercising their God-given ministry, because the worker is worthy of his reward, and those who labour in the Word and doctrine are worthy of a double portion. Nor have I a problem with those men who are under call by God to the full-time Christian ministry.
Further, I have no difficulty with Gospel men who have been forced out of their ministry and are still under call from God receiving their supply fees for the work they do.
Where I do have a problem is when men hold on to their 'worldly' professions and still seek to exercise the ministry that is the domain of 'called' men of the Gospel.
In addition, I have known a man with his own career who preached virtually every Sunday in the year, receiving his fee for the work because this fee paid his mortgage. What prostitution of the Christian ministry this really is.
Then you have men who were called into the Christian ministry who have sought to be appointed as Chairmen of government boards which attract a lucrative salary; they do this alongside their pastoral ministry, and reap the benefits of so doing. Others go into full-time politics, reap their MP's salaries and also their salaries from their congregation. More prostitution of the teaching elder's office.
Moreover, these part-time preachers must never have read the most solemn caution delivered by the apostle James when he said that the judgement to be faced by preachers will be greater than those who are not preachers. It is the most solemn and solemnising work on earth. It is the single most important work on earth. So critical is this work that only men dedicated to it are properly equipped and qualified for it.
Let us pray to God to raise up men who will dedicate themselves to the Gospel ministry because no man who sets his hand to the plough and looks back (to whatever) is fit for the Kingdom of God. We need men who are singular in their desire to serve Christ in the Gospel. Part-timers are of very limited usefulness.
No cause of any importance has ever been served well with only part-time workers.
2 comments:
I have two questions in response to your article:
1. You refer frequently to a "call" to ministry in the church.
This concept of a special "call" given to some and not to others was certainly popularised by the Puritans (Goodwin & Owen and others)- but there is no evidence in the NT passages dealing with ministry of any special call.
Where do you find Biblical justification for this?
2. Linked to the above is the assumption of a full time, paid, professional "minister". But again there is simply no NT warrant for this, which arose from the artificial distinction between "clergy" and "laity".
This false dichotomy arose within the church through the writing of both Clement of Rome, and later Tertullian who popularised the word "clergy".
But the NT does not recognise such a distinction - although of course there is the gifting of elders (always a plurality), and balanced by the gifting of the whole body of Christ as set out in many NT scriptures for THEIR work of ministry (Eph.4:11)
Why then do you perpetuate this idea of a professional "clergy" system?
Graham, your brethrenism is getting in the way of discussion and your views all presuppose the rightness of the brethren understanding of ministry and thew wrongness of every other contender.
In the plurality of elders, not all have exactly the same role - some rule and others teach. Those who teach were separated from mundane tasks to concentrate on the ministry of the Word and prayer (Acts 6).
This is the NT model.
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