Tough Question: Do You Need a "Call" to Be In Ministry?

As an individual who spent the majority of my collegiate academic career in private Christian Universities I have heard the term “call” used a lot.  The word “call” comes into play concerning an individual assuming the role of a pastor, missionary, etc.  In every ministry class I was enrolled in, the professor took time to explain the “call”.  As I prepared to serve overseas with the IMB and as I prepared to be a Pastor everyone wanted me to talk about my “call” to missions or my “call” to ministry.

Whenever the meeting took a turn to begin talking about a “call” to missions or to the ministry, I never knew how to respond.  I knew what they wanted me to say, they wanted me to explain about “the” time when I felt God’s leading toward missions.  The problem is however, I am not sure if there ever was a specific time or if I have always just heard about the great need of taking the Gospel overseas and therefore “wanted” to go.  I always appeased the person asking the question.  I explained to him/her about a desire I had to serve overseas and then I talked about my experience working with inter-national students both in America and abroad; this was my common answer…until a few years ago.

A few years ago I was in chapel and a speaker was talking about a “call” to ministry.  He said, “that a “call” to the ministry will sustain you when times get tough. If you do not have a call then you are more likely to leave the mission field or abandon the pulpit.”   This statement by the speaker started me on an all out search for answers.   What does the Bible say about the will of God or a call to ministry?  What about other resources?   What do books, speakers, and fellow believers say?

Most Christians have struggled in similar ways as I did to discover God's specific calling for them.  I want to explore the idea of a calling, and see if this is really the best way to talk or think about ministry.  In 1980, Garry Friesen wrote a book titled, Decision Making and the Will of God.  Friesen argues that there is no specific will of God for each believer.  Rather, believers should make wise decisions based on what Scripture has revealed.  Friesen deals in detail with all of the passages that supposedly promote the specific will of God.  So, I don't want to just rehash those same passages.
Rather, I want to briefly discuss whether or not there is a calling to missions or ministry in general.  I think this is needed because 1) not everyone will read Friesen's 400 page book, and 2) because the idea of a calling plays such a big part in the language and beliefs of the average Christian.  I am finding that an understanding of a calling affects the way Christians make decisions and the way they counsel others.  Thus, there are lots of ramifications to this idea of a calling.  So, we do well to explore it.

As I moved into the process of applying for the IMB and pastorate frequently, I was counseled to go where God is calling me.  By "calling" I understand them to mean a strong sense that God is clearly leading me in a certain direction.

Go Where God Calls

What frustrates me with the advice "go where God calls you" or "find where God is working and join him" is that it is given as sort of the panacea answer, the ultimate solution to all my questions and doubts.  But this advice only begs the question.  To tell me to go where God is calling me leaves unanswered the very question it proposes to answer-Where do I go?

As we think about a calling, let's consider the first missionary journey in Acts 13:2.  It says, "And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them'" (NASV).  The other passage that comes to mind regarding God's call to missions is the Macedonian Call in Acts 16.  Paul wanted to preach in Asia, but was forbidden by the Spirit, and a vision led him over to Macedonia.  Many Christians conclude that all believers must therefore have this kind of clear calling.  But, can we make either of these experiences the standard for all other missionaries?  If so, why?  Nowhere does Scripture promise this sort of clarity when doing God's will.

For a moment, let's take a look at pastoring.  If there's any Christian vocation that warrants a call, other than being a missionary, it's pastoring.  Most pastors I know talk about a calling to the pastorate.  So let's look at a few passages about pastoring.  First Timothy 3:1 says, "If a man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do."  Ephesians 4:11 says Jesus "gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers."  And 1 Peter 5:2 exhorts elders or pastors to "shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for gain, but with eagerness."  None of these three passages talks about a call, but they do talk about qualifications and desire.  First Peter 5:2 mentions the will of God, but there's a textual variant at this point, so it might also be rendered, "not by compulsion but willingly," as the NKJV has it.  But, even if the original reading is as the NASV has it, the phrase "the will of God" is a far cry from establishing our modern day concept of God's call to the pastorate.

Four Guiding Principles

As I examine the above passages and other Scripture regarding pastoring and missions, I see no warrant for what we often mean by God's calling: a strong, clear, and unalterable sense of God's leading.  Rather, I think the whole idea of serving on the mission field, or any other ministry, is best talked about in terms of: 1) gifting and qualifications, 2) obedience, 3) desire, and 4) faith.

1)      Gifting and qualification are significant.  If you tell a mission organization God has called you to a particular country, they're not going to send you based on that alone.  You'll have to meet other qualifications (lot's of other qualifications).  And rightfully so.

2)      Obedience to Scripture is also of utmost importance.  In general, we know that Christ wants to reach the nations for his name sake (Hosea 2:23, Acts 28:28).  We can confidently say that missions work is a good and noble thing.  Scripture commands it (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8) so it's got to be the right thing to do, in most cases.  Christians in the U.S. saying God hasn't called them to missions are mistaken.  Unless uncontrollable circumstances prevail, like a sick spouse or rebellious child, etc, no Christian has a right to say that cross-cultural missions isn't for him.  He can at least take a two-week trip into another culture before concluding he's not gifted for cross-cultural living.

3)      Desire is also a key player here.  Psalm 37:4 says to "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."  I take this to mean that when you are delighting in God, he will give you what you are desiring to have (also see Psalm 20:4, 145:19, Pro 10:24).  These passages lead me to believe that wanting to do something, while not the most important thing is nonetheless important.  Yes, sometimes we need to do some things whether we want to or not.  And God doesn't say that he will always give us what we want, but God is not against us wanting to be where we're going to serve.

4)      Faith really is the bottom line of where we live every day.  It doesn't matter how sure we are of a decision to go to a particular people group, or to marry a certain godly person, it's still a step of faith.  We have the promise that Christ will never leave us or forsake us on this life's journey, but there's no guarantee that it will always be an easy journey.

I think that from God's perspective, since he is absolutely sovereign, he does in fact have a specific will for us.  By virtue of his sovereign control, it must have specific ramifications.  But, from our perspective his specific will for each of us isn't something we have to discover.  God doesn't promise clarity at this point.  The Bible will guide us into truth, and when we have to decide on things not specifically covered in Scripture, like which country we personally should serve in, then biblical principles like the four discussed above can guide us.

I suggest that a calling is not the best way to talk or think about our approach to missions (or to any other ministry).  Instead, it might be better to talk about what we are gifted to do, what we truly want to do, and what is the biblical thing to do.  Some might ask, "Why not say that the four things you've presented are part of God's calling rather than different from it?  Why do the things you've suggested have to be opposed to a belief in a call?"  They're different because the assumption made when we talk about God's call is that it's definite, something that can be verified, something that is obligatory, something that can't be influenced by others, and something specific to us.  But, Scripture doesn't teach this concept of a call for all believers, or even for most believers.  Although the view I've espoused here has its weaknesses (i.e., there's still confusion about making the wisest choice), it seems to be a better biblical model than the idea of a calling.  Some might argue that a calling is the only thing that will keep you on the field when things get rough, but I suggest that other noble things, such as God's sustaining grace, can keep you there too.