A Minister

Here's how the conversation normally goes:

"So, are you going into the ministry?"
"Uh..."
"I think you would make a good minister."
"Well, I don't believe that the role of 'ministers' will look anything like it does now in 20 years. I just don't think the Church is going to look the same way."

"Hmmm. Well, I still think you would make a good minister."

At this point I just roll my eyes.

I am repeatedly confronted with the question,"Do you want to be a minister?" As I get older it comes at me with greater frequency. This doesn't entirely surprise me. There are a number of ministers in my family. Both of my parents (much to the distress of the Southern Baptist Conference) are ministers. In fact, my mother was ordained while she was in her third trimester of pregnancy. You decide the theological ramifications of that one.

My mother's brother is also a minister. My father's cousin is a minister. A couple generations back on my father's side there was a missionary who actually died in the mission field (from some sort of tropical disease).

Of course, my family also has its share of entrepreneurs and stock brokers, but no one's asking me if I'll be starting a business or begin brokering any time soon.

So what makes a minister? Or perhaps I should say, what makes a good minister? Or even more important, what qualities in a person prompt others to ask the question "do you want to be a minister?"?

Of course there is the encyclopedic definition. But that doesn't really answer the last question. It doesn't really tell me why people think this would be a good idea. I can of course, espouse a list of reasons why people might think it would be a good idea for me to become a minister.

Let me first list the qualities I think (as only a PK can) are necessary in order to be a good minister:

1- The person must feel the need to lead - but more importantly, they must be a person others are willing to follow. By this I mean, there must be some sort of visionary quality, some sort of charisma present. There are different kinds of charisma, but ultimately there must be something in the person that draws others to them. If there is not, how are they to influence their flock?
2- They must be compassionate. They must be able to feel how other people feel, and to express concern and caring for them. This is key in any leader, as they must understand the seat of conflicts, and thereby be able to help generate solutions.
3 -They must have a fire for their fellow humans and a need to see them safe and fulfilled having all their basic needs met. This is of course the way it must be, if the person is to be a Christian leader. There must be a desire for social justice, otherwise, the person is not following the message of Jesus.
4- They must be able to admit their mistakes.
5- They must be able to delegate tasks, so as to both a)not become overburdened and b)give tasks to those who are the best suited for a task's completion.
6-They must be willing to re-evaluate.
7- They must be passionate.
8- They must be willing to struggle with their faith, and lay that struggle (at least in part) out to be seen by the congregation.
9- They must be imperfect, and they must know it is so and admit it as such.

BUT the MOST IMPORTANT quality is that they are CALLED to ministry.

Some of the characteristics which I numbered overlap. That's okay. I know they do. But there are different elements emphasized in each, which is why I separated them the way I did. Perhaps there are other characteristics which are also important in a minister but these are the ones which speak to my heart and my experience.

I said that is what it would take to make a good minister, not a great minister. To be great, I am sure there are nuances in each of these aspects which must be achieved, and of those nuances, I think books must be written and yet none can cover. Ultimately, there is something in a person that cannot be pin-pointed that makes them right for the role they will play. It is divine. They are meant for that part - the part was written FOR THEM at that point in their lives.

This of course, speaks of calling. To be called is the biggest and most important thing about a position. And while your specific calling changes as your life situation changes, there are certainly general roles that you are meant to fill in no matter what location you find yourself. Ministry is one of those which requires such a thing. Often times, I feel some people enter the ministry because they are so lost themselves, or they enter by process of default, as opposed to a genuine calling to the position.

That said, ministry is not confined to the occupation of 'pastor' or 'priest' or 'rabbi' etc. Just because you feel called to ministry doesn't mean you need to pastor a church. Ministry is what you make of it. Any occupation can become a ministry, and indeed is, when you view your work through that set of lenses. I think, this is something everyone should use to color their perspective on their job.

Life is sacred. Living is a worshipful act. Live life to the fullest and you are infact bringing glory to God. It is a beautiful thing.

So let's revist that wretched conversation and let me give a better answer to the dreaded question posed and re-posed by so many acquaintances.

Yes I will be going into the ministry.

Am I going to pastor a church? Not if I can help it.

Then how am I ministering? I will be living for God and I hope to make every act a kind of worship bringing glory to God's creation and helping to bring about his will in this world.

Every person I advise, comfort, or just spend time with sitting and being quiet is a kind of ministry and a kind of worship all at once. So too is the other person ministering to me. Am I ordained? You'll have to figure that one out. Will I go through the rigorous exercises required of seminary? Probably never.

I say all these things knowing that I do not know what the future holds and that I tread each step as it is revealed to me. This is all I can do. I can plan, but often my plan is foiled by a greater plan - God's.

All I can say to any definite end is that ministry runs in the family, and no doubt I minister on a daily basis.