What it means to call a Minister?
I am a firm believer that the movement of Ministers among Southern Baptist
Churches is slightly strange. There are very few times when it is a "perfect"
fit. This brief paper is not meant to become a guide to making it a perfect
fit. It is meant to perform a service and allow you to see this process from
the other side, the minister's. What it is meant to do is to share with you
from the heart of the author some thoughts that may help your next called
staff member and the church come to a very harmonious nd fruitful relationship
quickly that can last significantly longer. I am a Minister of Music and
Youth, and the son of a Southern Baptist Pastor, so I have experienced the
moving from both views, child and parent. I am not called to be a pastor so
perhaps my view is a little bit different from that of the Pastor, then again
maybe not.
Where do you start?
Decide exactly what you want; do you want a Minister, or do you want someone
who will merely tickle your ears and make you feel better; do you want him
"full-time" or "part-time"? Theologically what do you want; traditional
thinking, or a creative thinker? Do you want a man who is a a gifted teacher?
Do you want a man who recognizes his own spiritual gifts and want to polish
them? Do you want a man who is gifted in direct one on one witnessing? The
list could go on forever do you see the problems that this can lead to if
these issues aren't clearly defined? Will the church bring a new Minister on
staff with or without a job description? This is a major point, have a job
description, give it out have the church approve it. If you need help with
this contact your state office of Ministerial Services, they can help. Or
contact this author for a copy of a generic job description which can function
as a starting point for your church to write one of your own.
Understand what the prospective staff member's definition of success is for
his ministry. If what the church defines as success is significantly different
there can be a major conflict. Will he be married or single? And if married
will there be children? [You must understand children bring to the church a
responsibility as well.] Will his spouse work outside the home? You may ask,
why does that matter? Very often, in the smaller urban church and prevalent in
the rural churches, the church wants to get two for the price of one, and when
these expectations are not clearly defined it is wrong. If you expect that
minister's wife to do something, tell him or don't get mad when she doesn't
come to the meetings, that the church thinks she aught to attend. Get the
point? What education will be expected of this person? I will deal with this
issue in another article all together later.
When these criterion are voted on by the church, the next step is to decide
where you will go for possible names of people fitting the criterion. Will you
seek information from a state denominational office? Will you go to the
denomination university and interview? Advertise in the state denominational
paper? These decisions are made and now you have some resume's arriving. You
have prayed over these people and are inviting one to come "in view of a
call." What a name for it. Let us call it what it is an audition.
The typical way of doing it, the prospective Minister of Music and/or Youth
arrives on Sunday morning, is whisked off to do opening assembly for the Youth
Sunday School, the kids look him over. The teachers listen to his style of
speaking and try to catch some of his theology. Then in 10 minutes before the
service while the choir is getting ready for the service he is to tell them
the way that he does a service, and the anxiety level is rising, and goes into
a service with for the most part clock eyed baptist and heaven forbid that he
do anything different than was done before for risk of being constantly
questioned. Maybe in the afternoon he meets with the deacon board and does
Youth Choir and then the evening service. Then comes the vote! It is unfair
not to tell the prospective staff member exact percentages of yes and no. This
is a bold statement of what support he can expect should he feel lead to come
into the situation. How should it be done?
Start on Saturday, and you can start early. Schedule a Youth activity at least
two hours long, have an Adult Choir rehearsal Saturday, allow time to meet
with the keyboard people before Sunday morning. For a pastor: schedule a
meeting with the Sunday School teachers Saturday. And a come and go fellowship
to meet the prospective staffer for Saturday evening for the whole church. And
don't try and keep the prospective staffer entertained all the time, if he is
married allow them time alone together, just be courteous. Then "get your
money's worth" out of Sunday.
If you want a Minister and you call him to be your Minister, then it is a sin
not let him do what he is gifted of God to do. He will not be happy, nor will
his family and this will lead to ineffectiveness in the end. Make it very
clear from the start to the staff member and to the church what is going on in
this adventure of calling a cleric staff member, the church is not hiring a
secretary that can be fired at will you are coming together as a body of
believers seeking God and believing Him for this man to be the person to fill
a need in the church, a covenant relationship.
What to expect from a married minister? You should expect and allow his own
family to be on the same plain of importance as is his calling. I have made
the statement that I do not believe I was entrusted with a family to put them
in jeopardy for the sake of a church feud. And I believe there is scriptural
basis for this. If you are hiring a vocational minister, then don't put
unneeded pressure on him when he says, "This is my time for my family and me."
As a church you must understand the level of pressure that is on a minister of
your church and allow ;him time for himself and his family. It should be
included in the job description that the minister will have one morning a week
off and a different afternoon off. Don't call him at these times unless it is
an absolute emergency. There is pressure that creeps into all aspects of their
life, professional, spiritual, marital, and family. A minister is not an 8-5
job, if the minister chooses to spend a day at the zoo with the wife and
kids, let him, and don't criticize him. If there are young kids in the home,
and you have Sunday School class with parents of similar age range kids, make
a rotation calendar where the minister and his wife know that regularly the
kids will be out of the house and they can have time to themselves. This
should be a free act of love you give to your minister and his wife. They
minister to you, you aught also to minister to them.
If you expect your ministerial staff to office in the church building then
provide them with office space that is workable and functional. Be willing and
ready to modify the work environment some.
From the prospective of the program, expect changes! This is a new staff
member he will do things different and if you call him then you are in effect
saying we believe in you and you come and lead us. If you are honest about
this lead stuff, then be leadable. If you are not willing to allow him that
courtesy then don't extend a call to him. That is sin, you hurt the
prospective minister and you hurt the church.
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This next section is primarily dealing with the calling of Associate
Minister's not with the calling of the pastor.
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A minister with multiple years of experience has developed their own approach
to ministry, if this is not compatible with that of the pastor then there will
be major problems. Let me explain, when a program works don't change it but if
it is broke fix it. The seven most demeaning words to a creative thinking
minister fresh on a new field are, " We've never done it that way before!"
Don't be afraid to try things ! Failure is not negative.
The bible makes it plain that we all have different gifts, my gifts are music,
helps, and counseling. My strong suit is not one of one on one witnessing/soul
winning. Does that make me an ineffective minister? Not at all, if you expect
me to do what I am not gifted with then we will have problems. My view of
success, whenever I move on from a youth related ministry point is; if there
are at least half a dozen or so teens in that church who are now equipped to
stand and look the devil in the face an "Yea, I'm a Christian, what are you
going to do about it?" then I am successful. If you judge my success by
different standards than what I use then I maybe a failure in your perception.
God is the head of the church. And when a minister diligently seeks after God,
then the church should be willing to follow, and this means the pastor as
well. The pastor, should be pastor and let God be God. [Forgive me I got a
little heavy there.] The new ministerial staff member is responsible, yes to
the pastor, but his ultimate authority is God on high. Don't tamper with
divine order. Of course I want my pastor to be happy with the work that I do,
but I am more concerned with pleasing the heavenly Father. Pastor, if you are
working with multiple member staffs, with other professional minister, be
willing to learn and give some, compromise. The seven most detrimental words
in a Baptist Church these days are "We've never done it that way before", next
on the list would have to be "I don't like it so don't do it, it won't work."
If you have a pastor that is an iron hand manager then it is unfair to call a
man with multiple years of experience. If you have a pastor who has not worked
with multiple professional staff members then go to a college and seek someone
with no experience that will make the fit a bit better.
And that's good.
About the Writer
James N. Fancher is the son of a Southern Baptist Minister(retired) and
personally has served some six churches in Oklahoma and Mississippi during his
time in the active pulpit ministry of the Gospel. He holds a B.A. in
Management from Southern Nazarene University, Bethany, OK and is presently
working toward M.Ed. from Central State University, Edmond, OK.
James is available to consult with local churches on matters of personnel,
music, church business administration, or any other matters of the church
where an outside look at the situtation would be needed. The expenses to the
church are very reasonable, travel expenses plus a small consulting fee, which
is negotiable depending on the needs of the church and the situation. Feel
free to write to me and I assure you of a speedy response.
James and Terry Fancher have been married for eleven years and have two
children, J.C. seven, and Melinda Kay four.
They presently make their home in Bethany, OK, and are active members of
Council Road Baptist Church.
Concerning this White Paper
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