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So you think you’re called to be a pastor or a church planter? Maybe someone said you have gifts that indicate you should be in ministry, but you’re not convinced that you’re called. Where do you turn? How can you know if you are called to pastoral ministry? All of us presently in ministry had to ask ourselves these same questions. Many of us, for various reasons, embarked on a journey to find the answers all alone. In Am I Called? The Summons to Pastoral Ministry, Dave Harvey—who is responsible or church care, church planting, and international expansion for Sovereign Grace Ministries—serves as a faithful and wise pastoral guide to all looking for answers to their questions concerning the call to pastoral ministry.

Harvey provides a biblically grounded and practically helpful roadmap for the process of discerning the call. In part 1, “Approaching the Call,” Harvey reminds us how we ought to begin thinking about the call to pastoral ministry. After sharing his summons story and setting out his goals for the book (Chapter 1), Harvey roots the call to ministry in God’s call to save sinners (Chapter 2) and establishes the local church as the context for the pastoral call (Chapter 3).

Only after your approach has been properly oriented does Harvey encourage asking the questions required to discern a call to pastoral ministry. Thus, in part 2, “Diagnosing the Call,” Harvey guides the potential candidate for ministry through six vital diagnostic questions that emerge from 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1: “Are You Godly?” (Chapter 4); “How’s Your Home?” (Chapter 5); “Can You Preach?” (Chapter 6); “Can You Shepherd?” (Chapter 7); “Do You Love the Lost?” (Chapter 8); and “Who Agrees?” (Chapter 9). Finally, in part 3, “Waiting” (Chapter 10), Harvey addresses the questions that remain once a man has discerned whether or not he is called to pastoral ministry.

Am I Called? The Summons to Pastoral Ministry

Am I Called? The Summons to Pastoral Ministry

Crossway (2012). 224 pp.

Many men have the skills to lead a church, but only some are called. Dave Harvey helps men considering pastoral ministry to see God’s active role in the process of discerning their calling. God’s Word offers a clear framework for evaluating one’s call, especially within the context of community. Harvey offers six diagnostic questions to help prospective pastors process their calling, and what they should be doing now if they aren’t sure. Illustrated with personal and historical stories, Harvey explores biblical and practical principles for determining the pastoral call.

Crossway (2012). 224 pp.

Each chapter is introduced by a summons story of a well-known man of God from recent church history. Listening to others’ call stories reminds us that none who seek to enter pastoral ministry is exempt from this important evaluation process. Additionally, at the end of each chapter, Harvey provides a list for further reading for those who wish to follow up on the particular theme of the chapter in greater depth.

God: The Initiator of the Call

When seeking to answer the question of pastoral calling, the human inclination is to begin with “me”—Amcalled? Harvey points us away from self by rooting the call to pastoral ministry in God. After all, God takes the initiative in calling sinners to himself through the gospel of Christ (34), and this effectual call of God is a call to a life of holiness (35–36). Such a God-rooted, gospel-centered approach to the pastoral call does two important things. First, it reminds us that God does not call someone to pastoral ministry he does not first call to himself (36). Second, it reminds us that God and the gospel are sufficient in the face of personal weakness and ministry disappointments (40–43).

The Local Church: The Context of the Call

This One who calls sinners to himself in salvation connects the pastoral call to the local church (51). In a day when many young people like Jesus but not the church, it is important to emphasize the place of the local church in God’s plan. Also, in a day when churches are inclined to ship pastoral candidates off to seminary too quickly, it’s important that the church remember its role in shepherding men through the process of discerning the call and preparing them for ministry. As Harvey states, training for those called to ministry begins in the local church, “where ministry is shaped and defined according to Scripture” (52). So then, while it is legitimate for an individual to seek an answer to the question of pastoral calling, this internal desire must be confirmed by the local church. “External confirmation,” Harvey suggests, “is the process of evaluation whereby the church affirms God’s call to the man” (167).

Godliness: The Character of the Called

Contrary to the mindset that those who qualify for the pastoral call are the “super-Christians who live by a higher code,” Harvey reminds us that all Christians are required to live godly lives (73). The only difference between a regular church member and a pastor is that a pastor is “a called man with gifts that enable him to lead God’s people and with a grace that empowers him to be an example” (73). And while Harvey admits that “we’ll never see these qualities perfected in anyone,” the character qualities outlined in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 “should be evident, and will be in any man who’s called to ministry” (75). This fact should serve to warn those evaluating candidates for ministry from affirming men too quickly. As Harvey points out, “Men don’t become pastors because of potential. They become pastors because God’s grace is already at work in them” (76).

The Home: The Proving Ground of the Call

The place where godly character is first evidenced is the home. Therefore, it is no surprise that the Scriptures are concerned with a man’s ability to manage his own household. “The home,” Harvey writes, “offers the largest window on whether you meet Scripture’s character qualifications for ministry” (95). Consequently, a man pursuing pastoral ministry should first reflect upon what his home life communicates about his character. “An exemplary marriage, a supportive wife, and faithful kids,” Harvey says, “unite to display a vital sign of the summons: a home that’s ‘managed well’ (1 Tim. 3:4). A man need not be perfect to have a well-managed home, but he certainly must be diligent” (107).

Love: The Heart of the Called

Usually, men are encouraged to pursue pastoral ministry based on their preaching and teaching abilities. And while those essential gifts distinguish pastors from other servants (see Chapter 6), men may be tempted to love preaching to crowds while not caring much for people. For this reason Harvey emphasizes a love for the sheep (Chapter 7) and a love for the lost (Chapter 8) as necessary indicators of pastoral calling. “Practically speaking,” Harvey exhorts, “shepherding means loving people. You can’t love ministry and be annoyed by people. The summons is a call to love sheep” (135). This summons is also a call to love the lost. Therefore, Harvey urges a man pursuing ministry to “[work] to get outside; work to cultivate relationships; work to get into the community; work to do the work of an evangelist” (155).

Waiting: The Preparation of the Called

By going through the diagnostic questions under the guidance of faithful and wise men and in the context of a local church, a man will better be able to discern a call to pastoral ministry. But Harvey isn’t content simply to help a man find the answer to the question, “Am I called?” He also seeks to guide him in answering the next question: “What do I do now if I’ve discerned a call to pastoral ministry?” Harvey provides nine ideas with practical next steps of what a man can do while waiting for ministry placement. For those who realize they are not called to pastoral ministry, Harvey encourages you to see this “no” as God’s kind providence in redirecting your life to other ministry (195–198), perhaps the deaconate (198–199).

Conclusion

Though Harvey isn’t seeking to break new ground, what will make Am I Called? a “go to” book for helping men discern the call to pastoral ministry is the manner in which he approaches a well-known subject. Reading this book is like going to your pastor’s study and asking, “Do you think I’m called to ministry?” With a pastor’s heart and a conversational tone, Harvey welcomes you and says, “Take a seat; let’s have a talk.” He will tell you his call story and that of others, and he will ask you several heart-probing questions along the way.

But, make no mistake, this is not a book that merely explains how to discern the call to pastoral ministry; this book is a call to take action. It is a call for men to take action in seeking to discern a call to ministry; it is a call for churches and church leaders to take action in guiding men through the process of discerning a pastoral call and training them to serve if called; it is a call for men to take action in submitting themselves to the authority of the local church to affirm their internal desire for pastoral ministry.

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