“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” (1 Tim 3:1)

In every generation and in every place, there is a need to raise up new leaders for Christ’s church. The average evangelical pastor today is about 54 years old,¹“Pastors’ Average Age Stable Over Past Decade,” Lifeway Research, 30 August 2023, https://research.lifeway.com/2023/08/30/pastors-average-age-stable-over-past-decade/. which means that for every congregation with a pastor in his 30s or 40s there’s another with a pastor in his 60s or 70s. As a seminary president, I regularly hear from pastors nearing retirement and search committees who are looking for their next lead pastors and associates. While I happily recommend my institution’s newly minted MDivs, I also recognize the tremendous need to identify, encourage, and equip the next generation of faithful ministers. While seminaries surely have an important part to play in preparing future leaders, so do pastors and their congregations. This column reflects on the need for raising up future pastors and offers encouragement for aspiring ministers to prepare well.

1. Encouragement for Pastors and Churches

Pastors face pressing deadlines and various demands—on a normal week (if there is such a thing), there’s a sermon to prepare, hurting members to counsel, a staff meeting to lead, and a constant stream of emails and messages to answer. But wise pastors should also prioritize identifying and investing in younger men in the congregation who could be the next small group leaders and Sunday school teachers, church planters and pastors. Mark Dever counsels, “If you want to raise up leaders, you need to be on permanent lookout for more leaders.… Pastors should be profoundly opportunistic about raising up more pastors. And the whole church should have a deep confidence that the Lord wants new leaders raised up.”²Mark Dever, Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus, 9Marks (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016), 96.

Marshall and Payne challenge pastors to be “talent scouts” for “people in leadership, communication and management; people with vision, energy, intelligence and entrepreneurial spirit; people who are good with people, and who can understand and articulate ideas persuasively. If these are also godly servants of Christ who long for his kingdom, then why not headhunt them for a life of ‘recognised gospel ministry’?”³Colin Marshall and Tony Payne, The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mind-Shift that Changes Everything (Kingsford: Matthias Media, 2009), 140. This is helpful counsel so long as the priority and emphasis is on a person’s character and commitment to Christ more than their charismatic personality and professional accomplishments. The Bible includes various examples of God clearly calling people to extraordinary service who lacked impressive resumes and obvious talent. Amos recounts, “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel’” (Amos 7:14–15). Peter and John “were uneducated, common men” who “had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). And while Paul was educated by one of the Pharisees’ leading lights, he identified himself as the worst of sinners and “the least of the apostles” because he formerly persecuted Jesus and his church (Acts 22:3; 1 Tim 1:12–15; 1 Cor 15:9). As M’Cheyne once said, “It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”⁴Iain H. Murray, “Robert Murray M’Cheyne,” Banner of Truth, 12 November 2001, https://tinyurl.com/3deadnpc.

Where is the pipeline of faithful men who are preparing (or who need to be equipped) to preach God’s word and pastor God’s people? They may already be enrolled in MDiv programs and engaged in church internships. They may also be in the chemistry lab of a local university, driving a school bus, selling insurance, building websites, or working in some other field. But chances are, the next generation of pastors is showing up early on Sundays to set up chairs, rehearse with the worship team, greet visitors, and prepare Bible lessons for fifth graders. They are rising early to study the Scriptures and seek the Lord in prayer. They are growing as godly husbands and devoted dads. And they have meaty books of theology on their bedside tables and good sermons in their podcast feed. Wise pastors should recognize these men in their congregations and “seek to replicate their own lives and ministries with those they train.”⁵Phil A. Newton, The Mentoring Church: How Pastors and Congregations Cultivate Leaders (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2017), 23.

In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul charges young Timothy to “entrust” what he has received “to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” The word “entrust” (παρατίθημι) means to commit something for safekeeping or transmission to others. This deposit is “the gospel of the glory of the happy God,” the precious news that Jesus Christ fulfilled all of God’s promises through his righteous life, his saving death, and his victorious resurrection. Paul commits this gospel deposit to Timothy for safekeeping, exhorting him to “follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me” and “guard the good deposit entrusted to you” (2 Tim 1:13–14). The apostle also reflects a long-term vision for the church as he instructs his protégé to pass on this good deposit “to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”

2. Encouragement for Aspiring Pastors

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer forcefully stated, “The matter of the proper education of preachers of the gospel is worthy of our ultimate commitment.”⁶Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Conspiracy and Imprisonment, 1940–1945, ed. Mark S. Brocker, trans. Lisa E. Dahill, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works 16 (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2006), 265. My previous column, “A Case for the Seminary Today,” argued that such principled pastoral preparation involves entrusting sound doctrine, expounding God’s book, and exemplifying a holy life.⁷Brian J. Tabb, “A Case for the Seminary Today,” Themelios 50.1 (2025): 1–7.

Here I offer counsel for those aspiring to the pastoral office or considering seminary training by answering three questions: What does it mean to aspire to pastoral ministry? What attitudes should mark men who aspire to eldership? And what activities will prepare them well for faithful and fruitful service to Christ’s church?

2.1. Aspiration or Calling to Pastor

Many faithful Christians have wondered and sometimes wrestled with whether they have been called to ministry. According to John Newton, a proper call to pastoral ministry includes first “a warm and earnest desire to be employed in this service.” In addition to this desire and readiness to preach “there must in due season appear some competent sufficiency as to gifts, knowledge, and utterance.” Finally, the aspiring pastor needs “a correspondent opening in Providence, by a gradual train of circumstances pointing out the means, the time, the place—of actually entering upon the work of the ministry.”⁸John Newton, “Letter I” (7 March 1765), The Works of John Newton, 6 vols., reprint ed. (Edinburgh, Banner of Truth, 1985), 2:44–46. The Prince of Preachers famously counseled his students that “the first sign of the heavenly calling is an intense, all-absorbing desire for the work.… There must be an irresistible, overwhelming craving and raging thirst for telling others what God has done to our own souls.” He reiterates the advice of another pastor: “Do not enter the ministry if you can help it.”⁹C. H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1954), 26. Later, Spurgeon clarifies that he does not mean that men should pursue pastoral ministry only after trying and failing in other vocational pursuits, adding, “Jesus Christ deserves the best men to preach his cross.”¹⁰Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, 38.

While there is much wisdom in these reflections, there is also some potential for confusion or presumption when discerning a “call” to ministry. Seminarians may question whether they really have an “intense, all-absorbing desire” for pastoral ministry when they get a C on their seminary Greek exam, and young pastors may be ready to update their resume on a Monday morning after receiving some criticism of their preaching. Bobby Jamieson also warns that the claim “I’m called to pastor” presumes that one is qualified for the office of elder and sufficiently gifted in ministry to receive a salary from a church.¹¹Bobby Jamieson, The Path to Being a Pastor: A Guide for the Aspiring, 9Marks (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 21–22. He recommends speaking in terms of aspiration rather than calling to the pastoral office for biblical and practical reasons.¹²Jamieson, The Path to Being a Pastor, 28–30.

The apostle Paul sets forth qualifications for those who oversee God’s household in 1 Timothy 3:1–7. The list begins, perhaps surprisingly, with a holy aspiration for the work: “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” David Mathis writes, “Christ grabs his pastors by the heart; he doesn’t twist them by the arm.”¹³David Mathis, Workers for Your Joy: The Call of Christ on Christian Leaders (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2022), 46–47. In other words, you want to be a pastor. You aspire to meet the qualifications and carry out the duties of this worthy office. It’s not enough to have a natural aptitude for learning ancient languages or an interest in theology and church history (though that can be helpful). Is there a holy desire in your heart to be an approved workman who wields God’s Word well for the benefit of others? Pastoral ministry is hard, and seminary training is (or should be) rigorous, so it is wise to seek counsel from others and search your heart before jumping in.

2.2. Attitudes of Aspiring Pastors

It is truly a worthy aim to desire investing your life in service of Christ’s bride. “It is a noble thing to aspire to congregational leadership.… Yet, aspiration alone is not a sufficient ground for appointment.”¹⁴Robert W. Yarbrough, The Letters to Timothy and Titus, PNTC (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2018), 190. Before considering activities to prepare well for pastoring, let’s focus on three attitudes that should mark would-be pastors in increasing measure.

First, integrity. The lists of elder qualifications in Titus 1 and 1 Timothy 3 begin with the summary terms “above reproach” (ἀνεπίλημπτον) and “blameless” (ἀνέγκλητος), which focus on one’s personal integrity and proven character. The standard is not perfection but a godly pattern of life, a track record of faithfulness at home and in public. A man’s management of his household is proving ground for oversight in God’s household. His personal habits, lifestyle, and his relationships with others should likewise be respectable and above reproach. This includes, very specifically, fleeing youthful lusts and sexual sin, including pornography.¹⁵One helpful resource to consult is Joe Rigney, More Than a Battle: How to Experience Victory, Freedom, and Healing from Lust (Nashville: B&H, 2021). My school’s admissions committee has sadly declined admission to many seminary applicants because of pornography addiction, and I have seen the devastating consequences for the family and the church when a pastor is ensnared in some form of sexual sin. So follow Paul’s charge to “train yourself for godliness” (1 Tim 4:7).

Second, humility. Humility is in short supply in our world as many, like Diotrephes of old, like to put themselves first (3 John 9). Rather than being “puffed up with conceit” because of an inflated sense of your own gifts or the responsibilities and privileges of ministry, the aspiring pastor would do well to heed Isaiah 66:2: “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” The first step on the road to humility is not self-examination but contemplating our holy God.¹⁶Similarly David Mathis, Humbled: Welcoming the Uncomfortable Work of God (Nashville: B&H, 2021), 11. Moses was the model of meekness because he had seen the glory of the Lord and regularly spoke with the living God face to face (Exod 33:11; Num 12:3). The path of humility is marked by prayerful dependence on God, regular confession of sin, and patient endurance of suffering.

Third, teachability. Overseers in the church must be “able to teach” (διδακτικός), “rightly handling the word of truth” (1 Tim 3:2; 2 Tim 2:15). But the best teachers are themselves able to be taught. Mature Christians are hungry for truth and recognize that God’s word is sweeter than honey and more precious than gold. They are easily edified by the teaching of others; they are life-long learners who press on to know the Lord.

2.3. Activities to Prepare Well for Pastoring

So if you have a willingness and a desire to serve, if you are growing in holiness, humility, and hunger for God’s word, how can you prepare well for pastoral ministry? The most foundational activity for an aspiring pastor is what happens in your private study, not in the classroom or the pulpit: seeking the Lord through Bible meditation and prayer. John Newton once advised a divinity student that “the chief means for attaining wisdom, and suitable gifts for the ministry, are the holy Scriptures, and prayer. The one is the fountain of living water, the other the bucket with which we are to draw.”¹⁷John Newton, “Letter II: Extract of a Letter to a Student in Divinity,” The Works of John Newton 1:141.The great evangelist George Mueller recorded similar reflections in his journal,

I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord.… Now, I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the word of God, and to meditation on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed; and that thus, by means of the word of God, whilst meditating on it, my heart might be brought into experimental communion with the Lord.¹⁸“Get My Soul into a Happy State: George Mueller’s Great Lesson,” Desiring God, 1 October 2024, https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/get-my-soul-into-a-happy-state.

Additionally, those aspiring to pastor should be active in the local church. Commit to meaningful membership at a doctrinally faithful church where you live. Attend Sunday services, prayer meetings, Bible studies, and church meals. Look for ways to serve, or ask a pastor where there is a need. You might start out setting up chairs, making coffee, or taking out the trash. You might be asked to serve in children’s Sunday school or work in the sound booth or play bass with the worship team. In whatever assignment, serve with gladness and diligence “by the strength that God supplies” for his glory and the good of the church (1 Pet 4:11). When you have the opportunity, accept any invitations to teach—a children’s Sunday School lesson, an outreach Bible study, a devotional at your small group, an exhortation at summer camp, a sermon at a small country church. Faithfully prepare, open God’s Word with clarity and conviction, and invite feedback from trusted friends or mentors. I am so thankful that one of my pastors encouraged me to serve in children’s ministry as I was beginning seminary studies, and over two decades later I still love teaching the Bible to fourth and fifth graders in my church.

Seek out mature mentors and look for ways to mentor younger believers in the church. This is what Paul has in mind when he writes, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us” (Phil 3:17). Don Carson says, “We are called to emulate worthy Christian leaders. We are called to be worthy Christian leaders whom others will emulate. God help us.”¹⁹D. A. Carson, Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996), 95. So ask an elder if he’s willing to meet with you regularly before work. Ask a pastor if you can join him for a hospital visit or a new member interview. Ask to observe an elder meeting or a service review meeting. These intentional relationships and hands-on experiences will challenge and encourage you and provide invaluable insights on the work of pastors.

When I was preparing for ministry, I asked a godly lay elder to mentor me. He agreed to meet me weekly at Starbucks before catching his 6:10 am train into Chicago. Those early morning meetings encouraged me in my relationship with Christ, prepared me to be a godly husband and father, and showed me what the elder qualifications look like in practice.

And finally, pursue the most rigorous seminary training available. If at all possible, enroll in a residential master of divinity program where you will enjoy face-to-face classes and rich relationships with your teachers and classmates.²⁰I have written elsewhere about the value of in-person seminary training, including “For the Education of Ministers,” World Opinions, 2 May 2025, https://wng.org/opinions/for-the-education-of-ministers-1744774406. Look for an excellent faculty who are not only accomplished scholars but also inspiring teachers and committed churchmen. Find a seminary that is committed to sound doctrine as defined by a detailed confession of faith that the leadership and teachers gladly embrace. And even though it seems daunting, take as many courses as possible in biblical Greek and Hebrew. One or two semesters will not suffice, because you want to spend decades exegeting the Scriptures in their original languages to expound their meaning for your congregation with clarity and conviction.

I am eager for humble, holy, hungry men to desire to teach God’s word and shepherd Christ’s church. I encourage you to prepare well for this “noble task.”

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