The Path to Being a Pastor: A Guide for the Aspiring (9Marks)

by Bobby Jamieson

Publisher:

Crossway

, 2021

Overview

A Practical Guide for Men Aspiring to Ministry.

What does it mean when a young man says he is “called” to be a pastor? Does that mean he is, or will be, qualified to be an elder? Is he gifted to work in pastoral ministry? According to pastor Bobby Jamieson, the idea of “calling” is the wrong place to start.

In The Path to Being a Pastor, Jamieson exhorts readers to trade the question “Am I called?” for “Am I qualified?” Instead of making pastoral ministry their goal, he encourages aspiring pastors to focus on their qualifications for eldership and begin participating in ministry in their local churches. For those further along the process and beginning their pastoral work, Jamieson offers advice about godly ambition, encouragement for those going through the candidating process, and a call to cherish Christ above their ministry. Written from personal experience, this guide lays the groundwork for aspiring leaders to walk through various stages of ministry preparation, trusting that the Lord will direct their steps on the path to becoming a pastor.

Key Features

• Provides a guide for aspiring leaders to walk through various stages of ministry preparation
• Offers advice about godly ambition, encouragement for those going through the candidating process, and a call to cherish Christ above their ministry
• Encourages aspiring pastors to focus on their qualifications

Contents

• Part 1: Finding the Path
• Part 2: Walking the Path
• Part 3: Approaching the Destination

Top Highlights

“Don’t just ask; listen. Seeking counsel does not mean always agreeing” (Page 38)

“A sense of calling on your part does not create an obligation to hire you on any church’s part. Do not assume that anyone will ever pay you to pastor. Purify your aspiration of any trace of entitlement.” (Page 33)

“Regarding ability, three crucial categories are character, content, and competence. Character: Do you meet the biblical qualifications for elders? What are your besetting sins? If everyone in your church followed your example, would the church become more holy or less? Content: How well do you know Scripture? How well can you answer doctrinal questions and dismantle errors? Are the wells of your mind deep enough for others to draw from? Competence: How well can you preach and teach God’s word, counsel others from God’s word, and lead people to become more conformed to Christ?” (Page 41)

“So give yourself to cultivating gifts and godliness, and leave fruit to God.” (Page 12)

“First, the exegetical problem is that the Bible does not use calling language to mean what we mean. The New Testament frequently uses ‘called’ to describe God’s effectual act of bringing us to saving faith (e.g., Rom. 1:6–7; 8:30; 9:24; 1 Cor. 1:9, 24; Gal. 1:6). The New Testament also uses ‘calling’ to describe the life of holiness to which God has summoned us and for which God has empowered us through the gospel (Eph. 4:1; 1 Thess. 4:3–7). But nowhere does the New Testament use the verb ‘call’ to describe God’s act of assigning us a vocation, pastoral or otherwise.” (Page 25)

Product Details

• Title: The Path to Being a Pastor: A Guide for the Aspiring
• Author: Bobby Jamieson
• Series: 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches
• Publisher: Crossway
• Print Publication Date: 2021
• Logos Release Date: 2021
• Pages: 185
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• Subjects: Vocation, Ecclesiastical; Vocation (in religious orders, congregations, etc.); Clergy › Appointment, call, and election; Pastoral theology
• ISBNs: 9781433576652, 9781433576683, 9781433576669, 9781433576676, 1433576651, 1433576686, 143357666X, 1433576678
• Resource ID: LLS:PTHBNGSPRN9MRKS
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T02:30:34Z

About Bobby Jamieson

Bobby Jamieson is a Ph.D. student in New Testament at the University of Cambridge. He previously served as assistant editor for 9Marks and is the author, most recently, of Going Public: Why Baptism Is Required for Church Membership (B&H, 2015).