Notes

Pastoral Calling and the neighborhood Church
Introduction

The Christian ecclesias of the first century church were administered by local leaders. Paul had the pattern of appointing elders in the churches (Acts 14:23; 20:17). Paul gave leadership responsibility to Timothy at Ephesus also to Titus at Crete. Peter in speaking to elders of the regions of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia challenged them to be shepherds of God's flock. Actually, he refers to himself as a fellow-elder and, therefore, a shepherd. He also identifies Christ because the Chief Shepherd (2 Pet. 5:1-4). We visit a pattern then in the first century church in which the administering of the neighborhood churches was done by elders whose function was to be akin to that of a shepherd.

The word 'Pastor' can be used once in the New Testament in Ephesians 4:11. In Latin, the term is derived from the word Pastoral is and in French, Pastor. Both words are translated 'Shepherd'5. The word 'Pastor' is therefore imagery of shepherding that ought to characterize the elders of the neighborhood ecclesia.

'Pastoral' can be an adjectival word which, in the context that it is being considered, bears the next meaning: "relating to any office and work of a minister of religion." This is brings out clearly our consideration in this Chapter: We will examine Pastoral calling with regards to its nature - that's, the office, and its own task - that is, the work.

THE TYPE of Pastoral Calling

Any office and work of the minister of religion or pastor or shepherd or elder, whatever title enable you to designate the office and work, are unique. Anyone could become a Pastor but not everyone can become a Pastor. Here, we are dealing with a specialized office into which entry is pre-conditioned by the influence of the divine and the human. You will find a calling involved.

We often hear people say, in the neighborhood church setting in Sierra Leone, "I'm called by God to ministry." A leader of a church which was started with the final five years and whose church is growing rapidly in a quantitative manner describes his calling by God as having occurred by way of a dream. Another leader went into a location in the West end of Freetown in 1993, used residence there and began to organize evangelistic outreaches. Within a year, he has won some individuals to Christ and contains started a church. This same leader was in league with another leader who runs his own private ministry (a church). Through an interview with him, it was found out he could not pull alongside the other leader so he broke away from him to set up their own independent ministry. When asked why he was seeking to set up a church in the brand new area into which he has moved he replied, "I was called by God." He made no reference to the rift between him and the other leader that was the motivating factor for him to move off to start their own ministry; nor did he make reference to the conditions which caused him to possess sought residence in that new locality and had consequently made a decision to make there his base for evangelism. Rather, it had been just the blanket statement, "I am called by God."

A third example arrived of an interview with the National Superintendent of an evangelical church which includes been in Sierra Leone since 1969. He mentioned that his own call was firstly a subjective experience. The work of the ministry seemed worthy to him. He saw the job as noble. Such factors resulted from the strong-sense of God's call toward the ministry that may only be expressed instead of described. During such a subjective experience he was not only in virtually any employment; yet, he felt a stronger pull in him for involvement in ministry which seemed noble and worthy to him rather than involvement in secular employment.

Secondly, this leader described his call as also a target experience. The objective is due to tangible evidences. Among such evidences was the necessity for manpower in the ministry of that church; thus, circumstances triggered the target experience. Included in the objective experience was the confirmation of the leaders of the church. The leaders saw the worth of the man who had a strong inner drive for involvement in ministry. Over a period, sufficient reason for training, his sense of call was confirmed by the leaders and he became person who fulfilled the need for manpower. In this instance, the subjective experience did not standalone. It found fulfillment and confirmation in the target.

The following two questions were put to exactly the same leader:

(1) Should one have a sense of call to be involved in ministry? Yes, he replied.
"One must create a desire or love for the Lord's work. Just having an inclination is not enough.

(2) What do we mean by call?

"A series of events resulting in a climax. Objective occasions connecting and interplaying with the subjective."

The forgoing three examples are representative of the perceptions which many local church leaders in Sierra Leone have regarding the nature of Pastoral calling. In the first example, it was via the medium of a dream. In the second, it had been calling emanating from the person's availability from subjective feelings finding fulfillment and confirmation in objective realities. bilingual spanish church in houston will further analyse these types of calling and the characteristics of the patterns.
Website: http://iglesiacrosspoint.com/