Don't tell me you were interested in number six. I am still plugging away at that one as well.
Discuss what you believe the task of the minister to be. How do you see yourself in relationship to various forms of ministry? What are your career goals?
In short, the task of the minister is to administer the Word and Table. This ministry leads into the pastoral forms of ministry that many people imagine as they envision pastoral ministry. As a witness to the word and table, I will make house calls, serve as confidant and mentor as best as I am able. I will assist the congregation in the administration of the institution that is their church in such a way, with God?s help, that reflects the Word and Table.
Of course, as a Baptist, this delineation of labor is not sacrosanct. Paul tells us that there are different forms of ministry (preaching, teaching, prophesy, speaking in tongues) ? gifts of the Spirit which uphold the Body of Christ. I absolutely affirm this reality within the church. All pastoral ministries are shared ministries. Along with this, the idea of the priesthood of all believers suggests that no matter the delineation by giftedness, the responsibility for the Church belongs equally to each member. There are many gifts, but there is one Spirit and one responsibility and that is to reveal the Kingdom of God to the world.
This may make a strong definition of the vocational ministry problematic. I certainly do not desire to downplay a vocation that leads one to ?ordained ministry.? I believe I am responding to a specific call from God to be a minister in the Church. I am, however, more and more convinced that the God?s desire for me to be a minister of the Word and Table in the Church has less to do with the importance of the office and more to do with Word and Table. Authority of any kind in the Church belongs to God revealed in the Word and the Table. It does not belong to an office. The authority is granted to a minister by the people he or she serves. That authority is witnessed by the trust given to a pastor.
Professionally, my immediate goal is to serve as a pastor in a church. I am looking for positions as either an associate in a larger urban congregation in order to learn more about the ministry from an established pastor, or take a risk and discern if God would like me to serve a smaller congregation as the sole ordained minister. Currently, to this end, I am serving as one of a pastoral team in an ecumenical church plant. It is an interesting experiment to say the least.
In the long term, I am very interested in pursuing a PhD in liturgical theology and teaching in a seminary. I believe that, for me at least, this ministry is predicated by my being a worship leader in a church (or churches). I want to be able to teach from experience as well as from a book.
Posted by tripp at September 11, 2004 11:35 PM