Holy Orders

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JM

Puritan Board Doctor
Before the Rector of my parish moved to become a military Padre he asked me to consider Holy Orders in the Anglican Church of Canada. We discussed it for over 3 hours.

A few years ago a friend of mine who is an ordained Presbyterian minister told me I should consider being an Elder or at the very least working in ministry.

I once had a long convo with a Roman Catholic priest who told me if I was Catholic he would want me as a Deacon.

How does one discern a call to ministry?

Yours in the Lord,

jm
 
It is not instantaneous, and should be considered with great care.
There are steps to thinking it through. Some books to consider reading:

The Bible’s Teaching On the Call to the Ministry – by William S. Plumer (1802–1880)
The Calling of the Ministry – by William Perkins (1558-1602) (I would highly recommend reading this)http://www.puritanpublications.com/...of-the-ministry-by-william-perkins-1558-1602/
The Worthy Churchman, or the Faithful Minister of Jesus Christ – by John Jackson (1600-1648)
Pastoral Theology or the Theory of the Evangelical Ministry – by Alexander Vinet (1797-1847)
 
I don't see myself being called...but people keep calling...

Perhaps it is a sign of the spiritual state of the church... as has been noted by many: the spiritual state is so low that (nowadays) any time someone seems to be serious about their faith and interested in the Bible, theology, and the ministry of the church, it is assumed that they're called to ministry.
 
Perhaps it is a sign of the spiritual state of the church... as has been noted by many: the spiritual state is so low that (nowadays) any time someone seems to be serious about their faith and interested in the Bible, theology, and the ministry of the church, it is assumed that they're called to ministry.

:rofl: :applause: That's just great.
 
:rofl: :applause: That's just great.

Of course, it could be that others are observing things that you have yet to notice. Don't get pushed into pursuing the ministry, but keep an open mind. An internal sense of call - while not being sufficient in itself - is nonetheless absolutely essential. Keep doing what you're doing, and if God has indeed called you, then sooner or later your sense of calling will emerge.
 
Of course, it could be that others are observing things that you have yet to notice. Don't get pushed into pursuing the ministry, but keep an open mind. An internal sense of call - while not being sufficient in itself - is nonetheless absolutely essential. Keep doing what you're doing, and if God has indeed called you, then sooner or later your sense of calling will emerge.

I understood and wasn't offended. Not in the least.

Yours in the Lord,

jm
 
Perhaps it is a sign of the spiritual state of the church... as has been noted by many: the spiritual state is so low that (nowadays) any time someone seems to be serious about their faith and interested in the Bible, theology, and the ministry of the church, it is assumed that they're called to ministry.

The old joke was that Methodists would ordain anyone who could ride a horse, Baptists would ordain the horse. Your incisive comment may indicated that, despite insisting on an educated clergy, we may not be that different these days.
 
The Anglicans have taken the approach that priests be taught locally, by ordained clergy of course and doing online work, but ultimately in the local congregation. This has caused some in leadership to revolt believing it is best to have a M. Div. FIRST before parish work. I guess the fear is legit in the case of Anglicanism considering the leadership is out in loony Left field. The local congregations in my area insist upon offer the Book of Common Prayer service along with the modern liturgy. They tend to be conservative and orthodox. If the seminarian is education in these types of parishes it would likely result in orthodox Protestant clergy.

Yours in the Lord,

jm
 
Perhaps it is a sign of the spiritual state of the church... as has been noted by many: the spiritual state is so low that (nowadays) any time someone seems to be serious about their faith and interested in the Bible, theology, and the ministry of the church, it is assumed that they're called to ministry.

This sounds familiar. I was such a confused young man, a recent, excitable convert, and eventually I ended up wasting four months at a liberal seminary.
 
Before the Rector of my parish moved to become a military Padre he asked me to consider Holy Orders in the Anglican Church of Canada. We discussed it for over 3 hours.

A few years ago a friend of mine who is an ordained Presbyterian minister told me I should consider being an Elder or at the very least working in ministry.

I once had a long convo with a Roman Catholic priest who told me if I was Catholic he would want me as a Deacon.

How does one discern a call to ministry?

Yours in the Lord,

jm
I was waiting for a rabbi to come up next. Seriously though, I'll be praying.
 
Not to probe, but do you feel comfortable sharing why you think you might not be called?

Personally, I don't like that question. It's like asking someone to prove they're innocent. No, since we believe that being called to ministry is a special calling, the burden of proof is not on those who think they're *not* called. Instead, the burden of proof rests on those who think they *are* called.
 
Personally, I don't like that question. It's like asking someone to prove they're innocent. No, since we believe that being called to ministry is a special calling, the burden of proof is not on those who think they're *not* called. Instead, the burden of proof rests on those who think they *are* called.
It’s funny you mention that as that is the RC way in most dioceses. Young men who display the slightest religiosity have to essentially prove they don’t have a ‘vocation.’
 
Brothers, you're misreading my question. We're actually on the same page here. I'm asking this question for a specific reason, and I'm curious to hear the answer if our brother is willing to share.
 
I lack patience and can often be contentious especially when dealing with Arminians.
 
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