A gracEmailsubscriber in Australia writes: "There's a movement afoot (house churches are part of it) that claims that preaching and teaching to Christians in a congregation is to be done by the elders, and that any paid full-time evangelist ought to be evangelizing the lost. These folk say the idea of a located pulpit minister was a second century invention of men." [Today's questioner serves within the Churches of Christ, one part of a larger movement to achieve Christian unity through a "restoration" of "the New Testament church.] * * * If we view Timothy and Titus as models for a paid … [Read more...]

A preaching brother says that he "entered the ministry" a few years after his conversion at the prompting of his own spiritual leader and other Christians. Years later, he "left the ministry," exhausted and feeling himself to be an unworthy sinner. "Did I correctly hear God's call originally?" he asks. "Did I do wrong by leaving?" * * * Before speculating whether you did the right thing by going into career ministry, or by leaving it, I would want to explore some other related questions. Did you enter ministry merely because others thought you should, or because you felt at your deepest … [Read more...]

A gracEmail reader says: "I understand that every Christian has some kind of ministry. How can I discern what mine is supposed to be? I want to make sure I am listening to God, and not just to my own desires." * * * That is a wise question and a holy ambition. God does not expect you or me to do everything that needs to be done. He has many people through whom to work, and he uses each one as he sees fit (Rom. 12:4-8). But God has prepared good works for each one of us, even before we came to know him as our Savior and Lord (Eph. 2:10). As a general rule, we can recognize a divinely-given … [Read more...]

A gracEmail reader is considering leaving church ministry as a career but he feels paralyzed by the fear of making a wrong choice. Some friends are pressuring him to remain as he is. Would it be right for him to take some time away from work to seek God's guidance and settle his mind concerning it? * * * God invites us to seek his guidance and he promises to direct our path as we trust and obey (Psalm 37:3-7; Prov. 3:5-6; Isa. 30:19-21; John 10:3-4, 27-28; Rom. 12:1-2; Heb. 13:20-21). I have done that myself more than once when facing decisions -- sometimes with fasting, always with prayer … [Read more...]

A correspondent inquires: "I am curious as to your opinion of the 'paid minister.' As you are aware, many argue against church buildings and paid ministers. As a paid minister this idea naturally is a bit disturbing to me. However, I wish to do what pleases God." * * * The New Testament scriptures do not portray institutionalized, corporate-style churches with budgets, buildings and paid staff. One certainly cannot find there an exact equivalent to the modern "paid minister" who works as an employee for a local church. That is not the end of this subject, however, for the New Testament … [Read more...]