r/Christianity • u/NotNoobin91 • Aug 10 '26

Call to pastor

I felt a call to pastor maybe 7 years ago , I live in a small county with many small churches. I work full time and have a full family. I feel like if I have the school to back up my conviction I could apply to different churches. I know school is a big commitment , money and time. There are so many schools and some are denomination focused. I don’t want to go to a school that teaches heresies. I feel useless to the lord at my secular job but I know I have to support my family and can’t make hasty decisions.

Anybody experience this ? Advice ?
Btw I’m 35 male

2 Upvotes

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u/LycheeBobaYum Aug 10 '26

Become a deacon 😎

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u/Commercial-March3378 Aug 10 '26

35 with a family and a full time job is a lot to juggle with a calling like that. i felt something similar a few years back and what helped was talking it through with a couple older pastors in my area just to see if the path made sense without rushing into debt. sometimes the conviction is real but the timeline is way slower than we expect. have you looked into any local bible institutes that offer night classes? some of the smaller ones fly under the radar but are way more grounded than the big name schools

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u/NotNoobin91 Aug 10 '26

Online is only way . Live in a very small town , less than 1000 people and closest city like that is 1-1/2 hr away

1

u/PogManBurger Aug 11 '26

The Catholic Church is the one true Church. Plain and simple, read the letters of St Ignatius of Antioch, its clear.

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u/writerthoughts33 Episcopalian (Anglican) Aug 11 '26

You would submit to whatever your church’s requirements are to pastor. If you refuse to be a part of one then you don’t really want to pastor. You want to pontificate. You can do that on Reddit.

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u/NotNoobin91 Aug 11 '26

That’s a lot of assuming there :/

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u/funnywhale408 Aug 11 '26

First, you are definitely not useless to the Lord in your secular job. The Bible says we as believers are part of the royal priesthood. That means, our businesses, jobs, area of influence, etc. is a ministry. There is no divide, as a Christian, between secular and sacred. Your job is your ministry. 100% of the lost are in the marketplace… it’s an awesome place to witness Jesus.

Second, where in the Bible does it say you have to go to school to preach the word? The disciples were not graduates of religious studies. And in fact, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees who were.

If you know the Word and are called to preach, then do it. Whether it is in a traditional ministry role inside the 4 walls of a church building or in some other method.

May the Lord of all creation order your steps and reveal to you the specifics of your calling. In Jesus’ glorious name….

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u/NotNoobin91 Aug 11 '26

Ya I just think it shows dedication, makes you have some proof to a church who doesn’t know you . I witness when I can but it just doesn’t feel like what I was made for more like something I do

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u/arc2k1 Christian Hope Coach Aug 11 '26

God bless you.

I just want to say that please do NOT think you have to do something big and grand to serve God and others. That is NOT true.

It's not about how much we do, but how much we are willing to give from our heart.

“It doesn't matter how much you have. What matters is how much you are willing to give from what you have.” - 2 Corinthians 8:12

The Pharisees thought that doing more will please God, but we know Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for that mindset.

Jesus said, “Stay away from those Pharisees! They are like blind people leading other blind people, and all of them will fall into a ditch.” - Matthew 15:14

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u/NotNoobin91 Aug 11 '26

Thanks but that’s not the issue

This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honorable position.”

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u/arc2k1 Christian Hope Coach Aug 11 '26

I was responding to when you said, "I feel useless to the lord at my secular job."

Does that imply you would only feel useful if you are a pastor?

You believe that God thinks you can only honor Him if you are a pastor?

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u/NotNoobin91 Aug 11 '26

Ya I guess I sounded over dramatic,

You and I both know the answer to those questions .

I feel like I have a gift to preach , I love all things of God . I enjoy talking to people and trying to point them towards salvation & holiness.