Apostolic Friends Forum - Pastors: How Seriously do you take the Training of Young Ministers?

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Pastors: How Seriously do you take the Training of Young Ministers?

Okay folks... in the midst of so many substance defunct threads let's try something significant to all those precious Saints that feel a call of God on their lives.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not against Bible College. I've spoken in all but one of our colleges and have no axes to grind with those that have, are or will be attending Bible College.

Having said that I have to admit that one of my greatest pet peeves is to see young men come to their Pastors feeling a call to preach only to be told "Okay, go to Bible College". Again, I'm not against Bible College but I think many Pastors see Bible College as an easy way to get out of the effort it requires to train young ministers.

I have 19 preachers who are (a) in training in my Church, (b) Pastoring, (c) Evangelizing, (d) full time Assistant Pastors and (e) retired Pastors who call me 'Pastor'. Obviously this means that I have spent serious time dealing with them, training them and opening doors for them to be around other viable ministries that come through our Church.

I tread softly here because I don't want to be perceived as attacking the role of a Pastor. I cherish my own Pastor and hold in the highest regard those precious Patriarchs that walk in Apostolic ministry and hold the Apostolic message as sacred. However, I'm literally shocked by the number of Pastors who feel absolutely no responsibility to work with young ministers in their Churches. In my travels I have heard such things as:
> "I came up the hard way and if they are going to be tough they need to come up the hard way, too!"
> "He came to me and told me he was called to preach so I told him to get a trailer he could evangelize in and get out of here!"
> "I was called to preach to Saints... not babysit immature preachers."

QUESTION A / PASTORS: How many of you Pastors take mentoring young ministers seriously and what are some of the things you do to teach and train them.

QUESTION B / MINISTERS: What things did your Pastor do that seemed to help you the most as you were maturing in ministry?

You don't wanna know what I think...

Well, I'll tell you anyway.

There are a few different schools of thought or pastors...if you will. There are those pastors who do not feel training ministers in their church is their calling. 2. Pastors who feel it is necessary to duplicate themselves and their ministry by cultivating ministers in their church. 3. Ministers who call men themselves to the ministry even though God is calling them only to faithfulness.

I know one pastor where most every single minister to my knowledge from that church has gone on to positive ministries. One pastor who came from this man is duplicating this and has planted at least 3-4 QUALITY men as pastors of burgeoning churches in the NORCAL area.

I know of another pastor that over a 20 year period, every single assistant pastor, associate pastor, and music director (save TWO, and one being his son-in-law), has left or been run out of town with a black cloud over their heads, and NOT ONE SINGLE ONE became a pastor or evangelist somewhere else in or out of the city. Most, in fact have left the church period...

I know yet of another who put men in positions to preach and they had absolutely no calling whatsoever. I have seen these men leave jobs to start churches and end up emotionally and spiritually damaged.

I think it depends on the pastor, if I were certain of a calling, I would leave running and screaming from some places.

On another note, it could be that there are pastors who do not cultivate ministers in their church because they are a little self conscience that the preacher may end up being a little more effective than they are/were...thus influencing people to leave their church?

Just a guess...

Steadfast, what about those Pastor's out there who do not believe in sending their young men to Bible College, but then still do very little to help develop or mentor them? For instance, there have been many who have felt the call to preach come through our church only to leave and get their license elsewhere because the pastor did not feel this person is called. Also, is it the pastor who should feel the calling upon a young man, or the man himself? There are only a few who the pastor felt was called, but to this day they are still not really doing much for God...they are still doing the same things they did 20 years ago. Is this the norm?

Frustrated!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carpenter (Post 25243)

That is a sad thing... and yet a true one. Some men are intimidated by anything resembling a viable ministry.

My greatest desire is that every preacher from under my ministry is twice the preacher I am. In fact, I think some of them probably are now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steadfast (Post 25686)

That is a sad thing... and yet a true one. Some men are intimidated by anything resembling a viable ministry.

My greatest desire is that every preacher from under my ministry is twice the preacher I am. In fact, I think some of them probably are now.

That's the right attitude bro.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CareyM (Post 25246)

I think it's only fair, if you won't allow Bible School, that you help develop the gift in that person. Mind you, I can't say for your Pastor... and I won't say anything pertaining to that. However, I feel a genuine obligation to help those hungry to work for God.

As to who 'feels' the call? I can honestly tell you that those who have genuinely been called from among our congregation were recognized by (1) myself, (2) many in the congregation and (3) eventually themselves.

That is the beauty of a real call... people usually see it before you do. I do know, however, that I have been very mindful that I never eliminate someone from potentially having a call because of a bad homelife, an inferior potential or a less than perfect past.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronzo (Post 25691)

That's the right attitude bro.

I sure hope so... if not I need to do some real repenting! :heeheehee

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steadfast (Post 25692)

Thank you for your reply. Just for the record, I meant no disrespect toward my pastor...this is all in the past. I appreciate the way you operate and it seems that you truely walk in the Spirit and feel after it. God bless!

Quote:

Never heard of this happening. In the church that I attended, bible college was frowned upon. "You will not learn anything in bible college that can't be learned at your home church."
"I think I'm called into the ministry." is always met with "we will pray about it together." The man is encouraged to be involved in other areas of ministry, sunday school.. etc.