I pastored a church for 14 years before I became a seminary professor more than 29 years ago. I loved pastoring, and I miss some part of it every day. I miss preaching to the same people each week, baptizing new converts, serving the Lord’s Supper, officiating weddings, overseeing child dedications, and honoring believers and their Lord at funerals. I miss celebrating victories and sharing heartaches with other believers.
On the other hand, my role as a church consultant has also reminded me that pastoral ministry is tough. Our congregations are likely not as messy as the church at Corinth, but they’re still messy. People still sin. Undiscipled people—including some who’ve never become believers in the first place—are still in our congregations. At the same time, our enemy aims his arrows at churches in hopes of turning believers against each other.
So, what do we do when ministry’s a mess? I make no claim that I’ve always been successful in working through the mess, but here’s a response that has helped me recurrently for several decades: return to your call.
I realize that folks debate the nature of a “call,” but I cannot deny what happened to me. I was not raised in a Christian home, and no one in my family (at least to my knowledge) had been praying for me. Certainly, no one was praying that I would be the next “preacher boy” in the family. Nevertheless, it was the first time in church in my life that I sensed my call to preach.
I talked with my pastor at the end of the service, and he helped me pray to be a Christ-follower. As he began to make the closing announcements from behind the pulpit, I sensed clearly in my mind these words: “I want you to preach my word.”
I did not know there was a call to preach, nor did I even know there was a Holy Spirit. All I knew is what I heard in my head and heart. So clearly did I hear these words, in fact, that they have never wavered in 50+ years since I first heard them. Now, it’s hard to estimate how many times I’ve returned to those words over the years.
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- When church conflict kept me up at night, I returned to my call.
- When my best church friends turned against me, I returned to my call.
- When I was tired of living in the fishbowl of ministry, I returned to my call.
- When my church stopped growing and I grew frustrated, I returned to my call.
- When others tempted me by dangling more prominent positions in front of me, I returned to my call.
- When church members fought for their turf and distracted our ministry efforts, I returned to my call.
The words, “I want you to preach my word,” have given me direction, inspired my vision, granted me purpose, and provided me with guardrails in making career choices. Even in the messiest days of ministry, my calling has kept my feet on the ground.
I don’t know what your calling was like. Perhaps it was not as dramatic as mine. Maybe yours was progressive as you learned over time what God wanted you to do. I don’t know the details of your call, but I do know that the God who calls us is also the God who sustains us.
Run to Him, and return to your call when ministry gets messy.
Posted on October 9, 2025
Dr. Chuck Lawless is a leading expert in spiritual consultation, discipleship and mentoring. As a former pastor, he understands the challenges ministry presents and works with Church Answers to provide advice and counsel for church leaders.
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