I was having a long chat last night with a younger brother of mine who’s in training for the full-time ministry. The basic essence of the discussion rested upon the reality that few people today understand the most fundamental functions of a minister, which are to conduct the sacraments (together with living the incarnational / sacramental life) and to preach the authentic gospel of Christ. Even senior pastors; they’re most often taken in by church growth models and programmes focused on acquisition and retention.

The model of ministry has evolved uncritically. A pastor is now gauged by how effective he is in managing a church which propels around programmes and systems. The pastor is consciously seen as coordinator, manager, and organiser; everything but the sacramental presence of Christ among his people.

Accordingly, my advice to this brother (as it is for all my students in the seminary) was that full time ministerial work is worth it only if one has the guts to stake one’s income, future, reputation, career and security upon one’s convictions. As we enter the said vocation, the immediate expectations of our “employers” would be to run programmes, attend meetings, write reports, and perhaps, occasionally preach good sermons. If we have no inkling of our mission in this vocation and rely on a job description prescribed by others, we’ll find ourselves simply doing what others do in the corporate sector, but receiving half or a third of the income they get. Being in this vocation is worth it only if we have the guts to say “no” and to abide by a divinely prescribed role for the minister… and to risk losing it all.

As a very young minister in training in my early twenties, I was abruptly thrown off when I was given this piece of advice by an elder whom I’d looked up to prior to that occasion: “You have potential, you can become somebody. All you need to do is learn to play the game well.” As a very young hot-blooded minister, I answered in utter defiance, “If I wanted to, I could play a better game than you do, but I’m not interested in your games.”

Unfortunately, after some eight years of being in ministry full time, I’ve realised that this elder was right. And perhaps he was simply observing a reality which I myself now observe to be true. Just like any other corporate institution, the minister finds himself having potential to rise to high positions when he establishes “relations” and plays by the rules of the game. Some (not all!) of those who do it best eventually rise to become denominational leaders.

To be true ministers of the gospel, the only way to go is to be at peace with the idea of being a nobody for the rest of our lives. We shouldn't resort to playing games in the name of "calling". If we want to kiss ass and climb the ladder, might as well go do it in the corporate sector and be paid two or three times the amount.