Happy Mills

photo credit: smiling_da_vinci

In preparing to attend Reformed Theological Seminary I am often drawn to articles that refer to the pastoral office. In this article Horton talks about Charles Finney’s impact on the office. The qualifications for office are no longer those outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, but rather it is whether or not you have the ability to attract a crowd and keep them entertained.

clipped from touchstonemag.com Whereas Peter organized the diaconal office so that the apostles could devote themselves to the Word and to prayer, ideal ministers seem increasingly to be managers, therapists, entertainers, and entrepreneurial businesspeople. Open up the average issue of Christianity Today to advertisements for pastoral positions and you’ll find descriptions like “team builder,” “warm and personal style,” “outgoing,” “contagious personality,” and “effective communicator.” It is first of all God’s work, not ours, whether we’re thinking in traditional or innovative categories. According to a recent study of Evangelical ministers, 1,500 pastors leave the ministry each month and 80 percent of seminary graduates leave within five years. The challenge before us is to regain our confidence in the ordinary means of grace: “to grow like a tree rather than a forest fire,” as Wendell Berry described our relation to our local environment.