Rev. Adam Hamilton from Church of the Resurrection has posted about exploring God’s call during his church’s confirmation this year. He also stated a goal that over the next 20 years, 200 will be called and ordained. I have a few thoughts:
- I love CoR’s strong focus on confirmation. We’ve been working to make this more a focus for the life of the entire church, too.
- Rev. Hamilton has done a powerful thing in creating a culture that listens to God’s call on their lives. He is partly right in saying: “But what I find is that many young people are not hearing a call to the pastorate because no one is asking.”
- To mince words (which is what we do, right my hermeneutic friends?): “because no one is asking?” I agree 100% that people will not recognize a call to ordained ministry because the environment is not there. Asking people about their calling will definitely affirm a call. However, I have trouble with asking as the way that people hear the call to ordained ministry which comes from God alone.
- UPDATE (for clarification): I hope that this asking is followed up by a discernment process so that people who aren’t called to ordained ministry won’t be caught in the glory of responding to a profound question. Hamilton has made a profound statement: we as members of the local church have a deep responsibility in the calling lives of our members. If a call is felt early, it is best affirmed early before it is squashed early (which is very probable). So, keep asking even beyond the 7th grade. How can we all ask all the time?
- 200 in 20 years. This tells me a few things:
- CoR has a heart for the people of God and their interaction with Him
- CoR has a heart for the United Methodist Church and it’s future (which is also evidenced in servants such as Andrew Conard).
- CoR has a heart for deeply involving their laity in God-ordained ministry of all types.
It also makes me wonder:
- What happens to things when we place numbers on them? Both positive and negative things to be sure. I am concerned about this.
- Will this cause people to pursue ministry though they are not called? Is this even an issue with the way our candidacy system is?
- Will CoR make use of and build on the process for approving candidates for ministry so that they don’t waste time in a system they may not pass?
- And my favorite question of all: How in the world are you going to find that many candidacy mentors in your annual conference:?!?
All in all, though, I applaud CoR for this commitment to a culture of Call and investing so deeply in their young people. May God continue to give you the vision, the folks to serve, and the heart to abide in the vine.
*note: Updated to clarify my thoughts on “asking” about someone’s call.
My son Matthew was one of the 10 that stood when Adam asked for those who felt a call to ordained ministry.
I too have always been concerned about placing numbers on things especially worship attendance and the like. Being at Resurrection though has changed my perspective a bit. We deal in large numbers but knowing the numbers helps us to decide where we need to focus ministry. Are there large numbers of seekers who are looking to get plugged in? Then we need to be sure to have small groups ready to accept them. Are there lots of families with young children or teens? Then we need to be sure we have enough volunteers to welcome them into our children and youth programs. As we welcome these folks and offer these ministries people can then grow in their faith.
As for the youth who said they feel or might feel a call to ordained ministry. We need to definitely ask the question “do you feel called?”. Knowing who these kids are will help us as a church to lift them up and help them to decide if God is truly calling them to ordained ministry. I do hope that Resurrection will build on this and offer something to help these kids discern their call.
My son has talked about feeling called for some time now. People in the church have said to him and to myself and my husband that he has the qualities of a pastor. He is a quiet soul but loves to ask questions about God and his faith. He listens intently to the sermon and has taken quite seriously the commitment he is about to make tomorrow as he is confirmed in the church. Will he become a pastor? I don’t know, only God knows that. I know that myself and my husband will do all we can to help him discern his call. I have worked in the church long enough to know the type of committment it takes to be a pastor. One of our closest friends is a retired pastor. Matthew knows that he is a minister of God and I am proud of him no matter what he chooses and I have faith that God will use him in wonderful ways.
Lisa,
This is a beautiful comment that I hope others in your church have the opportunity to see. I am proud of you, your son, and your church for what others would just write off as numbers you all have let trickle down into the very lives of people like your son.
Parents are integral in raising the faithful and helping them hear the call. I too hope that COR “will build on this and offer something to help these kids discern their call.” However, it sounds like people like you are already instrumental in this.
Thanks for your response.
I believe Pastor Adam is correct in his assessment that the goal of 200 in 20 years is too small. I do not believe this goal to be arbitrary simply because of it’s quantitative nature. The number of youth who have expressed that they feel they have a calling tells us that this goal is certain to be fulfilled. When you plan for growth, you have to have goals. The renewal of the mainline church requires progressive thinkers and planners like Pastor Adam. Certainly, some who have expressed the desire to serve as clergy will not, but the numbers are on the side of the realization of this goal. I only wish that I had such a wonderfully inspiring pastoral staff as a youth. Who knows? If anyone had asked, I might be posting this comment as an ordained minister myself. Blessings to all of those who were confirmed today. Your congregation is so very proud of you!