Are all pastors called by God?

Message / Question

Admit it, there are pastors who aren't called: they do it for the power, money, sex. Is there any truth to this?

Response

I’m sure that there are people in just about every role in the community who simply shouldn’t be in that particular role. The church is made up of people and sometimes people can have the wrong motives when they take on roles in the church. Pastors are not some form of heavenly super-creature dropped from heaven to fill a leadership role in the church; they are just normal, everyday human beings like anyone else. So could some have wrong motives? Of course, anyone who denies this possibility is simply deluded.

Most churches have processes through which potential pastors must pass, and these processes are meant to find the motivation that a person has for pursuing ministry, but again, no system is perfect and some wrongly motivated people do get through. Some pastors may start a ministry role for all of the right reasons, but then be led astray by the enemy and fall prey to the temptation of “gold, glitter and girls”. Again, no-one can reasonably deny that this happens. But all of these are exceptions, not the norm. I have served in ministry for over 40 years and have served in denominational leadership roles, and I can say that the vast majority of pastors that I’ve met are all people with the call of God in the heart and desire to serve God and their church to the full extent of their ability.

I think that it is very sad that the odd few who fail the test of integrity are the ones who get the attention and publicity and the failure of this few casts a shadow over the many, many faithful men and women who serve God with moral, ethical and financial integrity, doing the right thing in all circumstances.

I think that there is just one thing that far too many pastors lack – and that’s the thanks and appreciation that they richly deserve!