After over 30 years of pastoring, preaching and studying God’s Word, how and whom God calls is still a mystery to me. When we think of God’s call, we often think of Moses’s burning bush experience, Paul’s “Macedonian Call,” or Samuel’s hearing God’s voice.
We usually think of ministers and missionaries, but God first invites us to salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.
Once saved, then God calls every believer to be on mission for Him. Just as Moses received the assignment to take God’s message to Pharoah, God still gives assignments to serve Him wherever He’s placed us. And God invites some persons to vocational ministry, helping to carry out His redemptive purpose in this world.
Our church has a rich heritage of seeing men and women respond to God’s invitation to serve Him in vocational ministry. Since the 1920s, in three locations, this church family has seen approximately 45 people enter full time Christian service of some sort.
Recently, we had a special Sunday designated “Celebrate the Call” and invited as many of these former members that we could locate to join us for dinner Saturday night and worship Sunday morning, Nov. 7 and 8.
Scott Kilgore, the senior associate pastor of Crossland Church, Bowling Green, Ky., was the guest preacher. His message, “The Impact of a Kingdom Church,” challenged the congregation to continue to be a sending church.
Other former members who returned were Lynn Shaw Bailey, Waco, Texas; Andy Bowen, Alpharetta, Ga.; Andy Creel, Monticello, Fla.; James Cook, Douglasville, Ga.; Dale Hanson, Lenoir, N.C.; Joseph Hoyt, Milledgeville, Ga.; Bobby Jones, Auburn, Ala.; Alan Lowe, Franklin, Tenn.; Clayton McClain, Fayetteville, Ga.; Daniel Neundorfer, Fayetteville, Ga.; and Ali Sakas, Russellville, Ala.; Kristen Styer, McDonough, Ga; and Jake Woodall, Hampton, Ga.
Interestingly, Moses is the only person in the Bible who encountered God through a burning bush, and normally God’s call is not as dramatic. Sometimes, God quietly reveals His plan one step at a time.
When I was a teenager, as I was thinking much about God’s will for my life, Southern Baptists launched Bold Mission Thrust, a challenge to take the gospel to every person in the world by the year 2000. That challenge fascinated me, and I sensed that maybe somehow God might use me in that grand initiative.
I went to college, got very involved in Baptist Collegiate Ministry, and had opportunities to serve and grow as a leader. I received a journalism degree, and went to work for Brewton-Parker College as director of public information. I viewed working in this Baptist college as a combination of my interest in communications and full time Christian service.
I stayed a year, then moved to Atlanta to work for the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board, promoting home missions efforts. That experience prompted a desire to go to seminary to get a master’s degree that might help me climb the ladder in denominational communications. I enrolled at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.
As I diligently searched for what God wanted me to do, I changed directions. With my strong campus ministry background and my love for college students, I thought campus ministry might be an enjoyable vocation. I was fortunate that God provided a part-time ministry position at a commuter campus in Irving.
About half-way through seminary, I had another change of direction. God laid the local church on my heart and I started picturing myself as a pastor. I desired to minister to all age-groups and help people spiritually in the local church setting. As I sat in worship listening to sermons, I tried hard to listen, but I’d start preaching the text in my head. That was one way God was impressing upon me His leadership into the pastorate.
This call to the pastorate was a surprise, and certainly wasn’t my plan, because I felt, and feel, so inadequate. But God showed me that He had been preparing me through every other experience I had up to that point.
I share this to say that God gradually, step by step, revealed His call upon my life. There was no burning bush, no Damascus Road revelation, no voice from heaven, but just a steady unveiling of His plan in His timing, a progressive revelation of His leading into the pastorate.
I celebrate His call, and am thankful that God is still in the calling business.
Dr. David L. Chancey is pastor, McDonough Road Baptist Church, Fayetteville, Georgia. The church gathers at 352 McDonough Road, just past the department of drivers’ services office, and invites you to join them for Bible study at 9:45 a.m. and worship at 10:55 a.m. Visit them at www.mcdonoughroad.org and like them on Facebook.
