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Pastoral Calling and the neighborhood Church Introduction The Christian ecclesias of the first century church were administered by local leaders. Paul had the pattern of appointing elders in the churches (Acts 14:23; 20:17). Paul gave leadership responsibility to Timothy at Ephesus also to Titus at Crete. Peter in talking with elders of the parts of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia challenged them to be shepherds of God's flock. In fact, he identifies himself as a fellow-elder and, therefore, a shepherd. He also identifies Christ as the Chief Shepherd (2 Pet. 5:1-4). We visit a pattern then in the first century church where the administering of the neighborhood churches was done by elders whose function was to be comparable to that of a shepherd. The word 'Pastor' is used once in the New Testament in Ephesians 4:11. In Latin, the word is derived from the word Pastoral is and in French, Pastor. Both words are translated 'Shepherd'5. The word 'Pastor' is therefore imagery of shepherding which should characterize the elders of the neighborhood ecclesia. 'Pastoral' is an adjectival word which, in the context that it's being considered, bears the next meaning: "associated with any office and work of a minister of religion." The definition brings about clearly our consideration in this Chapter: We shall examine Pastoral calling in relation to its nature - that is, the office, and its task - that's, the work. THE TYPE of Pastoral Calling Any office and work of the minister of religion or pastor or shepherd or elder, whatever title may be used to designate the office and work, are unique. Anyone could become a Pastor however, not everyone may become a Pastor. Here, we have been dealing with a specialized office into which entry is pre-conditioned by the influence of the divine and the human. You will find a calling involved. We often hear people say, in the neighborhood church setting in Sierra Leone, "I'm called by God to ministry." A leader of a church that was started with the final five years and whose church is growing rapidly in a quantitative manner describes his calling by God as having occurred through a dream. Another leader went into an area in the West end of Freetown in 1993, used residence there and begun to organize evangelistic outreaches. Inside a year, he has won some individuals to Christ and contains started a church. This same leader was in league with another leader who runs his own private ministry (a church). Via an interview with him, it was found out he could not pull alongside the other leader so he broke away from him to create his own independent ministry. When asked why he was wanting to establish a church in the new area into which he's got moved he replied, "I was called by God." He made no reference to the rift between him and the other leader that was the motivating factor for him to move off to start their own ministry; nor did he make mention of the conditions which caused him to have sought residence in that new locality and had consequently decided to make there his base for evangelism. Rather, it was just the blanket statement, "I'm called by God." A third example came out of an interview with the National Superintendent of an evangelical church which includes been in Sierra Leone since 1969. He mentioned that their own call was firstly a subjective experience. The work of the ministry seemed worthy to him. He saw the job as noble. Such factors resulted from the strong-sense of God's call toward the ministry that may only be expressed rather than described. During this type of subjective experience he was not only in virtually any employment; yet, he felt a stronger pull in him for involvement in ministry which seemed noble and worthy to him instead of involvement in secular employment. Secondly, this leader described his call as also a target experience. The objective has to do with tangible evidences. One of such evidences was the need for manpower in the ministry of that church; thus, circumstances triggered the target experience. Included in the objective experience was the confirmation of the leaders of the church. The leaders saw the worth of the man who had a solid inner drive for involvement in ministry. Over a period of time, and with training, his sense of call was confirmed by the leaders and he became one who fulfilled the necessity for manpower. In this instance, the subjective experience did not standalone. It found fulfillment and confirmation in the objective. iglesia sana doctrina en houston were put to the same leader: (1) Should one have a feeling of call to be engaged in ministry? Yes, he replied. "One must develop a desire or love for the Lord's work. Just having an inclination is not enough. (2) What do we mean by call? "A series of events leading to a climax. Objective occasions connecting and interplaying with the subjective." The forgoing three examples are representative of the perceptions which many local church leaders in Sierra Leone have concerning the nature of Pastoral calling. In the first example, it was via the medium of a dream. In the next, it had been calling emanating from the person's availability from subjective feelings finding fulfillment and confirmation in objective realities. We shall further analyse these types of calling and the characteristics of the patterns.
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