Answering The Call

It is often said that ministers experience a call to the ministry. This call can occur for males or females of any age and at any place. In the April 1989 issue of The Moravian the Rev. Gene Glasser wrote, “The call to ministry is never less than a conversation between God and his servant…” During this conversation, the individual is being “asked” to serve the church. While some have to be asked more than others, the call to the ministry is something that cannot be explained until it has been experienced.

First year seminary student Adam Spaugh felt his call two days after his 17th birthday at Laurel Ridge, the summer camp of the Southern Province. In describing his call Spaugh said that he’d thought about being an engineer or an English teacher, but after he considered the ministry that was it, that was all that was on his mind. Spaugh said he hasn’t wanted to be anything since and, in a way, he lost an element of control over the decision.

At the age of 15, third year seminary student Katie (Copf) Van Der Linden heard her call while attending church, but ignored it. She completed high school, went through college, and entered the work force as a social worker. Eight months after getting a job she felt another “tug” and finally decided to stop fighting and accept her call.

Katie was nurtured through her call by the pastor of her home congregation, the Rev. Deborah Wagner, and the Chaplain at her college, the Rev. Chris Giesler. Both helped her to understand what it was and how to act on it.

Adam’s call was incubated at Camp Laurel Ridge, which is an example that Rev. Glasser mentioned in his article. Glasser wrote, “The local church — through the right programs, worship experiences, organizations, study groups, camps, and retreat offerings — can provide a setting in which persons can breathe fresh and clean ‘faith’ air and sense God calling.” Adam was able to better “hear” his call in this “faith” air setting and he had his father, the Rev. Richard Spaugh, and various ministers and counselors at Laurel Ridge to support and guide him.

Adam mentioned he initially thought that he was called to be a preacher, but later realized he was called to be a minister. The difference between the two is that a minister has many roles besides providing sermons on Sunday mornings and, at the time, Adam hadn’t realized all that Moravian ministers do. In the August 1957 issue of The Moravian in an article titled, “Should Women Be Ordained,” Mrs. George Maish wrote:

“The minister must be a speaker, a writer, a teacher, a counselor, and a student of theology, the Bible, church history, and church ethics. This person must be a leader in worship, an understanding friend in an hour of crisis and loss, a business manager, an administrator, and a spokesman to man on behalf of God. There must also be some knowledge of ecclesiastical architecture, music, church government, psychology — and how to win friends and influence people!”

These are a lot of roles and can definitely make the job of a minister overwhelming. However, seminary is designed to train ministers for these various roles and, as Adam explained, through self assessment seminary addresses one’s weaknesses.

Katie feels that a minister learns a great deal from actually being on the job and, because of that, she said that being a student pastor in a church was extremely helpful. While becoming a minister is a lot to take on, Katie does feel that, overall, seminary has prepared her for the ministry and she continues to move forward every day.

Katie’s biggest fear in accepting her call was how other people would treat her. She didn’t want people to see her differently. Katie said, “I had a few people who responded by being concerned about being around me, like they could no longer curse or drink. I had to keep reminding them that I am the same person, just following God’s call. We can still do the things like before, pastors are people too.”

Adam offered the advice that, “If you feel — really feel — that you are supposed to be a minister or a missionary or anything, then don’t talk yourself out of it. God will take care of the worries and the doubts. I know for a fact that the hardest part of the call process (not the ministry, mind you, just the call process itself) is accepting the fact that, yes, God wants you.”

If you have the gifts and talents for the ministry and you hear the call you really shouldn’t fight it, especially if you enjoy the various types of work the ministry includes. There are various people available to address any concerns or doubts you may have. And remember, it isn’t solely ministers who experience a call that helps to guide them to where they are supposed to be. In “A Proposal for Some Changes,” an article that was written in the June 1991 issue of The Moravian, the Rt. Rev Kay Ward wrote, “All Christians have a ministry. Ministry refers to all of God’s people, who by their response to God’s call live out their lives in service to God.” Do you know what your ministry is? Are you listening to God?

Andrew David graduated in May with a degree in professional writing from Kutztown University. During the first part of 2006 he served as a student intern with the Interprovincial Board of Communication of the Moravian Church in North America researching and writing articles for “The Moravian.”