If I Weren’t a Pastor, I Would…
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Mon, April 21, 2008
- Viewed 100
- (42) comments so far
I'm on the plane waiting for take off for Orlando as I'm typing this morning... just a sec before I have to close up shop. So... I thought I'd ask a question that I hope you all will take a moment to respond to... here it is: "If I were not a pastor, I would probably be..." What career track do you think you would have taken if you didn't choose the church vocation? I'd love to hear from many of you (especially you lurkers!). I hope to give you some great updates from the National New Church Conference in Orlando this week. If you are there, be sure to look me up! There's talk of a special bloggers dinner one evening; and Scott Hodge, Chris Elrod, and myself will do a breakout Q&A on blogging on Tuesday. Until then, let's hear it... what would you be doing if you weren't a pastor?
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Andy Wood on Mon, April 21, 2008
CS and All,
I agree with the general disposition of your ideas. I would add what I’m sure you already know, that:
1. When God calls us, He WILL take us to school, one way or another.
2. And in that process, He WILL take us through some form of “boot camp” or discipline or brokenness. We may pick some spots (seminary was that for me, along with a subsequent brokenness episode), but we can’t dodge the process. A lot of people I have known who are passionate for Jesus and believe they are called to ministry often don’t seem to grasp this concept.
Otherwise, if that question were posed to me today, i would teach full-time.
Jack Hyles once said, “If I wasn’t a preacher, I’d be a hog caller!”
Mark Jackson on Mon, April 21, 2008
Calling is such a weird thing… we want to quantify it & give it a genus & pin it to the display table like a butterfly we forced to O.D. on ether. Which, honestly, is odd, considering that calling takes a lot of different forms in the Bible (burning bush, angel appears to guy hiding in threshing floor, disembodied voice, dreams, anointed by another person, etc.) - so there’s a Biblical precedent that calls may look very different.
That said, I’d own a game store/coffee house & write books/articles on the side.
Here’s a thought: Todd asked us about what we’d do if we weren’t a pastor… not what we’d do if we weren’t a follower of Jesus. Whatever job we’d end up in, we’d still have a call (common to all believers) to tell the good news, teach the truth, & live out what we believe.
Scott Longwell on Mon, April 21, 2008
Some of you folks need to remember that Jesus was at one time a carpenter and just answer the question without over-spiritualizing it.(Take a chill pill or a vacation already.
I think I would like to be a UPS truck driver. You get to drive around all day. Meet lots of interesting people and you could listen to Christian music or Sermons while you were driving. I used to me a milkman and accept for the early morning hours, it was fun to be out on the road.
I do love the ministry, but will only stay there if that is where God wants me to remain.
Pastor Dan on Mon, April 21, 2008
charter/headboat fishing captain…
I was also taught that if you can imagine yourself doing anything else you should be a pastor… I don’t buy that for one minute… I can imagine myself doing many other things… however I know what it’s like to be outside of God’s will and I believe that if I stopped doing what God has called me to do - I would be miserable!
Pastor Dan on Mon, April 21, 2008
meant “Shouldn’t be a pastor” - sorry…
leonard on Mon, April 21, 2008
I am a journeyman furniture builder and it only serve to help fund ministry. Now I would try to develop a cooking show. I would also write and praise god for editors and speel cheeker
Eric Joppa on Mon, April 21, 2008
I have read your responses and have thought about what I would do. I don’t think I could choose another vocation. I think I would have to take whatever. I say that because I feel the only thing God has made me for is ministry. It is the only thing that has ever given me satisfaction in doing.
My dad/mentor used to tell me all the time that I must know my call if I am going to do ministry. I am certain of it. If I was not able to do ministry…lol I haven’t got a CLUE what I would do! I love that!
-E
Bart on Mon, April 21, 2008
Called to ministry 30 years ago, said NO!!!
11 years as a farmer (made losts of money, hated relying on God for rain)
3 years as a stock broker, and regional manager for a life insurance company (loved playing with numbers, hated selling)
12 years in the car business from sales to managment to ownership (love cars and love the business)
I could always go back to the car business and sometimes still get offers, the money is better than being a pastor, but after finally saying YES to God it is an incredible feeling to know where I belong. Even though I said no for 25 years God did not give up on me, and placed me in places that trained me for the pastorate. I am stilll selling, but have the best product and it is free!!
Joel Smith on Mon, April 21, 2008
I would take Joel Mchale’s spot on The Soup, or try to be one of Jimmy Kimmel’s parking lot security guards/
Geoff on Mon, April 21, 2008
I’d be a truck driver! Well, actually I am one. It seems the passion is for ministry, but it didn’t really seem to pay the bills to good!
Instead, I am haning out with semi’s (and those that drive them) and running a grass roots ministry on the side (Liquid Community).
I get the best of both worlds, couldn’t be better!
Randy Ehle on Mon, April 21, 2008
I’ve been in the financial industry for 14 years…trying to get out for three+. I’ve been on the administration and operations side the whole time, and couldn’t see myself as a financial planner, talking with clients about their financial future, then trying to turn a corner and talk about their eternal future. Then last year I fell in with a group of advisors who are all believers and doing what I couldn’t see myself doing, and it’s shaking me up a bit! Still, I think God has called me to church ministry and that’s the target on my radar (which is why I’m in seminary now…at 44, and trying to beat my 7th grader to graduation!)
Other than full-time, vocational ministry, what I’d really love to do is write and lead short-term mission encounters. I’ve also thought often about owning a book store/coffee shop - a place for people to connect with other people and other thoughts.
Timm on Mon, April 21, 2008
No question, I’d be a Christian counselor or therapist. When my church was smaller I really enjoyed this side of my job, but as we’ve grown I’ve had to give it up. I also know the needs out there and how most pastors don’t have time for it. I figure it’d help out those with problems AND the pastors who can’t get to them.
And Michael Scott would call that a win/win/win…
Jeff Gibson on Mon, April 21, 2008
If I weren’t a pastor I’d be breaking the 10th Commandment.and swearing at all of you who are going to Exponential!!!!!
Camey on Mon, April 21, 2008
Perry Noble would cut women’s hair. He said so in his sermon yesterday.
(lighter side there)
Jan on Mon, April 21, 2008
I am bi-vocational so in my other job/s besides ministry (but it’s ALL ministry in my book) I direct an ensemble for the local symphony, teach voice, do concert singing and act and sing in shows as a hire in performer, and I direct youth theatre.
My husband, who is a pastor, did bi-vocational work for 17 years and worked his way up from a driver to the operations manager of a major soda plant in Southern California. He also substitute taught high school and junior school math.
We always end up back in full time ministry (very much a team) because that is definitely our calling.
At one point while on staff in a church, I was very discouraged and burned out. I went and took a lot of career testing. My senior pastor thought it was very humorous. And he kepts telling me “You know your calling. Like duh! It’s all going to come out as what you are doing.”
And he was right. Every test kept saying that I should go into church ministry.
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