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If I Weren’t a Pastor, I Would…
Orginally published on Monday, April 21, 2008 at 5:43 AM
by Todd Rhoades
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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There are 42 Comments:
I'm a chronic workaholic, love to connect leaders with other leaders, and would consider myself somewhat of a 'maven'. Hopefully you'll find something here at MMI you'll like and will return often. If you want, you can find out more about me or follow my every step.
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Monday, April 21, 2008 at 7:20 AM
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Post Your Comments:To be honest I cannot see myself doing anything else other than being a pastor. I wake up many mornings asking God why in the world He has called me to be a pastor. There has to be men that are better suited for such a calling than I, but God has not taken the passion away to lead his people.
I guess if I was not a pastor, I might have choosen to be a history teacher.
I cheated, I did the other thing first. Worked in Multimedia/Graphic Design/VIdeo/Events for years. If for some reason God made it clear that I wasn’t called to be a pastor, I could happily return to that.
But that hasn’t happened. I don’t expect it will.
There are some days when I couldn’t imagine doing something other than pastoring. Then, there are other days when I wish I could do anything but be a pastor!
I’ve sometimes wondered how much trash collectors make. At times, our jobs seem similar. We both have to take other people’s garbage. However, they have the advantage of not dealing with them face-to-face!
Seriously, if I wasn’t a pastor, I’d probably work in broadcasting. I was a radio DJ while I was in high school.
If forced to choose a different profession, I’d probably be a police officer or sheriff. Some days I wish I had chosen that, but really can’t see myself doing anything else than ministry.
I would have either been a college professor (teaching philosophy & religion) or I would have gone into law.
Lawyers are never criticized by those they are trying to help...are they?
Derek
Like Peter, I’m a second-career guy.
Sold office furniture and machines. Loved it, and still do it part-time.
I could easily go back to it full-time if God said that my task was over. Or after certain Sundays…
Brian L.
Oher being a pastor - owing a realy cool book store.
i’m already doing it.
the scary thing is: how many pastors don’t have an answer to that question.
being a pastor is a calling, but it isn’t always a career.
too many pastors see it as a career and their salary as a God-given right.
being paid a full salary to be a pastor is a luxury that no one should take for granted.
it’s like being a professional baseball player. they get paid to do what they love and have fun.
I heard a preacher talk once about the calling to be a pastor. He said that if you knew that you could do something other than being a pastor, you probably shouldn’t be a pastor. What do you guys think about that idea?
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CS
CS,
I ask young people who come to me with a desire for ministry one question, “Is there anything else you can do?” I encourage them to pursue other desires, interests, career goals, etc. To me, a good way to test whether or not you are called to full time ministry is that is is your only option, when in your heart you know there is nothing else you could do.
I think younger people (High School students & college students) mistake passion for Jesus with a call to full-time ministry. Passion is not the only prerequisite for ministry. Most of these students need to work a good job, raise and godly family and serve in ministry as a faithful volunteer.
If God had not called me into the ministry, I would have pursued another interested. But the reality is there is nothing else I could do. The call was (and is) consuming.
Derek
CS,
yeah, I’m with Derek, but that advice (which I’ve given on occasion) is a little over-simplified. I was DEFINITELY called into this ministry, but was perfectly happy at and good at my first career. I could have done it for the rest of my working life if need be.
Sometimes… you just know… And this is key… If you’re married, your spouse knows, too. If you know you’re called and your spouse thinks you’re not, then you aren’t.
If you’re happy in your current job and feel called into the ministry, I think you should pursue it vigorously. If you’re miserable in your job and feel called, go slowly. Your misery will transfer into your ministry, and nobody wants that.
Good sidebar discussion! Thanks!
I took a break from pastoring and worked for an agency that provided support for people with disabilities living in the community. I found great satisfaction working with those dealing with mental health issues. Many of them were looking for help to deal with practical issues and deeper life issues.
If I were not a pastor, I would be working with people with mental health issues (and, yes, there is a joke in there somewhere).
Peter,
It is certainly an oversimplified question. No doubt. There are people called into full time ministry with multiple talents and desires that they can use in and out of the church.
I have found the question to work well with 18 and 19 year-old Jesus freaks who want to go into full time ministry, because they love Jesus a whole lot, but haven’t been called by Jesus into full time ministry.
Simple minds often need simple questions.
Derek
I actually tried at one point to get into something else, and the doors just wouldn’t open. But if I could, I guess I would be
1. career military
2. I’m still fascinated by how cool it would be to drive a garbage truck, especially the automated kind that pick the cans up.
3. math or english teacher
4. monkey trainer
5. Todd Rhoades’ pool boy
Besides the shortstop for the NY Yankees?
I’d probably be a teacher of some kind. I’d love to teach college students.
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!”
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.
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.
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!
meant “Shouldn’t be a pastor” - sorry…
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
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
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!!
I would take Joel Mchale’s spot on The Soup, or try to be one of Jimmy Kimmel’s parking lot security guards/
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!
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