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.

If I weren’t a pastor I’d be breaking the 10th Commandment.and swearing at all of you who are going to Exponential!!!!!

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.

I serve as a youth pastor at my church, and I really can’t imagine doing anything else.  If I had to pick something though, I would work at the YMCA as a camp director or somthing like that.  This is what I got my college degree in and what I was planning on doing before God called me into ministry.

I would of been a weatherman! I love to see the majesty of God played out in our weather. It is also kind of cool to get paid for being wrong more than 50% of the time!

confessed lurker.

I never felt like I was called “for life” as a pastor. I realize that tomorrow God could call me out of ministry and I want to be open to that. And I think I don’t see my calling like many of the others… in that “I can do no other.” I could.

I would go into law, or hotel management or teach at a college or seminary.

Great question Todd! I actually think it’s a HEALTHY thing for Pastors to think this through and to come to terms with really being OK if they were to decide to do something else.

My other vocation .... Police Officer.

Interesting Eric.  I’m glad that your move to self-employment was a good one, and I’m guessing that you are still vigorously serving the Lord.  So how would you respond to the concept of “calling”?  Do you think that you missed the correct calling?  Was it more like then and now were obedient and correct responses to the Lord, with a course change orchestrated by Him along the way? 

Wendi

I would be a lawyer if I wasn’t a pastor, they are really similiar because both serve to “defend” a position, but I really can’t imagine doing anything else with my life but what I’ve been doing since 1991.