Other "Thinking Drafts" and writing by Keith Drury -- http://www.indwes.edu/tuesday .

A significant number of students coming into our University from high school youth groups have a different view of ministry than their parents. Not the majority, but a sizable number do not believe there is a special call to the ministry. Of course some of these will change their views during their four years in undergraduate training for "ministry," and others will drop out of ministry majors and switch to other career tracks. However a sizable group come out of high school believing something like the following:

God doesn’t limit His "call" to ministers alone, He calls all Christians. There is no essential difference between "the call" of a pastor and the call of a teacher or filmmaker. A "Call" is discovering what God wants you to do in life. Teachers are called, psychologists are called, business leaders are called, and pastors are called. No one of these calls is more special than the other. A missionary call is the example here. Some missionaries are still "ordained ministers" but increasingly missionaries must be teachers, farmers, mechanics, or lawyers to even get into the country. The call to pastor is no different than this call to be a missionary. And both of them are no different than the call to run a fitness center. Since everybody is "called into the ministry" the "call to pastor" is no different than the call to make films for Hollywood or work at a ski lift.

The second notion, related to the first, is their broad definition of "ministry." "Going into the ministry" can mean everything from opening an Internet Cafe to organizing a rock band, working in a YMCA, or being a good witness as a manager of a GM plant. "Ministry" also includes being a pastor or missionary, but none of these ministries are essentially any different from the other. "You have your ministry and I have mine." The "special calling" the church has expected of pastors and priests is not accepted by a significant number of incoming freshmen.

So, my question is this: If this is a trend and it continues to become the standard view of the next generation, what do we lose? Gain? Where do these high school graduates get this view? Is their view right? Wrong? If you could write a note to these students what would you say? Write it carefully: they’ll be reading.

So what do you think?

To contribute to the thinking on this issue e-mail your response to Tuesday@indwes.edu

By Keith Drury, March, 2000. You are free to transmit, duplicate or distribute this article for non-profit use without permission.