Sojourner #019: Calling Out The Called

“Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)

I really dislike the word “crisis.” As a matter of fact, I try to use the word as little as possible. However, in this case, there is no other word that we can use. It’s not that there aren’t other words like “catastrophe, dilemma, predicament, and plight,” but those words are just another way to describe what we are facing.

The crisis I am talking about is the shortage of pastors churches are facing today. Crisis, by definition is “a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events will be affected, for better or worse.” That is an apt description of where we are. 

The Calling Out the Called initiative was born because myself and others recognized that we are struggling to help churches find pastors. We also recognized that many churches are no longer calling out the called in their congregations. When I was growing up, my pastor would periodically offer an invitation for those who may be experiencing a call into ministry to respond. It was during one of those types of invitation that I responded to my call to the ministry. But, today, those types of invitations seem to be absent. Consequently, we are seeing fewer and fewer respond to the call to ministry.

To illustrate the crisis let me present some statistics. In Alabama, over 500 Alabama Baptist churches are without pastors. 90% of those churches average less than 75 in attendance. While there is a crisis for those who are seeking full time ministers, the crisis is greater for those who are seeking bivocational or part-time ministers. There simply are not enough pastors and ministers to fill the vacancies in our churches.

The purpose of Calling Out the Called is to heighten the awareness of our crisis. It is designed to put an emphasis on the need but also to intentionally address the need. Our emphasis has four parts: pray, petition, prepare, and pursue. The “Four P’s” are intended to formulate a strategy to address the need and encourage those who are experiencing a call to follow through and to equip those who have answered the call to be equipped. 

In my opinion, the most important component is prayer. That is what Jesus told us to do in Matthew 9:38 in response to the shortage of laborers in His day. As we pray, we must remember to pray not only for those to be called to vocational ministry, but we must also ask God for those called to bivocational ministry. How should we pray?

Here’s some guidance:

• Pray for those who, as of yet, are oblivious to God’s call.

• Pray for those who are just beginning to get an inkling of God’s call.

• Pray for those who are coming to understand, but fear they are unqualified.

• Pray for those who have clearly heard the call, but are still resisting.

• Pray for those who are tempted to dismiss their calling.

• Pray for bivocational ministry to be seen as a viable, needed ministry - not a second class ministry.

For those who are experiencing a call to ministry, there is a course entitled "Explore Your Calling" that is a collaborative effort between the Samford University Training Institute and the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. The next cohort is set for March 25, 2025. The cost is $50.

Registration for the "Explore Your Calling Course" course offered by the Samford University Training Institute / the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions can be found here.

Visit the Calling Out The Called website here.

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About the Author: Dr. Craig Carlisle serves as the President of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions and is the Associational Missions Strategist for the Etowah Baptist Association.

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