How were You called to Preach and Pastor...

[TheGloryLand]

How do you know this, did you have a dream, did your pastor approve you to become one. Maybe you wanted to be married to the pastor daughter. Because you heard a voice from heaven. You said, I might as well, I went to, and finish Bible College. You thought it would be a easy way of living. Can you share with me, what is a true calling into becoming a great preacher for the Lord? How did you know...

[BrotherTony]

I knew because of the direction the Lord kept taking my life. Every time I was turning to another avenue of work, the Lord kept opening the door back to preaching and teaching in the church. I was only in my early 20s then. I had sold my part in a business and moved to Wisconsin to go to Bible college at Maranatha. After I left Maranatha and moved to Georgia with my family, it was clear what direction I was to take. I became involved in the youth ministry of a church in West Augusta, and became the youth minister when the pastor resigned and the assistant pastor became the pastor. I was only the youth minister on an interim basis. The church split shortly after the pastor came back and reunited with his wife and wanted his job back. Many of us didn't feel he should be in the pastorate until he and his wife had gone through a time of counselling and church discipline. I was one of the people in the founding of what was then Garden City Baptist Church. It was, many years later, absorbed by another church. 

The Lord kept opening doors for my wife and I to be involved in the founding of several other churches over the years. It has only been over the past 17 years that I have not preached, but have been involved in  ministry through writing and music. 

[Disciple.Luke]

I heard a Pastor answer this question many years ago.

I think this question is really important now. There seems to be so many "Pastors" out there who became one for all the wrong reasons. I have seen some who wanted "power", trying to scam people out of money, or even to influence social issues.

I believe that if someone feels a calling to become one they should speak with their Pastor and older men of the congregation who know you well enough to validate if that callings fits you personally.

This idea that attending seminary or getting an online certificate validates your own conclusions is poisoning the pulpits.

IF people like Joyce Meyer, Paula White, or Jim Baker would've been a part of a true biblical congregation...then someone wouldve recognized that thier "calling" wasn't consistent with the word of God.

[Disciple.Luke]

Even some seminaries are problematic as well.

I had a friend who studied theology at Anderson University (Church of God (Anderson)) and I asked to borrow one of her books for the course.

When I was reading that book it was unbelievable how critical it was about the authenticity of the bible.  It question the authors of the New Testament books as if there was no evidence or tradition that affirmed who they are attributed to.

I gave her back the book disgusted knowing that is was part of the curriculum at a Christian university.

You would've thought it was written but the Jesus Seminar group. So its no wonder why these Pastors ended up teaching things that are in unbiblical.