Discerning Your Call to Ministry by Jason K Allen

Discerning Your Call to Ministry by Jason K Allen

The church has needed this book for a long time. Russell Moore

If you are considering the ministry, there are two mistakes to avoid. The first is taking up a calling that isn t yours. The second is neglecting one that is.
Discerning Your Call to Ministry will help you know the difference. A tool for seminary students, pastors-in-training, and even current pastors, it serves to confirm or prompt deep thought about the calling to ministry through 10 probing questions, including:

• Do you desire the ministry?
• Does your church affirm your calling?
• Do you love the people of God?
• Are you willing to surrender?

Pastoral dropout rates are high, and seminary admission rates are declining signs that many of us don t quite know what we re signing ourselves up for. Author Jason Allen, a former pastor and the president of North America s fastest growing seminary, gives readers a better picture of the calling. Presenting a series of diagnostic questions informed by Scripture, church history, and his own experience, he helps those seeking ordination or ministry positions make confident decisions about their service to God, one way or the other.

Elected on October 15, 2012, Dr. Jason K. Allen serves as the fifth president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Kansas City, Mo., and is one of the youngest presidents in all of American higher education. Since coming to Midwestern Seminary, he has led the institution to become one of the largest and fastest growing seminaries in North America. In addition to his role as President, Dr. Allen serves the institution in the classroom, as an associate professor for preaching and pastoral ministry. More broadly, he serves the church through his preaching and writing ministries as well. He is the author of two recently-released books, The SBC & the 21st Century (B&H Publishing) and Discerning Your Call to Ministry (Moody Publishing). Dr. Allen regularly posts essays on his website, jasonkallen.com, and hosts a weekly podcast, Preaching & Preachers, which can also be found at jasonkallen.com. Before coming to Midwestern Seminary, Dr. Allen served as a pastor, and as a senior administrator at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He and his wife, Karen, are both from Mobile, Ala., and have five children: Anne-Marie, Caroline, William, Alden, and Elizabeth.