Encouragement

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After surveying some of the offerings on the Internet aimed at how to train and bring up Associate Ministers in the ranks of the Black church, I felt it my duty to break out my clerical collar and bring forward a few observations from a unique vantage point: One who has served as an Associate Minister; has served as a Pastor of my own church for a season, and presently am back to being an Associate Minister once more while in the ‘on deck circle’ awaiting another pastoral assignment (should the Lord will).

This work is aimed at MEN, as the KJV Bible does NOT support the role of women in the pulpit ministry by licensing and/or ordination (I Timothy 2:9-15). A careful study of the Scriptures from the Old Testament (creation of the role of the Levites in serving in the Tabernacle) to the New Testament (Jesus had NO females in his inner circle, nor females appointed as Apostles) should make this clear, even to the casual Christian. This is a non-negotiable item. Shame on any preacher or Pastor who would create a role for a woman, and ‘shut a man out’ from doing his duty as a Minister in a God ordained post.

Let me be blunt, my preaching brothers: In these last days, it seems that nearly anything goes…BUT the true Word of God. Some denominations--even in Black churches--support the calling of women to serve as Pastors and Bishops even though the Bible does not sanction such a move. (What I cannot understand is that churches complain about the lack of men participating in the ministry, but allows women to ‘charge’ pulpits and serve in leadership posts that the Bible CLEARLY does not sanction). The FIRST thing that a called Man-of-God must realize is that he is going to be ‘swimming against the tide and current’ of our modern era in his standing on the Word of God, even to the ‘perceived’ hurting or slowing down of one’s ministerial progress among men and women. There WILL be some in YOUR denomination who--for reasons that they alone know--will ‘cut off’ encouraging and/or supporting you IN the ministry IF you take a stand FOR biblical doctrine OVER ‘going along to get along’ in your local church. There may come a time where you may just have to take your family, shake the dust off your feet, and find a new place of worship because your pastor/church leadership want to go their way, and you are bondservant of Jesus Christ and His Word.

IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER:

My brother THIS is why you will need to be schooled in the art of prayer. THIS is why prayer is important, nay,
crucial to a Man of God. Prayer is not ‘just’ to be ‘talked’ about; it is something that the Lord EXPECTS you to DO! A Minister is NOT exempt from the Word of God, regardless of how much he does IN the church! Prayer is NOT something that you wait to do before you become a Pastor, it is something that you KNOW before you arrive at your godly destination.

Christians tend to gravitate towards prayer once trouble comes. To learn how to stay in prayer before the trouble arrives--in many cases--may even put many of our troubles out of existence. Yes, there are great books to read on prayer. The BEST book to read, of course, is the KJV Bible. However, there are biographies of Christian ministers and laymen of the past who make a big deal about prayer. So big a deal that they record--time and time again--how God met their needs, delivered them out of trouble, softened the hearts of the wicked, all because they took the time to pray morning, noon, night! A real Man of God keeps up his prayer life, because it is more important than preaching, food, prominence and position. It is the road to God’s throne room.

There is another thought I’d like to bring to the table concerning prayer. It helps to keep us ‘in balance and humble’ IF we solicit prayers from those around us, and thank those who do pray FOR us when success sprouts in our ministerial duties. In my own life, I wondered the best way to thank those who did find a blessing from a sermon I had been blessed to preach, or some other thing that the Lord had done through me that blessed or helped someone. The solution? Thank the person who provided the commendation AND ask them to continue in prayer for me. I have discovered that this puts the blessing right back into God’s court, and off of my shoulders. It keeps me from getting ‘the big head’, which is something from which preachers--especially those starting out--need constant guard and protection.

Want to know the center of God’s will on a daily basis? Begin your day IN prayer, and you will rarely begin your day in despair.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE--GET USED TO IT!

New--and established--ministers have a target on their backs from three sources (in case they didn’t know). The world, the flesh, and the devil.

*The world: The world system, otherwise known as society. It is diametrically opposed to the Bible, and the Christian world view which Ministers of the Gospel are called to represent. The world will put emphasis on things that may ‘start out’ good (like giving to the less fortunate) and move them to a point where they attempt to ‘eclipse’ biblical doctrine and teaching. A good example is the constant stream of ‘walkathons’ to ‘end’ a disease which, in truth, may have been spawned because of someone’s rebellion to the Word of God (ie Abortion and its firm link to breast cancer).

*The flesh: That old nature that likes to ‘spring up’ at the worst of times, unless starved to death and crucified daily thanks to the Word of God, and our submission to His plan for our lives.

*The devil: Lucifer, a.k.a. Satan. If you want a quick thumb-nailed sketch as to his reality, check out the first two chapters of the Book of Job. Satan has intellect, a strong will, is the father of lies, and has more than a few millennia ‘head start’ against those who are in the gospel ministry. Ephesians 6:10-20 and I John 1:8-10; 4:1-6 ought to be your constant companions on the gospel trail.

There are false teachings, false books, and false churches. We are living in an age that is calling right wrong, and wrong right. II Timothy 3 has the entire rundown for preachers as to how bad things REALLY are in these last days--and how bad things are GONNA get! Romans 8 has a great antidote for those days when you are feeling down. Just remember: a counterfeit is based on a part of a truth that has been twisted to someone’s advantage, and a partial lie is still a LIE. My brother, don’t be fooled! A little poison in your oatmeal can kill you JUST as dead as a lot.

THREE LOADS TO SHOULDER:

There are three things that new Ministers will likely experience throughout the course of their ministries that I will attempt to warn you about up front.

They are loneliness, misunderstanding, and rank-pulling.

Let’s start with the last one first. You will, upon occasion, come upon a fellow Minister or a Pastor whom will seek to ‘put’ you in ‘your Christian place’ with little more than ‘his’ (or ‘her’) diatribe of ‘…I’ve been involved in ministry, or have been a Christian longer than you, so you don’t understand…’. My advice? If their words don’t match the Bible, then give them all the attention that they deserve--which is a head nod or a handshake--and move on. Braggarts are NOT needed on the Christian highway, nor are those who don’t have a solid ‘walk’ that squares with their ‘talk’. They ‘use’ their time-in-grade to cover up their own lack of spiritual understanding, underestimation of the times or are generally so ‘puffed up’ on their own importance that they forget they had to feel their way along the gospel trail at one point in time, just like you. There are NO clear cut ‘answers’ as to God’s mysteries in a Minister’s life.

If there were, anybody could be a Minister.

Next, let’s move on to misunderstanding. I’ve had more than my share of them which I have been on the receiving end of--or have indirectly caused--due to jumping into a situation without prayer. Satan LOVES to use misunderstanding between Christians to ‘stoke the fires’ of war and ministry destruction. Suffice it to say that you must choose your words VERY carefully about situations (for which you only have half the information needed) to make a sound decision. Either wait until the Lord chooses to reveal the whole puzzle, or leave it alone by keeping your mouth firmly shut.

I realize, in this age of rapid communications, that it is easier to text someone about how you may ‘feel’ about an issue, especially when it sets your soul on ‘boil’. If you can’t make a clear decision BEFORE you text, let it drop. Don’t let a hasty text ‘push’ you over ‘Misunderstanding Cliff’.

I have discovered that spirits are MUCH too sensitive these days, and often can’t take the bumps and bruises of not being properly understood (Proverbs 18:13 KJV).

My last point--which was first on the list--‘loneliness’. Let’s face it…there are going to be times in a Minister’s life that friends won’t stop by, your wife and kids won’t understand what God is doing in your life (and ministry) and the fellow preachers that were around with you ‘at the beginning’--once they have ‘discovered’ that God wants to use you in a powerful way--back off from you faster than a skunk that has lifted their tail. There ARE going to be points in y
your individual spiritual development and growth where it’s going to be you and the Lord, period. In these last days--even among preachers--there is envy, jealousy, and plain old ‘I don’t like you because Jesus is using you-itis’. Sometimes, you’ll feel like Jonah, with your anger over being alone on a hilltop with a gourd. Sometimes, you’ll feel like Job, wishing that the friends you have could just LEAVE. Or, there will be times you’ll feel like Elijah, complaining to the Lord about being ‘the only one taking a stand for Him’, only to discover that He has 7,000 servants who haven’t bowed their knee unto Baal.

Brothers, sometimes it is best to be just you and the Lord. That’s where the best lessons are taught, and the best fellowship is had.

I have discovered that the Lord, in training His ministers for use, will grow them by stages of loneliness; getting them to focus more on Him than people in our lives. There are more than a few people I’ve been ‘shed’ of, for the glory of God. In many cases, it was a blessing. As preachers, we must be careful that we allow nothing--even friendships and relationships--to become idols in our lives. Don’t be fooled! Do not allow ANY person to ‘dictate’ or hold you hostage over our serving Christ. If your wife gives you an ultimatum between her and your service to Christ, LET HER GO!

God does NOT like to see anyone or anything to get between His servants and true worship/service to Him and His mission.

CAVEATS AND CLARIFICATIONS:

At this point, for those who may have tuned in late, allow me to make some clarifications and flag a few points. First, the title ‘Associate’ is merely an invention of and tradition of man. Further, the Bible does not ‘classify’ churches by the racial or social identification of the individuals. This is merely an invention of and tradition man. We have the freedom to make such distinctions. However, never let the distinctions serve as a means to enslave one another, nor hold preachers or church members hostage. Amen? Let me also hasten to add that the term ‘Senior’ Pastor is in the same class. It is the ‘flavor of the month’ among the ‘title
creation’ crowd.

As one who has served in predominantly African American (Black) churches, I am very familiar with the language and customs of such churches. This does not make them superior/inferior to other churches, but merely serves as a means to let you know where I have been assigned by the Lord, and have been spending much of my time, talents and tithes. Yes, I have worshipped in churches of other cultures, but the Lord has seen fit to bring me ‘home’ to my brethren, much the way that the Apostle Paul spent so much time among his fellow countrymen of the Jewish religion--to show them Christ, and help to reconcile them unto God. If the truth be told, I have grown to love the skin that I’m in. To be a Christian and a Minister of the Gospel is a privilege. Take a GOOD look at this world. More than 85 percent of it is composed of people who are of color. With Christ in one’s life, there is no place that one is ‘forbidden’ to go, if the Lord decides to send you. Also, if you can’t get along with a person of color across the street, why bother taking a flight to another country to attempt a ‘ministry’ to another culture? The Lord will hold us accountable as to how well we ministered to those in front of us, Amen?

Let’s tell a little truth--and let the chips fall where they may. It is up to the Associate Minister to a) follow Christ, and; b) represent Christ to his Pastor, his congregation, and to his denomination. It has been my experience that an Associate who a) knows his Bible; b) loves and can talk with different peoples, and; c) has a personality that has been infused with Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Ghost will--like good cream--rises to the top within his church and in the eyes of his Pastor (Proverbs 18:16 KJV). Part of the reason why many Deacons, church members and even Pastors think little of Associate Ministers rests in the fact that Associates themselves are less settled in Christ and are more anxious to serve based upon the opinions of men (and women).

Another factor is that more than a few Associates have come from broken homes, and have other issues that must be resolved before they can successfully be ‘plugged into’ the modern church. Still another factor is that our ‘information technology’ age (IT) which has a solid core of Generation X, Y, and Disney coming up. It needs to be ‘schooled’ in the ‘old ways’ of respect, reading, and social graces. (Brothers--not everything can be found on your Iphone. You MUST learn how to interact with people in the real time of society.) Another factor is the ‘preaching engagement’, where a church will bring in an Associate Minister from across the country to fill their pulpit at a cost, where that Minister could have done better to forgo the money and stay home to learn from his own Pastor. Preachers that roam need to stay at HOME.

Yet another factor among Associates is pride. They watch a lot of TV ministries and think that they don’t need to be trained. The impression is left from the video screen that one can just jump into a pulpit and do what they see others doing. They don’t get to see behind the scenes and see the product from start to finish: They only get to see the finish. Lastly--and I know that I’m going to catch a lot of ‘flack’ for this one--there are far too many Black Pastors who are insecure in their own ministries that they are ‘jealous’ of those very preachers God has sent to their churches to train. Unfortunately, this is also happening among White, Latino and other Pastors as well…too much jealousy, and not enough training. God WILL hold you accountable, Pastor, as to how you treat those preachers under your ministry! THEY are the future of the church, and will call you BLESSED if they serve under a Pastor who has a sound eye towards their futures.

But, I digress.

I have served under a few veteran Pastors who came up ‘in the old school’, and was blessed to be able to ‘hang out’ with and observe and talk with other veteran preachers and Pastors who visited my Pastors. Success as an Associate Minister boils down to four key things: discipline, observation, solid listening skills and the ability NOT to repeat mistakes/errors that one is bound to make as their ‘time in grade’ progresses. (Let me hasten to add that I have also left a few churches where the Pastor did not have my best interest at heart as a Minister and a part of his staff. Jesus did not abuse his sheep. Neither should a Pastor abuse any of the Lord’s people--including Associate Ministers. As more than one Pastor has noted: God WILL take it up with you!)

THE CALL TO PREACH:

Calling is a serious matter. God calls men and women, boys and girls to the cross and the belief in and acceptance of the finished work of His son, Jesus Christ unto salvation. Next, the Christian is called into obedience of Christ to follow Him in baptism (full immersion). These are the two FIRM prerequisites that need to be in place before a man is called to preach. First, my preaching brothers: God--hopefully--has brought you to salvation and brought you to baptism. Second, God has gone down into your soul and let you know that you are NOW His property and His preacher via his ‘call’. Amen!

The Bible warns us to make our calling and election sure. Thus, preachers need to check their own salvation before proceeding into the gospel ministry. Please--IF you are not sure of your salvation, you need to check this key fact before going any further. God does NOT like those claiming to represent Him carrying out Christian duties without being real Christians.

Because we are flesh and blood, there are two responses to the call of God into the Gospel ministry. Some brothers have ‘run’ from God’s call; others have ‘run’ to serve after receiving God’s call. Either way, there is going to be a ‘learning track’ for both types of men…and the Holy Spirit will be in charge of the training program that will shape you into the preacher that God intends for you to be. That’s why I call preaching a ‘journey’. As a called Man of God, you have left the dock, but there is a looooong way to go in getting your ship right and sailing straight for our Lord. There is going to be a lot that you will have to learn as a preacher. Some of it will come from the Lord himself; some of it from books, some of it from Pastors and preachers that the Lord has seen fit to put over you. Lastly, some of the learning will come from those Christians who want to see you grow in your service to the Lord, and the Lord’s people.

This is where the journey gets exciting!

YOUR HOME LIFE MUST BE IN ORDER:

Brethren, as a Minister of the Gospel, your home life MUST be in order. This simply means that IF you are single, you should be in prayer for God to send you not only a Christian wife; but a Christian woman who has the mental, emotional, financial and physical wherewithal to be a Minister’s wife. While you are waiting, and getting yourself ready for that step, hear this my single brother: sexual sins of ANY type cannot be attached to you. This includes pornography, masturbation, fornication, adultery, prostitution, homosexuality or any other sexual sin that will weaken your walk with the Lord, or cause problems in your church, prayer life, or your standing in the community.

Don’t play with sexual sin of ANY type. Read your Bible for further examples.

IF you are married, you should be aware of the stresses of a Minister’s life upon your wife, and make sure that you pray for her, and your children (if any). My married brothers in the Ministry also need to be aware that your bride needs to be around other upright Christian women--especially the wives of upright Ministers. Brother, you are a package deal, and the biblical admonition is clear: If your home is not in order, how can you be trusted to take care of the House of God (I Timothy 3:1-7 KJV)? There are other items on Paul’s ‘laundry list’ for Timothy in the pastoral epistles, but sexual sins are the first things that need to be ‘nipped in the bud’ for a preacher.

About our wives, brethren, a few more tips. It is up to US to train them and shepherd them about the Christian faith in our OWN homes, before they head out into society. Be wise about them. Dwell with them according to understanding. Pray for them in secret. Pray for them openly. Every time they leave the home, bless them in the name of the Lord, and bode them traveling mercies to and from wherever they may go. Thank God for her every chance you get…even when you and she have one of those ‘domestic hurricanes!’ Wear your wedding band at ALL times, and make sure it’s big enough for ALL to see. In church, make sure ALL know that she is your wife; your bride, and your blessing. Spend more time hugging on her than ANY other woman in the church--in front of your own kids (if you have them).

IF you are not on the platform, sit with her--hand in hand, and ‘snuggled’ up. This will cut down on confusion in the church, and serve as a testimony as to what marriage between a man and a woman is supposed to be. As more than one preacher has said: “If you treat your wife like a thoroughbred, she won’t end up being a nag!” To conclude, in the words of one of my Pastors from the past, when he and his wife would have a dust up at home: “Honey, if you leave me…I’m a goin’ with you!” Amen!

ASSISTING YOUR PASTOR:

A good Associate Minister can do a lot of things for an overworked Pastor, beyond running the pulpit on Sunday mornings. I’ll just name off a few:

1. They can take over some of those in-house teaching assignments to ‘free up’ the Pastor to take care of other things (including much needed rest, or vacation).

2. They can be the ‘eyes and ears’ of the Pastor by letting him know--in confidence--what is happening in some of the ‘outlying regions’ of the church.

3. They can keep the Pastor ‘prayed up’ and apprised of things coming up in the week for his calendar.

4. They can bring him a few solid articles of information from newspapers, magazines, or the web to bring him up-to-speed on current events.

5. They can ‘cut down’ on church confusion by reminding the congregation that they ARE NOT the Pastor, but a member of the ministry team (Go Team!)

6. Lastly, they can encourage him in the Word (Bible), in worship, and in praises to God.

Pastors get hit with problems. That is part of the job. Associate Ministers often are in need of pastoral help, too. However, we EACH know the value of getting some praise, some uplift, and knowing that someone is praying for them. Being a good Associate Minister isn’t always about ‘landing’ a preaching assignment or even being seen by the congregation or the public. Sometimes it is more about loyalty to, praying for and supporting God’s anointed and appointed.

THE PHRASE THAT PAYS:

Let me mention this again. One of the phrases that will keep an Associate out of trouble with his Pastor and the congregation is the following: “I am NOT the Pastor”. Say it often, and repeat it when necessary. Better still, a good Associate will remember that they ONLY report to the Pastor, and follow HIS lead in all areas. This doesn’t mean that church members won’t try to ‘scoop’ you into some drama, just to see how disciplined and loyal you are. For example: IF your Pastor isn’t around, sometimes church members will call upon you to perform functions that the Pastor has already turned down. This is a set up for trouble. Unless your Pastor has talked with you in advance about performing such functions, let the member know that all requests for function performances must come from the Pastor--either in writing or verbally. This will keep you out of trouble, and in both the will of God--and the good graces of your Pastor.

LICENSING AND ORDINATION:

Years ago, I was blessed to interview the late C. A. W. Clark, a well-known Pastor of great standing. About the ministry, he gave the following advice: “A call to ministry is a call to preparation.” In short, Dr. Clark noted that a preacher of the Gospel is going to have to get used to getting himself ‘ready’ to serve in the Lord’s church by practice, patience, and fitness to become a dependable Minister.

This is NOT easy.

In the early stages of an Associate’s career, he will have to present himself to his Pastor, and let him know about what the Lord has done in his life, and the call to the Ministry that the Lord has put ON his life. IF the Pastor is satisfied, the Associate will be asked to join his fellow preachers in the pulpit (and the ministry staff of his church). After a season of careful observation by the Pastor (and recommendation by brother ministers) the ‘minister candidate’ will be told when he will be scheduled to preach his ‘trial sermon’ in order to be licensed as a preacher. Upon preaching said sermon, the candidate will be a licensed preacher of the Gospel.

Please allow me to slip in a few items for consideration and thought. Some denominations ‘believe’ the following: the license is only ‘good’ for a particular ‘church’ or ‘denomination’ and it ‘expires’ once a preacher leaves his church for another church, or for another denomination. Others believe that ‘once licensed, always licensed’. Others believe that a preacher, upon their movement to a new denomination, may have to be ‘re-licensed’ (or re-ordained) to that denomination. This is up to you to determine. But, let’s move on to Ordination, or, obtaining your Ordination papers.

Ordination is also very important in an Associate Minister’s life and ministry as it formally certifies that you have been ‘set apart’; be it full time or part time ministry, in a church setting, a jail/prison or a hospital/nursing home. Ordination allows for an Associate Minister to be ‘recognized’ in the eyes of the church--and the society at large--as a true Minister of the Gospel. This is a general list of what you will be able to accomplish as an Ordained Minister:

*Performance of Weddings.

*Performance of Funerals.

*Performance of Counseling Services (in some states).

*Able to serve as Pastor of a Church.

*Able to serve as a Chaplain (hospital, prison, jail, juvenile detention facility).

Ordination can take between two to five years of training at the Associate Minister level, under a seasoned Pastor--meaning that you will have to ‘stay put’ in a church for that amount of time, and fulfill other duties in the church while you learn the ‘theological ropes’. Again, there will be one of three basic ways the Associate Minister may be ordained, following the decision by your Pastor that you ‘qualify’ for ordination:

*Ordination by Open Council: Meaning that you will undergo an oral examination by your district/denominational/state officers before your home church in a special ceremony which will end with a ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ decision by these officers (and your Pastor).

*Ordination by Closed Council: Meaning that you will undergo an oral examination by your district/denominational/state officers in a closed door session, which could last for up to three hours and may have a written exam before hand (by your Pastor or these same officers) which will end with a ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ decision by the officers involved.

*Ordination by Examination: Your Pastor may give you a written exam, coupled with an oral exam in closed/open session with other ordained Ministers in your church or in your denomination.

A FINAL WORD:

I have done my best to provide a thumbnail sketch of life for an Associate Minister in the Gospel Ministry in the Black Church on the preaching journey for Jesus Christ. Of course, there are a lot of things that could be added, and will be added by time, prayer, and the Holy Spirit. For those of you who are church members and are reading this as a means to know to help the Associates of your church, remember that they are the ‘behind the scenes’ people of the church. Everyone focuses on the Pastor and tends to forget there are others who need their prayers and encouragement.

My final piece of advice is to main a sense of His presence through the study of the Word of God. There are going to be some joys, and some sorrows along the way, but the Gospel journey doesn’t have to be drudgery, or a ‘sentence to slavery’ IF you keep your hand firmly in God’s hand. Keep a sense of humor in your breast; a sermon in your head, heart and pocket; take care of your health and you will be amazed at where God will take you on this journey.

Oh, I know. You’ll bump into people who seem to have sat behind Moses in grade school. You’ll have folk who are more concerned about their tech than their holiness. You’ll have some people--even in your own household--who will look at you ‘crazy’, wondering why you do what you do for Jesus Christ as a part of His mission team. There WILL be some days that you will be checking in with the Lord JUST to make sure that you are STILL a Christian, AND there will be some days where you will be in the pit like Joseph.

This is normal!

Brothers, the prophetic clock continues to tick. The Rapture of the church can happen at any time. Time is short to point people to the Ship of Zion. Don’t worry about your start, as a Christian Minister. Always BE concerned about how you will finish. For he that endures to the end shall be saved AND will be blessed to inspire some souls to come with you, to the streets of the celestial city. Just keep on living, believing, preaching, and witnessing. You’ll understand it better, by and by.

Enjoy the journey that the Lord has for you!

Ramey is a Minister, Syndicated Columnist and Book Reviewer who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. He has been blessed to write for a variety of Christian and non-Christian publications over the years. Feel free to contact him at [email protected].
© 2014, Rev. M. G. Ramey/Barnstorm Communications International.

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