Men

The Gospel Ministry Call Part 1 by Mike Ramey

by Mike Ramey
10/26/25
Free to Share
Author requests article critique

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

     In every generation, in every age, God calls MEN to serve Him through the preaching and teaching and spreading of the gospel. What IS the gospel? The preaching of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the belief in the offering of his substitutional sacrifice for one’s sins, translating an individual—those who believe—from the ranks of sinners to the hall of the saints. Further, it is up to the Gospel Ministers of this present generation to pass on what they have learned and taught to the next generation of Gospel Minister in order for them to ‘keep up the fight for souls’ until the return of our Lord Jesus Christ in his glorious second coming.

     I realize that this is a lot to unpack. However, this is essential for young—and not-so-young men—to understand. The call into the Gospel Ministry is a call to preparation. It is also a call of sacrifice and separation. It is a call to humility. Some of the most well-known names involved in gospel preaching came from different walks of life. Some were lawyers, police officers, doctors, businessmen, teachers, and workers. Two of the foremost Evangelists over the last few centuries in America were a Shoe Salesman—who was led to Christ by a church member. Another one was a former Pro Baseball player who came to Christ in an inner city mission.

     Try this one on for size. God is not bound to use ‘only’ Pastors to get the gospel spread. In more than one instance, God has used teachable men and transformed them into praying men then preaching men. One of the least-known revivals that took place in America started in New York City by a few praying Christian men decades ago. It spread from their meeting hall, out into the NYC streets, and clear around the world. How? Simple. Six Christian men with a heart for souls and led by the Holy Spirit prayed. The end result was a around the world revival which started in an area of NYC years ago. An area of the city, by the way, which was known in 2001 as the World Trade Center complex.

     In my own life, an Interim Pastor who led me to Jesus Christ years ago was—of all things—a Probation Officer. You never know the man God will use behind the Sacred Desk, nor do you know which Christians He will send out to gather the harvest of souls.

     When God calls a man into the ministry, you don’t know from whence he will come. Nor will any know where the Man of God will serve. Yes, those men who have been called to preach may serve in a preaching capacity as a Pastor in a local church. However, God can start a man behind the pulpit, but lead him into bigger ventures to spread more of the gospel and bring in more souls for the harvest.

     Let me provide one example…and it is a dozy.

     Edwin Louis Cole was serving as a Pastor at one time. During the 1970s, Dr. Cole could see and sense that men and manhood were heading down the tubes, a casualty in the rising wave of feminism crisscrossing America. Women were burning their bras, and leaving marriages and motherhood for a career in the workplace.

     Traditional—or I should say—biblical manhood was on the ropes. Not only was feminism having an impact on unsaved men and marriages, but Christian husbands were also being impacted in dramatic fashion. Pastors, deacons, and other church leaders were not sure as to how to address this new satanic brew coming in from society. After much prayer, Cole got the vision from the Lord; leave the pulpit and start a small Bible study group on manhood.

     The following Sunday, Cole—as the story goes—preached his last sermon, told his congregation that he was leaving, as he was already ‘behind schedule’ in this new ministry. By his obedience, Cole reached out to the men of his community for that first study group. In a matter of months, that small Men’s Bible study grew. It spread across his state, then the country.

     Out of that small venture, the original Promise Keepers movement was born—and spread throughout the country and the world during the 80s and 90s. Cole also was blessed to write about his teachings in the revolutionary book Maximized Manhood, the first of a variety of books aimed exclusively at men which not only shared Jesus Christ, but biblical manhood.

     During my formative years as a preacher, I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Cole at a Promise Keepers conference which landed in my home city of Indianapolis. Our conversation, as well as his message to a capacity crowd of men at the Hoosier Dome are still in my files. His books continue to bless and teach me about Christian manhood and the Gospel ministry. Moreover, Cole’s faith in Christ led from one church pulpit to a worldwide mission field aimed exclusively at men—the bedrock of the Christian faith and the ministry.

     There were other godly men of the pulpit who helped to form and shape me for the ministry. They came from different walks of life, and from different races and denominations. Some of them were in person, some from the ranks of gospel tapes, preaching TV shows, and books of a bygone age. At the bottom line, I was—and still am—eager to learn and grow as a gospel preacher, though I am now retired. I also want to pass on what I have learned to other preachers.

     Retirement for a preacher does not mean that they have stopped preaching. No, no my young reading apprentice. It merely means that my teaching duties have increased, aimed at sharing my lessons and encouragements with the next generation of men heading to the ministry field, like Paul helped Timothy, Titus, and others. No, I don’t know it all…but I can point to a few things that will put some gospel steel in your spine, and get you ready to ride boldly into the gospel service to advance the cause of Christ.

     As I wrap up this introduction, let me make it crystal clear. I am a KJV Bible preacher and teacher. I don’t use those ‘comic book’ translations. The KJV was good enough for the Puritans and the Reformers. It was good enough for those African American men who preached in the woods away from plantations and slaveowners. The KJV is God’s ‘Talking Book,’ and I make no apologies for using it and citing it.

     Next, the standard for the type of man in God’s pulpit is based upon the epistles written by the Apostle Paul for Timothy and Titus. No women preachers in those verses, nor are none supposed to be licensed and ordained for pulpit ministry.

     More to come.

     Mike Ramey is a Retired Minister, KJV Bible Teacher, syndicated columnist and Bible Prophecy Specialist who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is a Circuit rider of the Funky Electronic Frontier. “The Gospel Ministry Call” series is one of a variety of his columns appearing and abounding in print and cyberspace, written from a biblical, business, and common-sense perspective since 1996. Catch Mike Ramey’s columns on X (Twitter), Substack, Faithwriters.com, LinkedIn and in fine publications like this one! To drop him a line—or a whine—the address is still the same: [email protected]. ©2025 Barnstorm Communications International.