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The Gospel Ministry Call Part 7 by Mike Ramey

by Mike Ramey
02/01/26
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     It seems that there are those who make the gospel ministry harder than it should be.

     Why?

     Because it is ‘politically expedient’ to do so.

     The Code of Conduct for a preacher or a pastor may be found in the KJV Bible in three New Testament books. These are all written by the Apostle Paul. These books are the First Timothy, Second Timothy, and Titus. Paul wanted to make sure that these young preachers, once they learned what was expected of them would grow in the ministry to eventually become successful Pastors. Yes there are additional qualifications for Deacons and the rules regarding older men and women of the church and how they should be solid in their roles to help the younger men and women in their congregations. My focus though will be on the rules governing those in the gospel ministry. How churches should select their Pastors and what Pastors should be looking for as qualities in gospel preachers to add to their staff posts could also be ruled by our biblical Code of Conduct.

     These three books, or epistles, should be frequent reading and study material for those of the gospel ministry. They will not only inform the church as to who is qualified to be licensed and ordained as a preacher, but who is qualified to take a pastorate of a church.

     How important is a Code of Conduct for the New Testament preacher? In the Old Testament, there were more than a few rules governing the conduct of priests, prophets and those who served in the Temple. There were some of the Temple set who wound up dead because they didn’t follow the rules God had established. The sons of Eli in the Book of Samuel met an untimely end because they were profane in their activities in the House of God. They died horribly. Their father, Eli, because he SAW that they were doing wrong but didn’t correct them also met with a harsh death from the hands of the Lord.

     Those who have been set apart to serve the Lord in the gospel ministry are under stricter standards than the regular Christian. There ARE those who feel that they are ‘exempt’ from God’s standards because of such service in this age of grace. Make no mistake…God’s boots are made of brass (the metal of judgment). His boots move slow…but they grind fine. At the same time however, the Code of Conduct ALSO serves as a great reference point for a Minister to seek out a Pastor to serve under, and a church to join.

     In addition to the marriage moral standards established for Pastors, beware of a Pastor who is:

            *Anti-KJV—one who cares more for other or additional translations.

            *Power hungry—ready to join groups and associations at a moment’s notice.

            *Neglectful of studying his KJV Bible on a regular basis.

            *Weak in bible doctrine—one who lack understanding of the Virgin Birth, the Rapture, the Second Coming, the Resurrection. Etc.—even in his preaching.

            *One who pits Ministers against one another—for his amusement.

            *One who seems to be in the ‘pocket’ of wealthier church members.

            *Lastly—among others—does not have the love of Christ within him.

          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 and in fine publications like this one! To drop him a line—or a whine—the address is still the same: [email protected]. ©2026 Barnstorm Communications International.