Book of the Month - February 2024
The Path to Being a Pastor: a guide for the aspiring
Bobby Jamieson - ISBN: 978-1-4335-7665-2 - 2021
Authors:
Bobby Jamieson
Bobby Jamieson serves as an associate pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC. His pastoral responsibilities include preaching and teaching, overseeing the church's pastoral internship, and facilitating church planting and revitalizing in the DC area. Originally from California, Bobby came to CHBC as a pastoral intern in 2008, then worked for 9Marks as an editor for several years. He has an MDiv and ThM from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a PhD in New Testament from the University of Cambridge, where he also taught Greek. Bobby and his wife, Kristin, have four children, Rose, Lucy, William, and Margaret.
Bobby is the author of several books, including Sound Doctrine: How a Church Grows in the Love and Holiness of God, Going Public: Why Baptism Is Required for Church Membership, Jesus' Death and Heavenly Offering in Hebrews, The Paradox of Sonship: Christology in The Epistle to the Hebrews, and The Path to Being a Pastor: A Guide for the Aspiring.
Taken from Capital Hills Baptist Church Website.
Brief Synopsis:
A man who’s been transformed by Christ and desires to preach the gospel might say he feels called to be a pastor.
This personal conviction, while heartfelt, doesn’t acknowledge important, challenging steps necessary to be a qualified leader. So where should full-time ministry begin?
In The Path to Being a Pastor, Bobby Jamieson explains why it’s better to emphasize “aspiration” over “calling” as men pursue the office of elder and encourages readers to make sure they are pastorally gifted before considering the role. He shares his own eleven-year experience preparing to be a pastor by walking potential leaders through different stages of ministry training, from practical steps―such as cultivating godly ambition and leadership, observing healthy churches, and mastering Scripture―to personal advice on building a strong family and succeeding in seminary. Emphasizing the importance of prayer, godly counsel, and immersion in the local church, Jamieson encourages men to ask Am I qualified? instead of Am I called? when considering a life in ministry.
Insights:
Seeking counsel is simple: find wise people and get them to share their wisdom with you. Especially important here are the pastors of your church…Don’t just ask; listen. Seeking counsel does not mean always agreeing with it. - pg. 38
Pursue godliness. Pursue godliness more than you pursue position or publicity or prestige. Pursue godliness more than you pursue the pulpit. Pursue godliness more than you pursue others’ recognition of your godliness. Pursue godliness when no one is looking and no one cares. Pursue godliness when it seems like godliness is not getting you where you want to go. - page 53
Sometimes, faithfulness on your wife’s part will mean denying herself so you can spend yourself in ministry. Sometimes, faithfulness on your part will mean saying no to ministry so you can minister to your wife. In the past couple of years, I have declined several outside preaching and teaching requests and even cancelled an international trip, because I judged that my responsibilities at home took priority. - page 121
Should I read it or skip it?
Before I jump into yes or no, I want to say a word about being a practitioner. I appreciate when someone is a practitioner first and foremost. A voice gains credibility when the person speaking on the topic has experience and knows the subject deeply. For Jamieson, this book comes from his experience as an elder at Capital Hill Baptist Church. He has walked the process of aspiring to pastoral ministry as well as preparing for it.
Second, I love the idea of aspiring. Jamieson does a great job of sorting out the ideas of calling vs aspiring. Too often, I think too many pastors mistake being called with wanting to be a pastor. For many people, the nobility in serving God or the affirmation they receive can weigh on their desires and override their wisdom or discernment about their calling. So the idea of aspiring rings true.
“In my view, saying “I aspire” is more biblical, more humble, more accurate, more fruitful, and more freeing” - page 28
Jamieson’s statement allows the aspiring pastor to humble himself and look to God and his people to answer his questions about calling.
Finally, should you read this book or not? Anyone preparing for leadership as a pastor or working to be an elder should read this book. I believed in it enough that I have a stack I like to hand out to aspiring, young pastors. Second, I think anyone who will serve on a pastoral selection board should read this book in preparation for the process of choosing. This book belongs to a niche of pastoral leadership. It might not be for everyone but it can be for anyone.
