Deciding to go into the ministry full time as a teen (future career choices)

[Tap]

Background: Ds17 is a bright student. He is dual enrolled in college/high school and is doing well. He will graduate at 18yo with is AS in chemistry. I have asked him to finish his chemistry degree before he changes career paths, he agrees.

 

Over the past 2 years, ds17 has become more involved with the leadership in his church (Evangelical Christian). He is very involved as a student in the youth program but he is becoming more and more of a leader every day. He has been asked to lead the Sunday youth group twice now since summer, writing his own 45 minute discussion on a given topic. I talked to the youth pastor last night and he said there were a couple of points that my son made that absolutely impressed him. He feels that ds has done a wonderful job on both occasions. There is an internship coming available soon that my son is going to apply for and he already has the recommendation of 2 youth pastors for the position (both pastors want him for thier groups) . The purpose of this paid internship, is to give people interested in a full time ministry an opportunity to see if it is a good fit for them. They intern half time for the whole church but will have a focus group that they work with.

 

The youth pastor told me that the next goal is for ds and him to write a full set of services, with the bulk of the work being ds's. He will be there to guide him, but it will be ds's work. The youth pastor isn't putting his work off on ds, if anything it will be more work for him (as all homeschool moms know, it is harder to teach someone to do something than to do it ourselves). The youth pastor has absolutely taken ds under his wing and is giving ds a chance to do real work, and create real change on those around him. I see this as a wonderful opportunity for growth in ds, no matter what he does in life.

 

With or without the internship, ds will be moved in a leadership role in the youth group as soon as he graduates high school. There is another volunteer leader who has more experience, who plans to apply also, so ds may not get the paid position.

 

 

For those who have BTDT, what do you feel about this? Is this a decision made at this age? I have never been around a teen who decided to go down this path. Everyone I know who formally studied the bible and went on to be a pastor, did so as an young adult (20s) not as a teenager. They had given other careers a chance and then came back to the ministry. I guess I am thinking of it like marrying the first person you date.

 

On one hand, ds has always had a spirituality about him. Dh and I have talked for years, about ds's uncanny ability to walk the line between math/science and his faith. He has always had a passion that ran to his core. He has always had an impeccable moral compass.

 

On the other hand, he is thinking about going to Bible College and leaving his science behind. I would like to see him continue both, but the college he is considering, only had biblical studies.

 

I don't really know what I am asking. I am just trying to understand making such a huge decision as a teenager. Any input is appreciated to help me wrap my head around it all.

Edited November 1, 2011 by Tap, tap, tap

[Whereneverever]

My husband is a full time pastor. Our church phrases it that you have a Call- and we absolutely believe that someone can begin hearing that as a teen or earlier.

[fairfarmhand]

my dad and my dh's dad were called to the ministry in their teens. They have not either one been to a "formal" Bible college, but are still ministering now in their fifties.

 

It is possible to hear God's voice and heed it at young ages, but I'd definitely encourage him to seek God's will ON HIS OWN! This may mean to distance himself from his pastors and others who may (even unwittingly with good hearts) influence him one way or another for a couple weeks of prayer, Bible study, fasting (perhaps) to truly seek God's will.

 

Perhaps he needs to go camping for a couple weeks to seek the heart of God.

[Aubrey]

I think the wise choice is to stick w/ science. W/ a science degree, you can still be a pastor/serve in some capacity. W/ a Bible degree, you can't get a science job.

 

Many, many church jobs require you to support yourself full or part-time outside of the church. Church jobs do not always offer ins, something he'll want if he wants to have a family.

 

NONE of this should stop him from the work he's doing in the church, just give some clarity to some of the career/college choices.

[fairfarmhand]

I think the wise choice is to stick w/ science. W/ a science degree, you can still be a pastor/serve in some capacity. W/ a Bible degree, you can't get a science job.

 

Many, many church jobs require you to support yourself full or part-time outside of the church. Church jobs do not always offer ins, something he'll want if he wants to have a family.

 

NONE of this should stop him from the work he's doing in the church, just give some clarity to some of the career/college choices.

:iagree:

[G5052]

I wouldn't discount his calling at all, but having a back-up degree would be a requirement in this house as well. Not only because he's young, but also because not everyone who is in ministry can support themselves that way. We know several pastors who also teach part-time or tutor to fill in their salary, and the back-up degree makes that possible.

 

DH's father had an engineering degree from Carnegie Mellon, but spent most of his working days speaking at Bible conferences. He said that the discipline of engineering helped him with the discipline of speaking and writing, and he had no regrets.

[SonshineLearner]

My dad is someone who has taught full time in the field of theology... except for when he was going to Law School, which he paid by teaching theology in their University.

If my son wanted to "go into the ministry" I would absolutely "insist" on the foundation of teaching. :) So, for pastoring/teaching, I would suggest learning Latin, Hebrew and Greek as the base... with everything else :) Then I would have him graduate with a minimum of a Masters and hopefully a Doctorate. I believe it's best to get through schooling.... and not "skip any schooling"... :)

Going to a great Seminary, with good doctrine being taught is essential. I wouldn't suggest anything less :)

[Chris in VA]

My hubby received his call from God when he was 13. 13! That's awfully young. In our denomination, you go to seminary for a Master's Degree to become ordained as a priest. So, he majored in psychology at Penn State, worked for two years, and then went to Seminary. In Seminary, he spent two years (while also taking classes) as an assistant of sorts, actually in the parish where he's Rector now (long story). All our Seminarians do that. So he continued to lead while he was learning. I think that's a great way to go about it.

 

I wish more denominations would "protect" their ministers by requiring further training or a degree or something. I don't mean that God won't protect them, I just mean that, practically, education is a good thing to have. :001_smile:

[laughing lioness]

There is such a need for educated sciences in the Christian community- even among pastors! I totally believe that your ds could recieve a call this young but does it preclude science? how bout an undergrad in science and then Bible college after, during the summer, etc? Getting a science degree and then pursuing an M.Div or Bible degree would be a winning combo, imho.

[shinyhappypeople]

He'd be wise to double-major in Bible and Something Marketable. I've been surprised at the number of pastors who have to hold down a day job. Might as well be a day job he enjoys.

[Harriet Vane]

Yes, it is possible to be "called" at a young age. I agree with the other poster who advised getting AWAY from everyone to think/pray for a while over this.

 

That said, I will offer some observations.

 

The religious subculture is a culture all of its own, with a unique vocabulary and specific behavioral and lifestyle expectations. Sometimes there can be a yawning chasm between church subculture and the rest of the world. Unfortunately I do find that those who have lived almost exclusively in that religious subculture do not relate as well to "the rest of us." For a minister this is a REAL impediment--he can lose the ability to speak to (minister to) those who are not believers, AND he can lose the ability to encourage Christians who do NOT live exclusively in the religious subculture.

 

I also find that religious subculture is often emotionally and spiritually boundary-less, and even more so for those with less life experience in non-religious settings. It's a real factor to consider. Anyone who feels drawn to a life of ministry needs to proactively find a way to stay in touch with the rest of the world, rather than being softly, inexorably, drawn further into the cloister.

 

I say this as one who has had mixed experiences. I attended a private Christian high school and worked for five years in a Christian bookstore. I also spent many years in religious publishing. I know many who went only to Christian schools and then went on to Christian workplaces. The flip side of that is the 14+ years I spent in urban ministry, but with a husband who works a "regular" job at an insurance company. I did also work in secular settings and found it was a totally different world than that of church and religious workplaces. My views are also shaped by my close relationships both with a dear friend who is a non-Christian and with a dear friend who grew up as an atheist and came to faith in his early twenties.

[Whereneverever]

Yes, it is possible to be "called" at a young age. I agree with the other poster who advised getting AWAY from everyone to think/pray for a while over this.

 

That said, I will offer some observations.

 

The religious subculture is a culture all of its own, with a unique vocabulary and specific behavioral and lifestyle expectations. Sometimes there can be a yawning chasm between church subculture and the rest of the world. Unfortunately I do find that those who have lived almost exclusively in that religious subculture do not relate as well to "the rest of us." For a minister this is a REAL impediment--he can lose the ability to speak to (minister to) those who are not believers, AND he can lose the ability to encourage Christians who do NOT live exclusively in the religious subculture.

 

I also find that religious subculture is often emotionally and spiritually boundary-less, and even more so for those with less life experience in non-religious settings. It's a real factor to consider. Anyone who feels drawn to a life of ministry needs to proactively find a way to stay in touch with the rest of the world, rather than being softly, inexorably, drawn further into the cloister.

 

I say this as one who has had mixed experiences. I attended a private Christian high school and worked for five years in a Christian bookstore. I also spent many years in religious publishing. I know many who went only to Christian schools and then went on to Christian workplaces. The flip side of that is the 14+ years I spent in urban ministry, but with a husband who works a "regular" job at an insurance company. I did also work in secular settings and found it was a totally different world than that of church and religious workplaces. My views are also shaped by my close relationships both with a dear friend who is a non-Christian and with a dear friend who grew up as an atheist and came to faith in his early twenties.

 

This is a good and valid point. I also agree with the advice about having a fall back plan.

 

Have you looked at seminaries? Our denomination has two and they have really good admissions people who can answer questions about prerequisites. In our church you need a bachelor's and master's degree at minimum.

[brehon]

No BTDT, but I do have a couple of questions.

 

By Bible School - do you/does your ds mean Seminary? I know there are undergrad Bible colleges - does your ds want to go to one of these and then your denomination's Seminary?

 

I agree with many other posters that your ds should have a degree in something else which can provide an income. Since your ds is interested in the sciences (esp chemistry?) this seems a natural fit; although, most working chemists have at least a Master's in their field. A BS might be sufficient for teaching/tutoring.

 

I think anyone can hear the call at any time. I think it behooves those who heed the call to also ensure they can provide for themselves and any future family.

[Tap]

Thanks everyone for discussing this with me.

 

To respond to a few comments:

 

As he has been feeling this way for a while, we have been discussing it for a few years. At first he was going to study science for a career and then volunteer at church. Then he was considering a field like pharmacy where he could work part time to support his family, and then work (paid or not) for the church part time. Now he is thinking about only working for the church.

 

If he follows the path he is thinking about right now, he would get a Bachelors in Biblical and Theological studies, with a minor in Youth Ministry. From there the same college offers Masters degrees (teaching, counseling, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages--I think that is what it is called, Divinity, Theology, Pastoral studies, Biblical Studies).

 

 

 

On the other hand, he has also recieved early application opprotunities from a couple of colleges that offer both science and theological studies. Yale and University of Portland are two. (He had great ACT scores :D)

 

He has friends attending the Bible college. He doesn't know anyone at the other colleges (that he knows of).

 

 

I feel it is prudent for him to at least finish a bachelors in science and then move to theology, delaying his current plan by 2 years. But, to do this we are potentially adding about $30,000 in debt for those two years, for a degree he may never use in a formal way. He will pay part of this from his wages, and we hope he would get scholarships/financial aid for part (Yale would be free except living expenses-which would be the same as living at home and attending UofP). He agrees with the ability of being able to argue both sides of an argument is invaluable and likes the idea, but the practical side of delaying everything 2 years is daunting to him right now. He also agrees that having a solid science degree will help add validity to his discussions and allow him to be more articulate in his lectures. He is thinking that finishing his biblical studies first and then science, may be a viable option. I think that once he lets go of the science studies....he is unlikely to go back to science due to the rigor.

Edited November 1, 2011 by Tap, tap, tap