642 - Who Will Go for Us? An Invitation to Ordained Ministry

Who Will Go for Us? An Invitation to Ordained Ministry
By Dennis Campbell
Nashville, Abingdon, 1994,126 pp. $6.95.

Those who study such things tell us that the number of men and women entering seminary has risen in the past three years. We are also told that the number of people dropping out of ministry within five years of ordination is astonishingly high. And denominational executives I talk to unanimously agree that, despite the increase in numbers, the quality of ministers has not noticeably improved.

All of which raises two fundamental questions: Is there something faulty about the way people discern a call to the ministry? Are there guidelines that pastors, lay people, church boards, and jurisdictional committees can give to men and women who are trying to discern a call to ministry?

The answer to both is yes. Dennis Campbell, Dean of the Divinity School at Duke University. has written a book that will help people of any denomination who are thinking about the nature and work of ordained ministry in the church. He has given us a comprehensive and balanced account of the theological and practical dimensions of discerning a call to ministry.

Campbell begins with discussion of the crucial distinction between the Christian vocation in general and the specific office of ordained ministry. His observations about what kind of people the church is looking for will help readers begin to see if there is a match between their gifts and the church's needs. The six practical questions he raises, and seeks to answer at the end of chapter two, go a long way toward addressing the concerns and fears most inquirers have.

In chapter three, Campbell backtracks to an analysis of leadership in Scripture and the early church and uses this as a basis from which to share his thoughts on what it means to be ordained. Most helpful in this section are the discussion of ordained ministry as profession and the gentle reminder that ministry is ultimately a life dedicated to service.

Next, Campbell returns to a more practical response to the question "What are the things I would do?" He provides a helpful and realistic look at the many roles and duties of the minister. His words will dispel any glorified idealism the reader might have about ministry but might also

644 - Who Will Go for Us? An Invitation to Ordained Ministry

inspire some to realize that they have something of what it takes to do the job.

Throughout the book, I was grateful for Campbell's balance between the Joys of ordained ministry and the struggles of the work. This tone serves both to inspire inquirers and to insert a note of realism into discernment of call. I was also thankful that the author continually stressed the role of the church in this process. Too many inquirers seek an inward affirmation without an outward confirmation of their call. I would have welcomed specific guidelines on how inquirers can use the pastor and the congregation in the discernment process.

This short book should be required reading for anyone thinking about the ministry. Pastors, church vocations committees, and seminary admissions directors should keep an extra copy in their libraries to give to those who approach them with vocational questions. Campbell has given us a guide long overdue, and, if it is widely used, we might find some real help in recruiting the future leaders of the church.

J. Carter Hiestand, III
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton, NJ