Jesus Calling
Written by Dr. Blayne Banting
A current struggle for many co-vo ministry leaders surrounds the foundational issue of vocational calling. Even when leaders themselves get their heads around it, some within the churches or ministries they lead may still have some difficulty with this “new” understanding of a call to ministry. One way this comes to the surface is when co-vo leaders are referred to as “part-time.” This seems particularly irksome to many co-vo leaders by what it tends to imply. When speaking with parents who mention they are employed outside the home, how many would say, “Oh, so then you are just part-time parents, then”? Maybe you can imagine their response. Why the discrepancy? It does highlight this issue.
If God calls someone to co-vo ministry, is it because all the reputable callings are gone or because this person is not equipped for a singular calling? Despite our best efforts and the growing trends in all of society toward co-vocationality and the gig economy, the stigma of a co-vo ministry calling remains in some minds. How might we proactively head this tension off at the pass by looking at what it means to be called in the first place? This merits a closer look.
The emphasis in calling rests with the One doing the calling – all would tend to agree with a truth so fundamental. However, for some reason, the actual calling itself and one being called receive most of the attention in practical terms. How can we turn this situation around? Part of the answer rests with how God himself describes our callings. He tells us through Peter’s pen, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9 ESV).
The calling of God is common to us all and it binds all of us together in a common identity and calling as followers of Jesus who are part of this race, priesthood, nation, and people (all collective entities) for the same purpose – the proclaim the excellencies of the One who called us out of darkness. This points to what we know as the priesthood of all believers which should level the playing field in regard to understanding our calling. The primary calling for us all is the call to be his followers (disciples) and so how we get paid seems rather secondary.
But there’s more. If we have fallen prey to the default classification of univocational (full-time) workers, co-vocational (part-time) workers, and then volunteers (non-paid) workers, how do we justify this in light of what we have just seen? If the terms full-time and part-time can be misleading, what about all those we refer to as volunteers? Are they called at all or are they left to decide if and when they are involved in the calling God has given to all of us?
Put this way, are there really any volunteers in the church? Is our own terminology part of the problem? Is this part of the reason that the priesthood of all believers becomes one of those great truths than seldom gets put into practice? It bears some careful thinking or re-thinking. Maybe our emphasis in calling needs to be given back the One doing the calling – that we have a Jesus calling after all.
And in the meantime for those co-vo pastors who still struggle with the “part-time” put down, Maxime Cauchon reminds us, “The ministry of co-vo is not the sum of two vocations, but their unification in Christ.”
Blayne Banting is Associate Professor of Preaching and Christian Ministry at Briercrest College and Seminary. He teaches in the areas of homiletics, church leadership, and spiritual formation, with a particular interest in creativity and humour in preaching. Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Blayne has served as both pastor and professor across Canada. He is the author of several books on preaching, including Taking Up Preaching: The Spheres of the Preaching Life (Wipf & Stock, 2023). Blayne is married to Peggy, and together they have four adult children and six grandchildren.