The term ‘minister’ is the one we commonly use today to speak about someone who is appointed by the church to preach the gospel. The first place the word ‘minister’ is used in Scripture is in reference to Joshua as servant of Moses (Ex. 24:13). In New Testament Greek the same underlying word is used for ‘servant’ (Mt. 26:58; Jn.18:36), ‘officer’ (Mt. 5:25; Jn. 7:46) and ‘minister’ (Lk. 1:2, 4:20; Acts 13:5; 1 Cor. 4:1). However it is clearly understood in 1 Corinthians 3:5-6 to refer to Paul and Apollos as those who preach the Word:

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

In 1 Thessalonians 3:2 Timothy is called a ‘minister of God’ again with reference to him being a preacher of the Word.

Who then Should be in the Ministry?⤒🔗

The man who takes upon himself such a high calling must first be born again. In the past in Scotland, and still in the present, there were those who entered the ministry as a career, with no grace in their hearts, and so no desire to see lost souls saved. Interestingly, even in such dark days of Presbyterianism, there was no suggestion that women would be allowed into the ministry. Scripture makes clear that the leading and teaching has to be done by men.

But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
1 Tim. 2:12

While there have been notable special cases throughout church history of God using men of little experience, that should be seen as the exception. A minister should normally be a man with a good measure of Christian experience and one who has had some exposure to the pressures that come with living the ‘ordinary’ Christian life as a follower of Christ in the world.

Such experience of life will undoubtedly be helpful in dealing prayerfully with pastoral problems as well as in preparing suitable sermons to deal with difficult situations which inevitably arise. However, while this should always be considered by a Kirk Session and Presbytery, it must be recognised that the Lord can and does equip some in ways that make up for any shortcomings in such matters.

A good standard of education is important, and those especially gifted should be encouraged to foster such a gift. With this said, we know that letters after a name never made anyone a good preacher of the Word. It is far more important for any applicant to have what is asked of a man at his ordination, namely; ‘zeal for the honour of God, love to Jesus Christ, and desire of saving souls’.

A minister is first and foremost a preacher of the Gospel and as has been said by another, ‘Preaching is the primary task of the church, and therefore of the minister of the church, (and) everything else is subsidiary to this’.

Some ‘Musts’ when Considering Applying for the Ministry←⤒🔗

1. A candidate must first give himself to prayer to seek to be sure that his desire arises from the leading of the Holy Spirit and not from his own carnal desires or pride in his own abilities.
    
2. He must therefore be someone called of God; that is, a man who is totally convinced of his call and that he is being led by the Lord to take such a step.
    
3. He must be convinced of all the doctrines of the Word and recognise in himself a God-given gift to expound that Word.
    
4. He must be disciplined in his Christian life and not prone to be easily distracted or waste time even on other lawful matters.
    
5. He must be willing to put his perceived gift to the test and be agreeable to preach before others to confirm his gift before embarking on full-time studies.
    
6. He must therefore have the approval of more experienced brethren and his Kirk Session.
    
7. He must be a diligent reader of the Word and of doctrinal books with a hunger to learn more, to equip himself to preach the Word faithfully and clearly.
    
8. He must seek to recognise the difference between a desire to do what he can as a follower of Christ to see His kingdom extended here on earth (as every believer does) and the call to the full-time ministry.
    
9. He must be a ‘people person’ who does not find it difficult to speak with people on a personal level and should be found approachable by young and old.
    
10. He must realise that everyone and everything, even family, are to be subordinate to his responsibilities to any people he is set over.
     
11. He must be willing to accept that if he is not encouraged by those over him, that he may be wrong in his perceived call and humbly defer to their advice.
     
12. He must, even after officially beginning his training, be open to the fact that he may not be academically gifted enough or may have been mistaken as to the Lord’s leading, and therefore may need humbly to look to another avenue of service.

Some ‘Musts’ when Ordained to the Ministry←⤒🔗

1. He must give time to prepare himself even before preparing his sermon.
    
2. He must give much time to prayerfully prepare sermons.
    
3. He must give thought to the type of preaching that his congregation need.
    
4. He must therefore know his people and show that he has a love for their souls.
    
5. He must be a regular visitor in the homes of his people.
    
6. He must be willing to preach, as the need arises, on subjects that may not be palatable to all.
    
7. He must remember the important place his office­-bearers have, especially his Kirk Session, in the holy work of ruling the congregation.
    
8. He must give an example of a holy life, and so needs to rule his own home well.
    
9. He must know where the boundary lies between familiarity with his congregation and the separation his office requires.
    
10. He must continually be aware of his own need to continue learning.
     
11. He must diligently work at keeping his own soul right with God.
     
12. He must ensure all his sermons lead to Christ.