Attempting to run a marathon without any proper training would be foolish, and possibly deadly. Your mind, legs, and lungs are not able to run that type of distance naturally.
To pursue pastoral ministry without proper training would be even more detrimental to yourself and others.
That training could include seminary. However, there are two components more vital than seminary to ministry preparation—joining a church and following faithful pastors.
You may think these go without saying, yet they need to be stated and restated. The training that comes from joining a church and following faithful pastors is invaluable and irreplaceable.
Joining a Local Church
The New Testament is clear: identifying with Christ necessarily includes identifying with his people (Matt. 16:18, Acts 2:47, Heb. 10:24–25). The church is the family of God—the new covenant community. In aspiring to be a leader within this family, you must first join the family, which is formalized through church membership.
Joining before leading is common sense. Apart from joining a church, you’ll have nothing more than assumptions about how the church functions and lives as a local body. You learn so much within the church that shapes how you would lead a church.
As a member, aspiring pastors
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