I am pained, for example, by the number of guys directed to seminary or formal ministry who never should have been because church communities were confused about what is normal for men in the church. I have several friends from my seminary days who are now not only out of vocational ministry altogether but also working in vocations that are completely disconnected from the church. Many are finally, at nearly 40 years old, working in vocations that they originally set out to do before they were misdirected by the whispers of church people who confuse spiritual maturity and vibrancy in young men with a “call to ministry.” This trend actually reveals the sad state of an American evangelical gynocentric church: Spiritually interested young men are the exception rather than the expectation. These men tend to stand out because their twentysomething men peers are generally absent in most churches and many of the others present are going through religious motions, attending because of parental legalism, or because of girlfriend or wife pressure. This vocational mismatch is actually not good for the church because it can put leaders in positions they should not be in and usually negatively affects the entire church community in the long-run. We can avoid this.Read the rest.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Mishandling Twentysomething Males in the Church
Dr. Anthony Bradley:
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1 comment:
That's a really interesting perspective. I know I was one of those twentysomthing Males that just assumed I should go into vocational ministry because I was a "theology guy". I'm very grateful that God placed a pastor in my life that was willing to give me leadership opportunities (including an internship) but was wise enough to help me understand that it may not be my calling. He convinced me to finish college with a practical degree in case God had different plans for my life than I had. I thank God often for this wise council and think we need to give others the same.
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