Resilience and Success of African American Pastors

The calling of God on the life of a man or woman in the work of ministry is a tasking that only the hand of God can make known into the lives of those called to serve and commit to this work. “Serving as a pastor (or church leader) in a local church is a special and wonderful calling from God to shepherd his people or flock” (Tan, 2019, p. 3). It is more than a job; it’s a vocation that is designed for those who have a love for God and a strong love for people. The calling of God in a pastor’s life is comparable to a summons. Barth asserts; “each person has a distinct vocation that is the basis for obedience to the divine summons” (Joynt, 2019, p. 113). It is not for the faint in heart; for the journey can be a monumental walk with a heartfelt, heart-warming, and determination that leads to something with an assurance that this role is the one for the right person. The ultimate goal for pastors is to make this work with a stake of professionalism while simultaneously serving to be effective and bring forth a state of excellence in this position (Muhammad, 2018).
Further research on the topic of establishing the success and role of pastors in one of the largest Pentecostal movements in Christendom is by way of the Church of God in Christ. Many of the clergymen in this group are ordained and appointed to serve as pastors, ministers without any formal theological education. To deny a person their calling in this denomination would be a travesty before God because a call to them comes directly from God. The research revealed how men and women defend their identities in this field despite the educational deficiencies, restricted labor market, gender discrimination which threatens both the legitimacy and their desire to walk into their calling as clergymen (Pitt, 2012). Pitt writes; “Most Protestant denominations affirm the idea that there must be a specific encounter with God that leads people to devote their lives to ministry” (Pitt, 2012, p. 9). This “call to ministry” brings legitimacy to the Lord’s work they are committed to doing in their everyday lives (Pitt, 2012).
Success does not happen without any effort, any direct focus, or from longing and passion that cannot be quenched just by imagining; it has to be active, driven, and purposeful. The clergymen in the Church of God in Christ see the passion in a different light. In the body of Christ, there is what is known as the laity, the men and women who are members of a local congregation. When a person has a passion to move beyond the pews of just attending, their passion kicks into another drive. The men in ministry see that their lives are set apart from their peers and they are called to a higher level of passion for the work of ministry than those who are unlicensed in the church (Pitt, 2012). The passion further is a heightened view for their commitment and dedication to the work of ministry, which gives their excitement and joy of ministry the sustaining and endurance it needs to stay the course (Pitt, 2012).
“Every successful journey requires a starting point, an ending point, and a reason” (Moore, 2017, p. 3). The journey to explore the engagement and successes of one of the leading Pentecostal movements in the world will provide valuable research and a map for pastors hoping to become on the cutting edge and stand head to head with great men around the globe.
There needs to be a clear distinction between being successful and being professional as it pertains to ministry. One of the most respected authors of pastoral care is John Piper, and his spiritual view of professionalism is greatly noted from a spiritual and godly perspective. “We pastors are being killed by the professionalizing of the pastoral ministry…Professionalism has nothing to do with the essence and heart of the Christian ministry" (Tan, 2019, p. 12). Being knowledgeable, skillful, and having our competence and abilities skillset doesn't make us the expert in ministry (Tan, 2019). In many Christian denominations, they have to convince a credentialing body that they have received a vertical call (Pitt, 2012, p. 43); to some this type of call is downplayed in that if it does not have some explicitly supernatural experience (Pitt, 2012).
Ordination is an important sanctioning of men called into ministry. Once a minister carries out the training and principles required of them to become licensed, the next step is to pursue the official stamp of approval of their divine calling. “Clergy in denominations like COGIC are more likely than the others to cite the “importance of their conviction that God wishes them to be ordained and their belief that through the ordained ministry they can serve God better” (Pitt, 2012, p. 45).