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The process of discerning one's call to ordained ministry is not easily described. There are, however,
several resources which offer guidance on discerning vocation. I will mention only three such resources in this
two-part series.
 In his book, The Purpose of the Church and Its Ministry: Reflections on the Aims of
Theological Education, H. Richard Niebuhr subdivides "call" into four components:
The Call to Be a Christian
The Secret Call
The Providential Call
The Ecclesiastical Call
The Call to Be a Christian is the universal call to become a learning fellow of Jesus Christ. Every Christian
participates in the "priesthood of all believers." All Christians are called to minister to one another and charged
to determine how one's particular gifts and talents may be used.
The Secret Call is that private, individual calling. It is not easily discerned and may even be confusing. For some
it comes slowly, for others suddenly; for some it seems an obvious continuation of events, for others a
life-changing transformation. Discerning the secret call requires considerable time for prayer, reflection and dialogue with
others before some clarity begins to emerge. This clarity may include the closing of one door as easily as the opening
of another while one's sense of call emerges and changes.
The Providential Call emerges when considering one's God-given talents. The Secret Call must be given
parallel consideration in light of one's talents, abilities and interests. "How may I best use my talents, abilities and
interests while living a life of faith? Where do these three intersect and how may I `build-up' the
community of faith at that intersection?" This is the time to test and evaluate such questions and whether
you have the motivation and interest, the energy and talents, the intelligence and potential, to match
the direction of your secret call. If these have not been provided, you may need to honestly
re-examine your sense of call and consider another way to carry out your ministry for Christ.
The Ecclesiastical Call to ordained ministry in the Congregational Way is centered in the
local church. The ecclesia (the called ones, the local church) functions as the community voice
confirming or correcting an individual's understanding of his or her call. The local church, or home
church, must be active in this process through the preparation, oversight, consultation, examination and
the ordaining of those considering professional ministry. Theological institutions guide and test the
abilities of ministry candidates. A search committee seeks an individual whose abilities and skills match with the
particular needs of their church. But it is the local church, in its calling of an individual to become their spiritual leader,
which ultimately decides if the candidate possesses the four elements of call to ordained ministry: the awareness of a
call to be a Christian, the inner urgency, the awareness of one's gifts, and a call from God's people to a
particular function.
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