Pie Buddies: Matt & Annika Winter
Topic: Considering Vocational Christian Ministry
So, the journey begins! I couldn’t risk interviewing a dud
for Round 1, otherwise the journey might be ruined before it began. With that
in mind, Matt and Annika seemed like the perfect choice. And since Becks
Bakehouse is just down the road from their place, the choice of location was
also a no-brainer.
The bakery is quite small inside, but has a good range of
pies, breads, cakes and other delicious things. The service was quite good –
everyone working there seemed polite, and looked as though they enjoyed being
there, which is always a good sign. My pepper steak pie and donut were both
pretty good, although the donut didn’t seem particularly fresh. The pie was a
decent size and had decent chunks of beef and just the right amount of
spiciness. No matter what happened though, this one was always going to rank
number one for at least a couple of days, seeing as it was the first one I
tried. But I was happy with it – definitely $7.70 well spent.
We took lunch back to Matt and Annika’s place as there
wasn’t much in the way of seating at the bakery. And then we got chatting. The
topic seemed quite appropriate, as I’m about to begin a two year stint in
ministry, while Matt has also been weighing up the option of vocational
ministry for several years.
Matt and I have been good friends for about five years,
dating back to our university days when he was the Adelaide Uni Evangelical
Students (ES) president. He is someone I hold in extremely high regard as a
wise and loving Christian friend. Matt and Annika got married early last year,
and have always strongly considered how vocational ministry would look in their
life together. I was sure they would have an interesting and helpful
perspective on this topic, having grappled with it themselves for a while.
Matt has had the possibility of church ministry on his mind
since his ES president days, with the two main staffworkers on campus at the
time – who had both strongly encouraged him to undertake a ministry
apprenticeship – being major influences in his thinking. Both Matt and I have
been regular attendees of the Christian Vocation conference run once a year in
Adelaide, which has enabled us to get a broader perspective of what Christian
ministry looks like. Matt served for a period of time as an elder at his previous
church, so he has some idea of what it looks like to work in a church
environment. He has had the opportunity to preach in church and do a lot of
logistical work. Obviously full-time ministry would be a big change though.
“I definitely see great value in employing people full time
for ministry,” Matt said thoughtfully, between mouthfuls, “but at the same time
we’re not looking to rush into it just yet. It’s a big responsibility, a big
privilege, to be in that role, so it’s something I’d be fairly cautious about
going into. After all, probably only 1% of Christians will actually be
full-time vocational ministry workers.”
It’s definitely a fair point, I think. Deciding whether
you’re the right person (or right people) for such a privileged position is a
big call. God’s word sets quite a high standard for the people who are
appointed as overseers (that is, those who teach and lead) of the church:
If anyone sets his
heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be
above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled,
respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent
but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own
family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (1 Timothy
3:1-4)
And giving up secular work isn’t always automatically the
right decision. “I’m also not sure what the right amount of time to spend in
the workforce is,” Matt continues. “Obviously it’s different for everyone depending
on the circumstances. There are benefits to ministry and secular work that you
wouldn’t get elsewhere. So knowing what the right amount of time to wait for is
never easy.”
And of course it’s one thing to make this decision as a
single person, but being married changes the dynamics completely. And Annika is
clear that although getting timing right is important for her, she is 100%
committed to whatever Matt’s ministry ends up looking like. And that’s
important, because they both know that if Matt takes on vocational ministry,
Annika will be heavily invested in it as well. “What areas of ministry do you
enjoy?” I asked her. “I like kids, catching up with people, sharing peoples’
lives,” she replied, enthusiastically. Fortunately all three of those things
are quite prominent in ministry. It’s clear that there are many aspects of
ministry that both Matt and Annika will not only enjoy, but be well suited to.
But there are many things to take into account. Finances are
a big one – ministry is hardly a get-rich-quick career path (or a
get-rich-at-all career path for that matter), so there is a need to make sure
that it is a feasible option, particularly as Annika is planning to do more
study in the future. Family (both current and future) is also a big consideration
– they are both well aware that over-investing in ministry at the expense of
investing properly in your children can have disastrous consequences. And, of
course, knowing whether Matt is suitable for full time ministry. His preference
is to undertake a ministry apprenticeship at some stage before proceeding to
Bible College, to get a feel for whether he is cut out for ministry. I can
completely understand this, as it’s exactly what I’m doing.
Thinking back to what Matt said earlier, only a small proportion
of Christians will ever undertake vocational ministry. The Bible makes it clear
that different people have different abilities and gifts that they are called
to use. And from a logical point of view, not every Christian could be a
full-time vocational Gospel worker, otherwise there would be nobody to support
them financially. The point is, this isn’t a path for every Christian to take.
“For someone thinking through the possibility of ministry,” I ask Matt, “What
would you suggest would be some signs that they are suitable for ministry?”
Matt thinks about it for a bit. “I think the first step would be to ask people
that you trust and respect, people who know you, to get their honest opinion on
it. Also, you should already be involved in ministry of some sort – and enjoy
doing it – otherwise you’re unlikely to be suitable for doing it as a job.”
I walked out of Matt and Annika’s house in quite a good
mood. It had been an encouraging chat, hearing about how this couple that I
respect and admire so much are approaching this decision with such humility and
dependence on God. Seeing how willing Annika was not only to support Matt but
to joyfully carry out her role in his ministry as well was fantastic to hear.
As Christians, we are all called to a life of full-time ministry, although only
a small fraction will actually take it on as a full-time paid occupation.
Choosing to pursue vocational ministry is a huge commitment. But given the need
for Christians to be encouraged and equipped, and for the Christian message to
be heard and believed all around the world, my prayer is that more mature,
capable, godly men and women like Matt and Annika would be strongly and
prayerfully considering such a commitment.
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