General Baptist churches are having great difficulty finding candidates to fill their pastorate positions.
The Answering the Call initiative is an intentional focus with the primary goal of raising up leaders to fill those pastorates.
In addition to the primary goal, this emphasis will encourage men and women in other ministry-related callings as well.
We encourage all General Baptist churches to observe an Answering the Call Sunday in the next year.
Answering the Call Sunday is a service focused on inviting Christians to respond to God’s call to ministry.
Send an email to travis.stephens@generalbaptist.com to let us know when your Answering the Call Sunday is scheduled, and we will ask our prayer partners to pray specifically for your church leading up to that Sunday.
Calling Mentor Guide
We’re praying and believing that many men and women are going to accept God’s call to ministry. To help prepare them, we’ve created a guide that pastors and church leaders can use to mentor someone who is feeling called to ministry.
Answering the Call Sunday
To help churches host their own Answering the Call Sunday we’ve put together a set of resources you can use as a guide to help prepare for that day.
Five Priorities of Answering the Call
Pray
General Baptist Ministries will provide a variety of prayer resources that focus on men and women being called to ministry. Jesus himself identified prayer as the answer in Matthew 9:37-38.
Invite
Pastors and church leaders will be encouraged to appeal to listeners in their sermons and conversations to respond to God’s call on their lives.
Mentor
Pastors will be given resources and strategies to provide on-the-job training by mentoring people through their local church.
Equip
General Baptist Ministries will assist the called by providing various training and curriculum specific to their callings.
Send
General Baptist Ministries will network with churches, associations, and organizations to connect the called with the ministries God has called them to.