Am I Called? [eBook]

The Summons to Pastoral Ministry

Many men have the skills to lead a church, but only some are called. Dave Harvey helps men considering pastoral ministry to see God’s active role in the process of discerning their calling.

God’s Word offers a clear framework for evaluating one’s call, especially within the context of community. Harvey offers six diagnostic questions to help prospective pastors process their calling, and what they should be doing now if they aren’t sure. Illustrated with personal and historical stories, Harvey explores biblical and practical principles for determining the pastoral call.

Over the past twenty-four years of ministry, Harvey has enjoyed assisting many men in discerning whether they are called into ministry. This book will guide you through that all-important process with wisdom and confidence in God’s faithfulness in your life.

DAVE HARVEY (DMin, Westminster Theological Seminary) is responsible for church planting, church care, and international expansion for Sovereign Grace Ministries, having served on the leadership team since 1995. He is the author of Rescuing Ambition and When Sinners Say “I Do.”

“This is the fullest, most realistic, down-to-earth, and genuinely spiritual exploration of God’s call to pastoral ministry that I know. I recommend it most highly.”
—J. I. Packer, Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology, Regent College

“Every generation needs a fresh army of gospel men with a sense of destiny in their hearts. They aren’t looking for a job. They are following a call. God is setting them apart to pastoral service. Are you one of those men? Dave Harvey’s wise book will help you answer that question.”
—Raymond C. Ortlund Jr., Lead Pastor, Immanuel Church, Nashville, Tennessee

“Discerning God’s call with clarity is an ongoing challenge, but a necessary journey. Dave Harvey has written one of the most helpful, practical books on Christian calling that I’ve read. Am I Called? guides a wide range of readers, not just pastors, through God’s call to ministry in their lives. I know I will be sharing Am I Called? with many in the years to come.”
—Ed Stetzer, President, LifeWay Research; author, Subversive Kingdom

“Over the years I have been shocked and amazed at the number of men pursuing and engaging in pastoral ministry who doubted their call. In this accessible but biblical book, Dave Harvey helps those who are wrestling with God’s calling on their life. We need men with fire in their bones that simply must be in vocational ministry. Am I Called? will draw out such men.”
—Darrin Patrick, Lead Pastor, The Journey, St. Louis, Missouri; Vice President, Acts 29; Chaplain to the St. Louis Cardinals; author, The Dude’s Guide to Manhood

“As a young man, I wrestled with the issue Dave Harvey wisely and skillfully addresses in this book. I’m glad a generation of young men can find in these pages the help that I was looking for thirty years ago.”
—Bob Lepine, Pastor, Redeemer Community Church; Co-Host, FamilyLife Today

“The issue of the call to pastoral ministry is a complicated one, involving matters of character, technical ability, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In this book, Dave Harvey offers a good overview of the things that anyone contemplating the ministry needs to consider. In an accessible, conversational style, Dave guides the reader through the biblical teaching on this matter—carefully balancing the external and the internal aspects of the call. He also provides apposite anecdotes from church history to illustrate his points. Full of wisdom and wit, Am I Called? is a delightful and challenging book for potential ministers, their wives, and, indeed, those already in the ministry to read. Highly commended.”
—Carl R. Trueman, Pastor, Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, Ambler, Pennsylvania; Professor of Church History, Westminster Theological Seminary; author, The Creedal Imperative and Luther on the Christian Life

“The history of the church is marked and marred by the ‘ministries’ of unqualified men. The reason I am glad to recommend Am I Called? is that Dave Harvey sets the call to pastoral ministry in the biblical context: the calling from God and the calling from and to a local church. May God use this book to raise up a whole new generation of men who are called, equipped, and competent for the work he (and we) have called them to.”
—Tim Challies, blogger, Challies.com; author, The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment

“My appreciation for this book is matched only by a sense of frustration that it wasn’t around when I was considering my call to pastoral ministry. Dave Harvey manages to explain and insist upon the biblical qualifications for pastors without being discouraging or legalistic. Most importantly, the good news about Jesus is the heartbeat of this clear and engaging book. If you are considering entering into pastoral ministry, Am I Called? will act as a faithful mirror and friend. If you are already a pastor, it will renew your passion for raising up the next generation of ministers.”
—Mike McKinley, former pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church; author, Church Planting Is for Wimps: How God Uses Messed-up People to Plant Ordinary Churches That Do Extraordinary Things

“According to the Apostle Paul, faithful gospel ministry must include entrusting that ministry to others who will carry it on. Am I Called? will be of immense help to both those wondering whether they are called into gospel ministry, and to the pastors in position to help them figure that out. I know of no other book that does the important, practical work this book gets done and does so well. Am I Called? is marked by both wise, practical insight and a strong gospel vibrancy. I will be putting this book to regular use with young men at my church, and I’m glad to be able to highly recommend it.”
—Mike Bullmore, Senior Pastor, Crossway Community Church, Bristol, Wisconsin