The ministerial call system is one aspect of Baptist polity that has recently generated discussions. Questions have been raised regarding what the proper understanding and practice should be. We have called people’s attention to some erroneous practices of the call system. This paper provides an opportunity for a convention-wide conversation on this vital aspect of Baptist life.
The ministerial call system may be defined as a method “by which every local church extends a call to a theologically trained minister of the Nigerian Baptist Convention to serve in the church. And every minister answers the invitation to serve God through a local Baptist church.
After some considerable period of prayer, a church is led by the Holy Spirit to extend a call to a pastor to become their leader.
The pastor, in turn, seeks the face of God in response to this call of God through God’s people. If the Lord confirms the invitation, he or she accepts the call to that particular congregation” (Handbook, 2017, p. 7).
The above explains how the ministerial call system is understood and operated in the NBC and why using “employment” terminology is wrong to describe a pastor’s call to a church.
Theological cum Doctrinal Basis of the Call System
There are some theological or doctrinal foundations of the ministerial call system of the NBC. They include the following:
Autonomy of the local church
The autonomy of the local church is a foundational doctrine of the NBC. “Autonomy is the power for self-governing, self-financing, self-propagating, decision making and execution of such decisions exercisable only by the local church as prescribed in the Beliefs, Policies and Practices of the NBC and conformity with corporate decisions given under the leadership of the Holy Spirit” (NBC Constitution, 2024, p. 10). Every local church has the power, right and responsibility to decide who their pastor will be.
Soul competency
“This is the belief that every soul or person has the liberty of conscience to approach the throne of grace, read the Bible, and interpret it to both self and others.
It further shows that every believer has the Spirit of God and the competence to understand the Scripture and apply it to life” (NBC Constitution, 2024, p. 9).
Church members have the privilege to receive direction from the Spirit of God as to who their pastor will be, and every pastor has the privilege to confirm by the Spirit the call of a church. Where there are divergent opinions in a church, the majority’s position is adjudged the right path for the church.
Congregational polity
“This polity expresses the freedom to ensure that every Baptist member has to express himself or herself as guided by the Holy Spirit on any issue in the local church or at any larger gathering of the Convention.
It shows that the authority of the church or the Convention rests on the congregation and not on any individual” (NBC Constitution, 2024, p. 9).
History of the Call System in the NBC
The origin of the ministerial call system of the Baptist people dates back to their early beginnings in the 17th century. In Nigeria, the same has been the case. From 1888 to 1914, two parallel Baptist churches existed in Nigeria: those planted by the missionaries and those planted by the natives.
The Coming of Missionaries
The missionaries sent their assistants to the churches they planted, while the natives pastored the churches they planted. When the Convention was formed in 1914, the churches assumed the responsibility of calling their pastors (although the leaders; both natives and missionaries, served as go-betweens for churches and pastors).
The Leadership
In 1935, under the leadership of Dr J. C. Pinnock and Dr George Green, the Convention adopted a committee’s report to start posting pastors because of the need to merge the ministerial gifts of pastors with the needs of the churches.
This situation lasted till 1956 when the Convention held in Ibadan adopted a report of the Christian Workers’ Board, restoring the right to call pastors to the churches, in line with the practice in other Baptist Conventions and Unions worldwide.
Some churches continued to send requests to the Christian Workers’ Board for specific pastors and student pastors that they felt needed their services.
In 1966, at the Convention held in Kaduna, the Convention finally adopted the ministerial call system, aligning it with the practice of congregational church government. The policy has remained intact since (culled from the Handbook on the Ministerial Call System, 2017, pp. 8-10).
Suggested Alternatives to the Call System
Recently, some people have been called as transferring pastors or tenured pastors to respond to perceived challenges in the call system. However, the suggestions do not comply with Baptist polity and ethos.
Procedure for Calling a Minister
When the office of pastor is vacant or about to be vacant, the first step is to prayerfully and carefully set up a pastor search committee. The committee could comprise between five and seven persons, representing the broad spectrum of the church – diaconate, MMU, WMS, youth, and congregational representatives.
The Search Committee
The search committee members should be persons who understand where the church is coming from, where it is supposed to go, and the kind of pastoral leadership required to take it there.
After articulating the present situation of the church and the kind of pastoral leadership required, the search committee should take some time to share such a vision with the congregation for their input.
Prayer and Fasting
The church should designate ample time for prayer and fasting for God’s guidance in selecting a pastor. It must be noted that the goal of the pastor-search process is not just to get the pastor the church members want but to get the pastor the Lord wants for the church at this time. The church should be in prayer from the beginning to the end.
Process of Recommendations
The search committee should open the process for recommendation of names for consideration. Recommendations should be requested from members. Key denominational leaders may also be requested for recommendations. A period of time should be set for receiving such recommendations.
At the close of the recommendation period, the search committee should screen the names recommended, finding out as much as possible from the recommenders and any other persons who may know the pastors.
The screening Process
The screening process should lead to developing a shortlist of the persons recommended. The spiritual and leadership needs of the church should be prayerfully matched with the information discovered about the pastors, leading to a ranking of names in order of priority.
The next stage is for the search committee to make more detailed findings about the first name on their list. They should discreetly consult with persons who know the pastor well, including his/her teachers, friends, colleagues, etc.
The Enquiry Stage
This enquiry stage aims to get additional information, clarify any grey areas, and clear any doubts arising from the preliminary investigations. Very strategic in this stage is to anonymously visit the pastor’s present place of ministry, including Sunday worship service.
When the committee is satisfied with everything they have learned, it is time to approach the pastor. Only now should the pastor under consideration know what is going on.
Meeting and Interaction
They should approach the pastor, make their intentions known and give him/her time to pray and get back to them. If the pastor’s response to the committee is positive, then arrangements should be made for the pastor and the spouse to visit the church for interaction (not interview) with the search committee.
If everything goes well during the interaction, the committee will be ready to take the pastor’s name to the church.
Strategy
Since the decision to call a pastor lies in the congregation, arrangements should be made for the members to meet him/her. The pastor may be invited to worship with the church, not necessarily preaching at the service. The so-called “trial sermon” is not a true test of the abilities and gifts of a pastor.
Churches sometimes invite a pastor they are considering for a call to lead a programme at the church without him or the members knowing the intention. This might lead to a better outcome than the “show” of trial sermons.
Report of the Committee
Having met the pastor and received the report of their committee, the church should decide to accept or reject the search committee’s recommendation. This should be done at a Church-in-Conference held for that purpose.
Wrong Steps/Motives
It should be noted that considering multiple pastors for a call is very wrong. The committee should handle the shortlisted pastors once at a time. The first person on the list should be worked on as recommended above.
The committee should only go to the second-ranked person if they find something in their investigations that disqualifies the first pastor or if the pastor declines. A church should consider pastors once at a time in the process of ministerial call.
The search committee should carry the church along through the Church-in-Conference at every stage of the process outlined above. They should not wait till the last minute to report to the church.
Erroneous Practices Regarding the Call System
Some erroneous practices have arisen regarding the ministerial call process. These include:
- Considering multiple pastors simultaneously for a call: This is against our polity as indicated in the Beliefs, Policies and Practices of the NBC 2015, p. 19 and Handbook on the Ministerial Call System, 2017, p. 19). Considering multiple pastors simultaneously compromises the spirituality of the process, undermines the dignity of the ministerial call and may engender lobbying.
- Asking pastors to submit curriculum vitae: Churches should desist from doing this. There are several other ways to obtain information about a pastor than requiring the submission of a CV. However, after a church has decided to call a pastor, they should request him or her to submit photocopies of their academic credentials, especially their theological education credentials.
- Pastors submitting copies of CVs to churches: It has been reported that some pastors widely submit their CVs to churches in the solicitation of a call. This is demeaning of the ministerial call and should be discouraged.
Ending a Pastor’s Ministry in a Church
One reason for the call to reconsider the call system of the NBC relates to pastors’ disengagement from churches. The claim is that it makes it difficult when there is the need to disengage a pastor from a church. However, the conditions and process for a pastor’s disengagement from a church are clear, as articulated in the Handbook on the Ministerial Call System of the NBC.
The conditions for disengaging a pastor from the ministry of a church could be as follows:
- Retirement age
- Prolonged sickness – beyond six months. A church is expected to show care to such a pastor even beyond the service years.
- Inefficiency – which is evident to the majority of the members. The pastor’s attention should have been called to this at least twice in writing. The Associational Moderator, Consultant and Conference President should have been notified to encourage the pastor to improve his/her performance. The decision has to with the disengagement of such a pastor must be made at the Church-in-Conference.
- Serial crises orchestrated by the pastor.
- Misconduct warranting disciplinary action: Not all forms of misconduct may warrant disengagement, but the pastor involved in the misconduct should first be given the option of resignation.
- Conviction by the Holy Spirit.
The process for disengaging a pastor from a church should include:
- Interaction: The church and the pastor should discuss it and have the same spirit as recorded in Genesis: 13: 8-12.
- Notice should be given (three months): The option of paying salaries in lieu of notice should be discouraged in the spirit of love and Christian mutuality.
- Financial matters should be settled: All financial obligations should be discussed and attended to.
Conclusion
The ministerial call system of the NBC arises from core Baptist distinctive of autonomy of the local church, soul competency, and congregational polity. Churches must correctly understand their tenets and operations to avoid some of the abuses being witnessed today.
Sources
Beliefs, Policies and Practices of the Nigerian Baptist Convention. 2015. Ibadan: BP Productions.
Handbook on the Ministerial Call System of the Nigeria Baptist Convention. 2017. Ibadan: Baptist Press.
Scheme of Service of the Nigerian Baptist Convention. 2021. Ibadan: Baptist Press.
The Constitution and Regulations of the Nigerian Baptist Convention. 2024. Ibadan: BP Productions.
Rev Prof. John O. Enyinnaya
Vice President, Ministerial, NBC
