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When is someone truly ready to step into ministry?
Is it when they’ve finished Bible college? When they’ve memorized Scripture? When they’re eloquent in front of crowds?
According to the Bible, readiness begins with the heart.
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
— Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
Readiness for ministry is not just about what you know—but who you are becoming.
The Church of the Nazarene holds to this deeply. Ministers are not just messengers of the gospel. They are models of Christian growth and maturity.
“The minister must likewise have a deep sense of the necessity of believers going on to perfection and developing the Christian graces in practical living, that their ‘love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.’”
— Manual ¶502.4, quoting Philippians 1:9
In other words, readiness for ministry means:
- Having a vision for holiness not just for oneself, but for others
- Believing that people can be transformed, sanctified, and made new
- Possessing a strong appreciation of salvation and Christian ethics
The Church teaches that a minister must be both a preacher of the Word and a practitioner of the Word. It’s not enough to explain theology—you must live it, love it, and lead others into it.
Paul reminded Timothy:
“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
— 1 Timothy 4:16 (NIV)
This means the true measure of readiness is spiritual maturity—a life rooted in Christ, overflowing with love, wisdom, and moral clarity.
The Manual puts it this way:
“One who would minister in the Church of the Nazarene must have a strong appreciation of both salvation and Christian ethics.”
— Manual ¶502.4
In summary, readiness is not a certificate or credential. It’s a holy hunger—to know God deeply, live rightly, serve humbly, and lead faithfully.
