Answering the Call: Understanding And Responding To The Call To Full-Time Ministry

“Ron Lewis has helped more young people answer the Call to ministry than anybody I know. These principles will guide you confidently into the purposes of God.”

Dr. Rice Broocks, Co-founder, Every Nation,

Author of God’s Not Dead and Man, Myth, Messiah

WHAT IS FULL-TIME MINISTRY?

“‘Come follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once, they left their nets and followed him.” Matthew 4:19-20

What do you think of when you hear the phrase, “full-time ministry?” Maybe you think of a man in a collar or flowing robes, a preacher on TV, or a missionary in the bush of Africa, the frozen tundra of Siberia, or the jungles of the Amazon. Perhaps you think of a campus minister who has helped you get to know Jesus in a personal way. To a degree, these can all be examples of full-time ministry. From here on, when I use the phrase “full-time ministry,” I am mindful that all ministry—in every sphere of life—is a full-time calling. However, for the sake of clarity in this book, when I refer to full-time ministry, I am referring to a man or woman whose primary occupation is gospel ministry and all it entails.

Full-time ministry is a job, a vocation, and a career, but, as we will see, it is so much more.

This subject is often misunderstood and usually brings with it a handful of questions:

•Does God want you to go into full-time ministry? (Chapter 2)

•What is the real difference between a Christian who works a “secular job” and a full-time minister? (Chapter 3)

•Does it please God more if you are a full-time minister? (Chapter 3)

•If I go into ministry, where do I begin? (Chapter 5)

•What will it cost me to follow Jesus into full-time ministry? (Chapter 7)

•How can I be paid for doing Christian ministry? (Chapter 9)

Ron Lewis
For more than 25 years, Ron Lewis has been a leader and innovator in Christian ministry, planting churches, pastoring, funding projects for orphans, serving persecuted churches, and raising up a generation of young people to further God’s kingdom. His unique ability to connect vision with action has resulted in dozens of initiatives that have helped lives, and shaping churches worldwide.

Upon graduating from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Ron helped establish a campus ministry that grew into a diverse, multi-site congregation, King’s Park International Church. Immediately following 9/11, with the help of Every Nation Churches, Ron co-founded a dynamic, growing church in New York City (Every Nation New York) The church is reaching the greater metropolitan area of New York City with five sites and extending into New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Ron has helped start more than 100 churches in the United States and multiple nations around the world; most all are known for being multi-ethnic. Ron has founded numerous ministries and organizations including Jordan Lewis Missions, the award-winning Youth Life Foundation of the Triangle, and more. Ron is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and received his theological training from Reformed Theological Seminary. He is the author of Standing on the Word, Answering the Call, and contributed to Living the Second Mile Life which was edited by Bill Bright as his last book.

Ron resides in Raleigh-Durham, NC, and New York City, with his wife Lynette Lewis who is an inspirational speaker, business consultant, and author of Climbing the Ladder in Stilettos and Remember the Roses. Ron and Lynette frequently travel and minister together in churches, conferences, and with leadership teams. They have four sons, twin daughters, three beautiful daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren.