@gus b. sadewa

Is it appropriate to see ministry as a profession? Some Christians believe that pastoral ministers are called of God, and therefore it is mistaken to treat them as professional. Others say, “If we ‘professionalize’ ministry, we reduce it to mere administrative work and pay no attention to its spiritual aspect. Ministry is unique; it cannot be compared to other professions.” I find all these beliefs, though not totally false, are at least partially true. My conviction is that pastoral ministry as a spiritual calling and pastoral ministry as a profession complement each other. Furthermore, regarding pastoral ministry as a profession only helps improve the quality of the practice of ministry; it does not bring any disadvantages to it. Along the similar vein, Richard Gula (1996) comments, “It seems to me that we have more to gain than to lose by qualifying pastoral ministry as a profession, by expecting pastoral ministers to act professionally, and by holding them accountable as professionals” (p. 11).

Besides, I am afraid that if we were to move apart pastoral ministry from professional requirements in every way, we would develop a bad attitude that having a religious calling exempts us from being held accountable to professional standards. With this attitude we are actually hiding behind the name of God to avoid fulfilling our moral responsibilities. We plead to be treated in a special way, whereas in fact we excuse for offering others low quality services or even malpractices.

Historically, the development of the professions shows that the words “profession” and “calling” were once closely connected (Wiest & Smith, 1990; Gula, 1996). But now it seems to have lost that connection. The word “profession” comes from Latin words, pro fateri, which meaning has to do with making a public statement. In the beginning, according to Gaylord Noyce (1988), the words were commonly used by monks and nuns for taking a vow upon joining their order.

The verb “to profess” also supports the idea. To profess means “to stand for something.” What we profess to be describes our basic commitment to the community we are joining in. Today, through the process of secularization, the term “profession” or “professional” no longer applies just to religious communities. Be that as it may, it continues to carry the idea of being driven by a commitment to providing care and serving the interests of others.