Article 23; Of Ministering in the Congregation: it is not lawful for any man to take upon him the office of public preaching, or ministering the Sacraments in the congregation, before he be lawfully called, and sent to execute the same. And those we ought to judge lawfully called and sent, which be chosen called to this work by men who have public authority given unto them in the congregation, to call and send Ministers into the Lord’s vineyard.
Article 24; Of speaking in the Congregation in such a tongue as the people understand: It is a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God, and the custom of the Primitive Church to have Prayer in the church, or to minister the Sacraments in a tongue not understood by the people.
Articles 23/24 Address the issues:
1) Who is a minister.
2) How to minister
Christians have often disagreed as to what human authority (if any) is needed to be a preacher of God’s word. Some say an inner conviction of God’s call is the sole requirement. Others insist on selection, training and ordination by the church before any public ministry. The 39 articles come much closer to the second position. This is for two reasons. First, a strong doctrine of the church teaches that although a preacher preaches God’s word in God’s name, they are to be called by the church. Secondly, a suspicion of excessive individualism (people selfishly nominating themselves claiming to be called) leads to insistence that calling must at the very least be ratified by the church.
In fact Article 23 does not only say that a call must be ratified by the church; it argues that the call will normally come from the church. The preacher is to be called and sent by those with authority in the church to call and send.
The question now is, where does God come into this? And what about the inner call? Obviously God is not left out and the inner call is not denied. But an important lesson must be learned, no-one can be sure of God’s call unless it comes through his ministers. “And no man takes this honour to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify Himself to became high priest but it was He who said to Him. “you are my son, today I have begotten you… You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 5: 4-6).
So it is by His ministers that God calls and sends new ministers and sends them to preach. The article wisely insists that only the more senior ministers be given the role of calling and sending others. Historically this duty has usually been reserved to bishops.
Even when one has the inner conviction he does not single-handed make himself a minister of the word but must wait for the approval of older ministers. The twelve apostles did not start their ministry until Jesus commissioned and sent them. (Matt.10). When Paul was called on the way to Damascus he went to Jerusalem to receive full authority from the leaders of the church in Jerusalem. Even in Antioch, the church laid hands on Barnabas and Paul and sent them on the mission. (Acts 13: 3).
The point to note here is that the church appoints one as her minister and not one appointing himself as the church’s minister. “I did not send these prophets but they ran. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied (Jer. 23: 21). “How can they preach unless they are sent?” (Romans 10: 15).
Article 24 deals with an important aspect of how ministry is to be exercised. The point about using a language understood by the people was to ensure that English rather than Latin was used for public worship in England. In the same vein it is repugnant using English or any other foreign language (or even a Nigeria language other than theirs) to minister to rural dwellers with about 70% illiterates. It is equally an absurdity speaking in tongues in the congregation when no body understands and no body interprets. It neither glorifies God nor edifies the church.
The basic job of the preacher is to communicate God’s word. He must get to know his people so well on their level in a way they accept. Then he must put God’s word into words for them. By so doing God’s miracle of grace turns man’s words to God’s word. The preacher and his congregation must pray hard for the active involvement of God’s Spirit; without the Spirit the whole exercise is a waste of time, but with the Spirit, the word becomes gloriously powerful, turning a human-planned church service into a time of meeting and hearing the God who lives and speaks.
In summary, this call is God’s planting the desire for vocational ministry, and His persuading both the man and his Christian brothers that, when tested by scripture, he has the qualifications which would reasonably point to proclaiming the Gospel and building up the church work as his work.
No one should ever assume that he is called to the Christian ministry merely because he is unable to get a job or he has failed at everyone he has tried. The Christian ministry needs and deserves the very best and most capable men. Ideally they should be those who could have got to the very top in any other field but could not resist the overwhelming constraint which the divine hand placed on them.
Your brother and friend
‘Seyi Pirisola