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The Path to Being a Pastor: A Guide for the Aspiring
A man who’s been transformed by Christ and desires to preach the gospel might say he feels called to be a pastor. This personal conviction, while heartfelt, doesn’t acknowledge important, challenging steps necessary to be a qualified leader. So where should full-time ministry begin? In The Path to Being a Pastor, Bobby Jamieson explains why it’s better to emphasize “aspiration” over “calling” as men pursue the office of elder and encourages readers to make sure they are pastorally gifted before considering the role. He shares from his own eleven-year experience preparing to be a pastor by walking potential leaders through different stages of ministry training, from practical steps―such as cultivating godly ambition and leadership, observing healthy churches, and mastering Scripture―to personal advice on building a strong family and succeeding in seminary. Emphasizing the importance of prayer, godly counsel, and immersion in the local church, Jamieson encourages men to ask Am I qualified? instead of Am I called? when considering a life in ministry.
192 pages, Paperback
Published August 17, 2021
74 people are currently reading
575 people want to read
About the author
Bobby Jamieson
30 books45 followersBobby Jamieson is a Ph.D. student in New Testament and affiliated lecturer in New Testament Greek at the University of Cambridge. He and his wife are members of Eden Baptist Church, and they live in Cambridge with their three children. Bobby previously served as assistant editor for 9Marks.
See also R.B. Jamieson
See also R.B. Jamieson
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 242 reviews
June 6, 2022
Whether you aspire to full-time pastoral ministry or simply to serving as a lay elder, I can’t recommend this book highly enough. I am so glad it exists.
October 7, 2021
Replete with practical, experiential wisdom, this short book by Bobby Jamieson gives guidance to the sometimes ambiguous question of “pastoral calling.” For any aspiring pastors who feel lost in the woods of ministry calling, Jamieson will equip you with a compass for finding your way back to the path. Now, you may journey down the path and realize it’s a bit too treacherous, but you’ll at least know where the path leads, what’s required along the way, and how to take the next step. I was particularly helped by the Christ-centered nature of Jamieson’s reflections and exhortations. Indeed, “The more satisfied you are in Christ, the less you need ministry to satisfy you” (157). For any aspiring pastors, I pray the Lord uses this book to bring encouragement to the weary, guidance to the wanderer, and clarity to the confused.
August 11, 2023
Written to the heart of the aspiring with such wisdom and good counsel. Hand a copy to anyone who is thinking of pursuing pastoral ministry.
It changed the trajectory of my path to ministry in 2022. I learned that it is better to be a member of a healthy church than to be on staff at an unhealthy church (03.10.22).
The second time reading was better. I was moved to worship at the end of the final chapter, and I am seeking to memorize 1 Tim. 3:1-7 again to make it my “compass” as an aspiring pastor (08.11.23).
It changed the trajectory of my path to ministry in 2022. I learned that it is better to be a member of a healthy church than to be on staff at an unhealthy church (03.10.22).
The second time reading was better. I was moved to worship at the end of the final chapter, and I am seeking to memorize 1 Tim. 3:1-7 again to make it my “compass” as an aspiring pastor (08.11.23).
June 9, 2022
Read it in its pre-publication manuscript form. More helpful than 2 Seminary classes and countless assigned books on pastoral ministry. Changed the entire way I view ministry and aspiring to eldership.
February 23, 2024
Few books are full to the brim with wisdom like this one is. The chapters on being mastered by Scripture and improving your trials are gold, and I’ll be sure to revisit the book time and time again to learn how to think about ministry with godly aspiration. A profoundly encouraging read!
February 3, 2023
Such a helpful book on understanding pastoral ministry with clear, practical wisdom. I was particularly helped by part 2 of the book which goes through a series of topics that men aspiring for eldership should consider.
As a young man who has only been a Christian for a few years, the prospect of being an elder can seem distant (and it is). But his chapter on “making the biblical qualifications your compass” was very helpful in answering some of my own questions, and ultimately pointing us back to the Bible. If you are not elder qualified, you can never be an elder. I also love the last chapter “Cherish Christ.” Ultimately, pastoral ministry is fueled by a love for Christ, and I never want to lose sight of Jesus.
Overall great book (I don’t often give 5’s), would recommend any young man (or older) to read.
#1 takeaway: make the biblical qualifications your aim in your pursuit of eldership
As a young man who has only been a Christian for a few years, the prospect of being an elder can seem distant (and it is). But his chapter on “making the biblical qualifications your compass” was very helpful in answering some of my own questions, and ultimately pointing us back to the Bible. If you are not elder qualified, you can never be an elder. I also love the last chapter “Cherish Christ.” Ultimately, pastoral ministry is fueled by a love for Christ, and I never want to lose sight of Jesus.
Overall great book (I don’t often give 5’s), would recommend any young man (or older) to read.
#1 takeaway: make the biblical qualifications your aim in your pursuit of eldership
September 5, 2022
Unfortunately I can’t come up with a fun title pun like I normally do… but Bobby WHAMieson spoke to my heart here. Came down on me like a 9 pound hammer. I cried, I won’t even lie about it. His last chapter… it got me y’all.
August 23, 2024
I'm not in an official pastoral role right now, but I do want to grow in usefulness to the Lord and fan into flame a pastoral gifting. This book is filled with wisdom; the perfect blend of speaking to the heart, the head, and the hands for those aspiring to pastor. Highly recommended!
August 17, 2021
Très bon livre pour ceux qui désirent devenir pasteur (malheureusement, il n'y a pas foule en francophonie !).
September 2, 2021
This is a really great book--perhaps the best I've read on preparing for pastoral ministry. Lord willing, I look forward to reading this book with other brothers who aspire to be vocational pastors for years to come.
As someone who struggles with understanding his "call" to pastoral ministry, I find Jamieson's metaphor of a "path" to be far more helpful conceptually. I find his warnings against "calling" language to be compelling and wise. Namely, that it sets up a "too-subjective standard to which aspiring or current pastors must measure up, or else" (28). I have often felt the self-imposed sting of that "or else." Jamieson's "aspiring" language is far more useful (and encouraging!).
The book is shot-through with useful wisdom. Jamieson leaves few stones unturned, talking about teaching opportunities, serving behind the scenes, mastering (and, crucially, being mastered by!) Scripture, reading for life (Johann Georg Hamann gets a nice little cameo), laying down your life for your wife, and slaying and resurrecting your ambition. And that's only six of 27 chapters!
I am a fool and I need much wisdom. I don't want to be the one whose path to pastoral ministry is right in only his eyes. Jamieson's book is a helpful and encouraging course corrective and course clarifier. I'm grateful to the Lord for the gift that is encouragement from those further down the pastoral path. It helps me to stop and appreciate the scenery in all its' beauty and, ultimately, praise the One who made it, whose Beauty is the source of it all.
As someone who struggles with understanding his "call" to pastoral ministry, I find Jamieson's metaphor of a "path" to be far more helpful conceptually. I find his warnings against "calling" language to be compelling and wise. Namely, that it sets up a "too-subjective standard to which aspiring or current pastors must measure up, or else" (28). I have often felt the self-imposed sting of that "or else." Jamieson's "aspiring" language is far more useful (and encouraging!).
The book is shot-through with useful wisdom. Jamieson leaves few stones unturned, talking about teaching opportunities, serving behind the scenes, mastering (and, crucially, being mastered by!) Scripture, reading for life (Johann Georg Hamann gets a nice little cameo), laying down your life for your wife, and slaying and resurrecting your ambition. And that's only six of 27 chapters!
I am a fool and I need much wisdom. I don't want to be the one whose path to pastoral ministry is right in only his eyes. Jamieson's book is a helpful and encouraging course corrective and course clarifier. I'm grateful to the Lord for the gift that is encouragement from those further down the pastoral path. It helps me to stop and appreciate the scenery in all its' beauty and, ultimately, praise the One who made it, whose Beauty is the source of it all.
June 30, 2024
Read again with 2 brothers from my church. Blessed once again. What an incredible resource!
A fantastic guide for anyone considering pastoral ministry, particularly the role of senior pastor. Bobby guides the reader through thinking through everything from assessing a "call" to ministry vs. "aspiring to be an overseer" all the way to candidating candidly. Each short chapter is jam-packed with godly wisdom.
Highly recommend this resource.
Spring-Summer 2024 : Re-read with two brothers from church (NM and ET).
A fantastic guide for anyone considering pastoral ministry, particularly the role of senior pastor. Bobby guides the reader through thinking through everything from assessing a "call" to ministry vs. "aspiring to be an overseer" all the way to candidating candidly. Each short chapter is jam-packed with godly wisdom.
Highly recommend this resource.
Spring-Summer 2024 : Re-read with two brothers from church (NM and ET).
January 14, 2023
The Proverbs for young elders. This is a short but hard-hitting collection of wisdom literature. A must-read as these 27 short chapters are all engaging and helpful.
This does not compete with the theoretical textbooks on biblical eldership but serves alongside them as a practical guide to becoming a faithful pastor. "Ministry isn't everything, Jesus is."
This does not compete with the theoretical textbooks on biblical eldership but serves alongside them as a practical guide to becoming a faithful pastor. "Ministry isn't everything, Jesus is."
February 3, 2024
This was my second time through this book, and I am just as convinced now as I was then that this book is a much needed gift to the church. Aspiring pastors, current pastors, associate pastors, lay elders, aspiring lay elders...this book should be read widely. It is sobering, challenging, encouraging, and exciting all at the same time and it makes me want to be a better pastor - because Jesus is worth it.
A short list of some of my favorite quotes:
"Ungodly authority sacrifices others to serve self; godly authority sacrifices self to serve others. Ungodly authority lays burdens on others that the one in authority is unwilling to bear; godly authority shoulders others' burdens and equips them to carry more weight over time. God authority authors life and wholness." - pg. 32
"Leadership in the home is the prime proving ground for leadership in the church. A man should be entrusted with God's flock only if he has proven faithful with the flock God has already given him." - pg. 50
"If everyone in your church studied Scripture the way you do, would they know God better and obey him more? If everyone in your church prayed the way you do, would their prayer life be richer or poorer than it is now?" - pg. 64
"Aim to be mistaken for an elder before you are appointed an elder." - pg. 67
"The real test of whether you are mastering Scripture is whether it is mastering you. The point of studying Scripture is to submit to Scripture. The point of reading Scripture is to be read by Scripture. The point of meditating on Scripture is to be remade by Scripture." - pg. 81
"Laying down your life for your wife is in her best interest, your best interest, and your church's best interest." - pg. 121
"If I now have at least a small flour-sack of patience in the pantry of my character, most of it has been ground, grain by grain, by the millstone of parenting...Like pastoring, parenting is a weight you can never fully shrug off. Like pastoring, parenting requires you to enter into experiences that differ drastically from yours, and to bear emotional burdens that would otherwise remain remote. Like pastoring, parenting plugs you into all the high highs and low lows of lives other than your own. Parenting at once shrinks your world and vastly expands it. Children change you in ways you did not know you needed to be changed."" - pg. 124-125
"Christ is the beginning and the end of pastoral ministry. He is the beginning and end of your relationship with God. He is the beginning and end of your life. He is the beginning and end of your universe. Cherish him more than you cherish serving him." - pg. 175
A short list of some of my favorite quotes:
"Ungodly authority sacrifices others to serve self; godly authority sacrifices self to serve others. Ungodly authority lays burdens on others that the one in authority is unwilling to bear; godly authority shoulders others' burdens and equips them to carry more weight over time. God authority authors life and wholness." - pg. 32
"Leadership in the home is the prime proving ground for leadership in the church. A man should be entrusted with God's flock only if he has proven faithful with the flock God has already given him." - pg. 50
"If everyone in your church studied Scripture the way you do, would they know God better and obey him more? If everyone in your church prayed the way you do, would their prayer life be richer or poorer than it is now?" - pg. 64
"Aim to be mistaken for an elder before you are appointed an elder." - pg. 67
"The real test of whether you are mastering Scripture is whether it is mastering you. The point of studying Scripture is to submit to Scripture. The point of reading Scripture is to be read by Scripture. The point of meditating on Scripture is to be remade by Scripture." - pg. 81
"Laying down your life for your wife is in her best interest, your best interest, and your church's best interest." - pg. 121
"If I now have at least a small flour-sack of patience in the pantry of my character, most of it has been ground, grain by grain, by the millstone of parenting...Like pastoring, parenting is a weight you can never fully shrug off. Like pastoring, parenting requires you to enter into experiences that differ drastically from yours, and to bear emotional burdens that would otherwise remain remote. Like pastoring, parenting plugs you into all the high highs and low lows of lives other than your own. Parenting at once shrinks your world and vastly expands it. Children change you in ways you did not know you needed to be changed."" - pg. 124-125
"Christ is the beginning and the end of pastoral ministry. He is the beginning and end of your relationship with God. He is the beginning and end of your life. He is the beginning and end of your universe. Cherish him more than you cherish serving him." - pg. 175
July 7, 2025
a call for patient and persistent aspiration to pastorship in and for the church. helpful, concise, encouraging. read like a simmered down baptist modernization of gregory the great's book of pastoral rule. in a lot of ways the content is helpful exhortation for any christian; the qualities of an elder esteemed in scripture are virtues for all believers and those for whom aspiration to eldership is a distant or near possibility could benefit.
June 11, 2025
So good. My new go-to recommendation for those wanting to pursue pastoral ministry.
February 1, 2022
My new go-to book to give aspiring young pastors. What do I like about it? It reminds me of Proverbs.
1) It's short – Not only is the book itself only 176 small pages, but many of the chapters are 5 pages or less.
2) It's thorough – I can't think of any major topic related to this subject that Jamieson leaves out.
3) It's interesting – You would think that a book this short and this thorough would read like a dictionary, but it doesn't! The Path to Being a Pastor is a heart-warming, interesting read.
But most importantly...
4) It's sage – So much wisdom in these short chapters! My copy is filled with underlining and marginal notes. I found myself saying over and over, "That's good." "What a wise piece of advice." "That's exactly what aspiring young pastors need to hear!" Jamieson clearly knows his audience well, and he hits the nail on the head over and over.
Some of my favorite chapters included,
- "Say, 'I Aspire,' Not 'I'm Called'"
- "Seek Wisdom"
- "Make the Biblical Qualifications Your Compass"
- "Start Setting an Example"
- "Want to Be a Leader? Than Lead Something"
- "Pinch Hit" (speaks of being willing to fill in, even on short notice)
- "Read for Life"
- "Pastor Your Children"
- "Serve Outside the Spotlight"
- "Filter" (speaks of patience, and the slow processes in which God molds our character)
I heard Mark Dever say he thought this book would become a classic. I thought he was exaggerating until I read it.
1) It's short – Not only is the book itself only 176 small pages, but many of the chapters are 5 pages or less.
2) It's thorough – I can't think of any major topic related to this subject that Jamieson leaves out.
3) It's interesting – You would think that a book this short and this thorough would read like a dictionary, but it doesn't! The Path to Being a Pastor is a heart-warming, interesting read.
But most importantly...
4) It's sage – So much wisdom in these short chapters! My copy is filled with underlining and marginal notes. I found myself saying over and over, "That's good." "What a wise piece of advice." "That's exactly what aspiring young pastors need to hear!" Jamieson clearly knows his audience well, and he hits the nail on the head over and over.
Some of my favorite chapters included,
- "Say, 'I Aspire,' Not 'I'm Called'"
- "Seek Wisdom"
- "Make the Biblical Qualifications Your Compass"
- "Start Setting an Example"
- "Want to Be a Leader? Than Lead Something"
- "Pinch Hit" (speaks of being willing to fill in, even on short notice)
- "Read for Life"
- "Pastor Your Children"
- "Serve Outside the Spotlight"
- "Filter" (speaks of patience, and the slow processes in which God molds our character)
I heard Mark Dever say he thought this book would become a classic. I thought he was exaggerating until I read it.
October 9, 2025
Jamieson’s book is a small, nutritious handful of wisdom for the aspiring pastor.
He taps into his own experience in pastoral ministry and presents ways for the aspiring to prepare for ministry and life while in ministry. He seeks to affirm qualification over calling.
While I do not aspire to be a full-time pastor, I do aspire to love Christ, Christ’s church and those who pastor me well. This book is one of the ways in which I have grown in my knowledge of this office in a more practical sense. I believe one of the sweetest things about reading this book is the consistent prompt to reflect on how much I love my pastors.
Their work is laborious work. But it’s also joyful work. In the words of Spurgeon (quoted in the final chapter): “I would sooner have my work to do than any other under the sun. Preaching Jesus Christ is sweet work, joyful work, Heavenly work… [The pulpit] is a bath in the waters of Paradise to preach with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven. Scarcely is it possible for a man, this side the grave, to be nearer Heaven than is a preacher when his Master’s presence bears him right away from every care and thought, save the one business in hand, and that the greatest that ever occupied a creature’s mind and heart” (174). Beautiful.
The one thing I really could grab hold of and carry in my pocket is the reminder that Jesus is better—which is a reminder I need daily. (Probably two dozen times a day if we’re being honest.) Jamieson writes at the end of his book, “As good as pastoral ministry is, Jesus is infinitely better.” He goes on to say, “Cherish him more than you cherish serving him. Cherish him more than you cherish telling others about him. Cherish him more than you cherish leading his people. Cherish Christ. ‘For to me to live is Christ’ (Phil. 1:21)” (175).
That, my friends, is true for anyone.
May I be able to cherish Christ in my own ministry and seek to love His people well.
Also, it’s always nice to read about and enjoy a short snippet from your current pastor. Isaac Adams, I’m so glad you’re in Birmingham.
He taps into his own experience in pastoral ministry and presents ways for the aspiring to prepare for ministry and life while in ministry. He seeks to affirm qualification over calling.
While I do not aspire to be a full-time pastor, I do aspire to love Christ, Christ’s church and those who pastor me well. This book is one of the ways in which I have grown in my knowledge of this office in a more practical sense. I believe one of the sweetest things about reading this book is the consistent prompt to reflect on how much I love my pastors.
Their work is laborious work. But it’s also joyful work. In the words of Spurgeon (quoted in the final chapter): “I would sooner have my work to do than any other under the sun. Preaching Jesus Christ is sweet work, joyful work, Heavenly work… [The pulpit] is a bath in the waters of Paradise to preach with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven. Scarcely is it possible for a man, this side the grave, to be nearer Heaven than is a preacher when his Master’s presence bears him right away from every care and thought, save the one business in hand, and that the greatest that ever occupied a creature’s mind and heart” (174). Beautiful.
The one thing I really could grab hold of and carry in my pocket is the reminder that Jesus is better—which is a reminder I need daily. (Probably two dozen times a day if we’re being honest.) Jamieson writes at the end of his book, “As good as pastoral ministry is, Jesus is infinitely better.” He goes on to say, “Cherish him more than you cherish serving him. Cherish him more than you cherish telling others about him. Cherish him more than you cherish leading his people. Cherish Christ. ‘For to me to live is Christ’ (Phil. 1:21)” (175).
That, my friends, is true for anyone.
May I be able to cherish Christ in my own ministry and seek to love His people well.
Also, it’s always nice to read about and enjoy a short snippet from your current pastor. Isaac Adams, I’m so glad you’re in Birmingham.
October 3, 2022
Unreal - as a young man interrogating my desire for pastoral ministry and longing for wisdom this is a true answer to prayer. Bobby’s writing on this topic is pointed and surprisingly extensive. Not only that, it was enjoyable to read. His biblically rich definition of “aspiration” as opposed to “calling” is both humbling and encouraging. His practical advice on how to aspire well is full of gold - I fully intend on rereading and note taking on these chapters. Any brother who is in a similar stage of contemplation should grab a copy of this.
December 6, 2021
Just superb. I read this mainly to know it so I could give to others. But I profited greatly from it myself. Good, wonderful meditations on how to become the kind of man who is a pastor. Full of practical, godly advice to help a man aspiring to pastorship grow and prepare. Fully of practical, godly advice to help a long-time pastor increase in faithfulness.
A gift to God's church. I pray it's widely read.
Would recommend reading in tangent with Aaron Menikoff's Character Matters.
A gift to God's church. I pray it's widely read.
Would recommend reading in tangent with Aaron Menikoff's Character Matters.
March 3, 2024
Helpful quick read. His argument for thinking in terms of "aspiring" rather than "called" is fantastic. He writes clearly and easily, and against a temptation that I imagine is common in a book like this, he is well balanced.
January 6, 2025
Lowkey, excellent
April 19, 2025
Great readable book with lots of encouragement and challenging questions.
November 8, 2025
This books is a must read for any man considering pastoral ministry. It so useful and informative from the beginning of interpreting a desire to preach all the way to what to look for in searching a church to serve in. This book was rich and very useful.
June 23, 2022
Really great book. It is what the title says it is, and it is fantastic.
I highly recommend reading this if you aspire to the pastorate. It’s encouraging, real, and edifying.
If you do read it, I pray it does the same for you what it has done for me.
I highly recommend reading this if you aspire to the pastorate. It’s encouraging, real, and edifying.
If you do read it, I pray it does the same for you what it has done for me.
March 7, 2023
Felt like I was being discipled by this author. Good, wise, biblical advice.
November 29, 2023
Very good and very practical. I think a must read for all aspiring to eldership/the pastorate in any form.
December 4, 2021
Excellent. The Path to Being a Pastor is filled with practical and encouraging counsel, particularly for those who aspire to pastor. Bobby offers a more humble, freeing framework for considering pastoral ministry. He then exhorts brothers to focus on godliness and humble service towards others in the context of a local church.
I read this book assuming it would help me help others in their own consideration of pastoral ministry. Instead, I realized just how much I needed this book and the practical encouragements it gives. Highly recommended!
I read this book assuming it would help me help others in their own consideration of pastoral ministry. Instead, I realized just how much I needed this book and the practical encouragements it gives. Highly recommended!
February 1, 2023
4.7 Stars
Bobby Jamieson’s “The Path to Being a Pastor” is a supremely practical book that is a must-read for “aspiring” pastors. As a pastor himself, Jamieson offers Biblical wisdom on how a young man can prepare himself for pastoral ministry. Although this book is very practical it is not pragmatic - Jamieson roots his wisdom not only in his own experience but primarily in the Scriptures. This is the strength of this book that Jamieson plumbs the depths of Biblical wisdom and applies them to prepare to be a pastor. Overall Jamieson’s advice is that those who aspire to be a pastor must grow in Christian character and love Jesus more than ministry to become faithful pastors. I highly recommend this book and believe this should be a go-to book for aspiring pastors.
Bobby Jamieson’s “The Path to Being a Pastor” is a supremely practical book that is a must-read for “aspiring” pastors. As a pastor himself, Jamieson offers Biblical wisdom on how a young man can prepare himself for pastoral ministry. Although this book is very practical it is not pragmatic - Jamieson roots his wisdom not only in his own experience but primarily in the Scriptures. This is the strength of this book that Jamieson plumbs the depths of Biblical wisdom and applies them to prepare to be a pastor. Overall Jamieson’s advice is that those who aspire to be a pastor must grow in Christian character and love Jesus more than ministry to become faithful pastors. I highly recommend this book and believe this should be a go-to book for aspiring pastors.
March 9, 2025
Great book for Christian’s who simply want to grow in their faith and discipline. I took lots of courage in thinking that the work of ministry isn’t just for a Lead Pastor. I’m not capped in my theological studies just because I’m not at the pulpit leading a congregation of saints. “Ministry isn’t everything. Jesus is.”
August 11, 2022
One of my favorite books that I've read this year.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 242 reviews