English translation of Hizmetkâr, from the author’s Miras archive. An archival reflection from Miras issue 31. References to the author’s years of service belong to the original writing period. Scripture passages are rendered from the Turkish source.
Death was not the only thing that entered the world through sin. After the first sin, another difficult matter God named was the necessity of labor. We would no longer find food without effort; we would earn our bread by the sweat of our brow. As you know, this sweat became something of a phenomenon throughout history. In place of the first people’s life of dependence on God’s provision, free from sin’s bondage, earning bread by the sweat of one’s brow—described in Scripture in the context of exile—became a mark of virtuous living. I am not saying this was a negative development for humanity or history. But the process has traveled a long way from where it began.
People have to work. Although work has changed greatly since Adam’s agricultural world, its necessity has not disappeared. We work in different fields and obtain our bread, our necessities, and the things we desire through labor. Some inherit wealth; some possess considerable resources because of arrangements established by earlier generations. There are rich and poor among us, those who must work and those who need not. Yet we also work to fill the space we occupy in life, not merely to survive. Even our hobbies arise from a need and require effort.
As Christians, our working lives have another significance in the society around us. Work becomes more than a personal or family matter: it is a visible expression of our responsibility to model good character. Doing our jobs honestly, well, productively, and creatively bears witness to the work Christ Jesus is doing in us. For someone who claims to carry that responsibility, standing in the right place in working life is vital.
But this article is not primarily about employment and Christian responsibility. Nor do I want to discuss work ethics. Having worked in different fields, served in various church ministries, and continued doing such work, I want to point to another problem. It has a curious title: work itself.
For roughly fourteen years, particularly in Protestant churches, perhaps the words I have heard most often are, “I want to serve,” “I am called to full-time ministry,” and “I do not want to work in the secular marketplace.” This is a cycle many of us enter from time to time. It has almost become a culture. Nobody seems certain where it began, how it remained such a desirable ambition, or how it became almost an obsession. It is now accepted as a normal part of church life.
This is another difficult issue that cannot be divided neatly into black and white. Different needs and expectations require us to discuss both its good and bad aspects. It also brings necessary questions about people’s abilities, congregational needs, the healthy future of the church, and individuals’ rights and spiritual callings. We do not have many obvious examples that allow us to say, “This person or church has it right.” Still, several points deserve discussion.
A calling, or an escape?
“The Lord’s calling.” I assume you have heard this expression often. If you have recently become a Christian, I can guarantee that you will. Throughout church history, being called to God’s service has been debated. In one sense, it can mean stepping away from secular life to live through religious service. In more biblical terms, we might describe it as being called by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to a particular ministry, to do a specific work God has appointed.
Especially in churches without a hierarchical structure or central administration, this is often understood as an individual experience. Where there is no system of selection for appointments, where “spiritual” contact takes precedence over qualifications, and where choices are sought in extraordinary circumstances, it becomes a heated subject. Without definitions or boundaries, it is difficult to determine how the process should be managed. It often depends on the decisions of existing pastoral leaders, or on the influence within the church of the person claiming a calling. Naturally, the church’s theological inclinations and preferences also play a role.
In churches and associated ministries with systematic processes of appointment—Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and others—a calling can be an initial step, but it passes through serious examination. This article is not directed at churches operating through those processes.
As I stated at the outset, work was not an element given to human nature at creation. It runs contrary to creation’s purpose. Although history and ordinary life have accustomed us to it, hardship is still experienced as a problem. If church ministry has become an alternative to work, we have a responsibility to examine the actual motivation.
To speak plainly, moving away from the difficulty of working into a donation-supported “ministry” assumed to be more comfortable often contaminates the spiritual reality we call a calling and provides a cover for laziness. Some may find such direct words uncomfortable. They bring us to the question: how do we distinguish those with a calling—servants—from those sheltering in supposed ministry as an escape?
The central distinction, of course, is whether a person actually gives the service they claim to offer. It is not right to describe people as serving from a calling when they live on the resources of donors and churches through an indefinite period of waiting clouded by excuses. At the same time, a dedicated, faithful, productive ministry that gives more than it receives deserves every kind of support. That is service grounded in a calling.
Sadly, as opportunities for employment narrow and competition and hopelessness increase in modern society, we observe a growing tendency among our young people to “enter ministry” as an escape. This often happens without a goal, a vision, or any promise of something new, and without bearing spiritual fruit. Many young people who say, “I want to serve,” cannot give substance to that broad claim.
For example, someone enthusiastically says they want to be an evangelist. Without understanding what that means, they see employment in an evangelistic organization as a prerequisite. Another person wants to be a pastor but imagines it consists only of authority, power, and financial support. The result is conflict and division within a church, or another “community” that forms and dissolves like soap bubbles. This happens among people already claiming to serve, as well as among those hoping to begin.
Remembering Paul’s exhortations about work would be enough, yet the picture before us is already clear. Serving means serving in the fullest sense of the word. Any initiative pursued for personal benefit, without considering a congregation’s needs or one’s own competence and dedication, becomes empty, unnecessary, and sadly seasoned with sin.
We must therefore not resent work. We should seek ministry with a humility that is dedicated and affirmed by all concerned, and place the good of the Christian community first. Wherever we fall short in these things, may God restore our hearts so that we can address what is lacking.