The test of a vocation is the love of the drudgery it involves.
Logan Pearsall Smith

As a new pastor enters a church, several issues need to be resolved. Some are congregational: questions of authority, trust, and ministry style, for example. These important issues will be discussed in chapters five, six, and seven. Other issues, however, reside in the psyche of the new pastor. They stem from questions we ask ourselves, such as "Who am I? What am I called to do? Can I really be a pastor?" Douglas Rumford, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Fairfield, Connecticut, wrote the following chapter shortly before going to a new church. "It was a break point in my own life, and the process of writing this worked to my advantage. Since that time, I've come to believe that these are issues not just for young pastors, although their needs in these areas may be more acute. It's something we need to face every time we change ministries. "I shared the article with my Session as we talked about the ...

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