Reasons to turn down being called to the ministry?

[steve-in-kville]

Be it a deacon or minister, what would be valid reasons to turn down being called by your congregation?

I realize that the Mennonites and Brethren have different methods to obtain the same goal, but if a man were called, what would be valid reasons (if any) to turn down the ordination? Or doesn't he have a choice in your fellowship?

[Josh]

If he were aware of a reason he shouldn’t serve that the rest of the congregation was not aware of. (Perhaps one of his older children had recently become rebellious but hasn’t been dealt with yet.)

[Ernie]

If the person had hidden sin in his life.

If the person was already involved in a ministry(s) and didn't want to change ministries, I think he could ask the church for an exemption. The best thing to do is start these conversations before the time of an ordination.

If the person in the near future was planning to change churches, change location, take care of older or disabled relatives, etc.

If the person realized that joining the ministerial team would create disunity, schism, gridlock, etc.

[steve-in-kville]

If the person had hidden sin in his life.

If the person was already involved in a ministry(s) and didn't want to change ministries, I think he could ask the church for an exemption. The best thing to do is start these conversations before the time of an ordination.

If the person in the near future was planning to change churches, change location, take care of older or disabled relatives, etc.

If the person realized that joining the ministerial team would create disunity, schism, gridlock, etc.

Very good reasons.

When my wife and I were first married, we were asked to go into the foreign mission field. We declined for what we felt to be some good reason, and to this day I do not regret saying no.

[Neto]

If the man in question had never felt any call from God to serve in a pastoral role, the acceptance would need to follow a lot of prayer and soul searching. But I also think it depends on the particular type of ministerial service the congregation was looking for, or, one might say, the options for pastoral roles and responsibilities. Watchman Nee wrote something to the effect that If a man who has the necessary natural abilities to perform the role he is called on to fulfill, he will be tempted to depend much more on his human abilities, and will not be as likely to fall on his face before God, begging the Gift-Giver for the ability to do what is asked of him. God can use a man who knows he is "not up to the task", if that man will fall down before God, asking for His help. But I also think that it is possible for a congregation to ask the wrong man, and so there may need to be that time of waiting on the call of God.