From Calling to Legacy
For many, the calling to serve in a local church is not just a job but a life’s work, a path they are dedicated to walking until their final days. Pastors who take on this sacred role often commit to serving their congregations, guiding spiritual growth, and providing leadership, counsel, and care. Their sense of purpose is anchored in the local community and the people they serve, and for them, there is no greater fulfillment than witnessing lives transformed through their ministry.
Yet for others, a role such as pastoring may not represent the ultimate destination of their life’s work. It may be a pivotal step toward something larger, a platform from which they are propelled into a broader calling or a different type of service. The recent passing of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter offers an insightful example of how one’s initial career or calling can serve as a launchpad for a larger life’s work. For Carter, his time in the White House was not the pinnacle of his career—it was only the beginning. His real life’s work, which he pursued with unparalleled dedication in his later years, centered around humanitarianism, peace-building, and his unwavering commitment to service.
In this article, we will explore how for some, being a pastor in a local church is their life’s work, while for others, it serves as the beginning of a larger mission—just as it did for Jimmy Carter. His journey offers profound insights into how one’s calling can evolve over time and take on a greater meaning as one serves not only the local community but also the wider world.
The Role of the Pastor: A Life’s Work for Many
For some, the vocation of pastoring is not simply a position but a calling that encapsulates their life’s mission. Pastors often feel a deep, spiritual and emotional connection to their congregation. For them, every sermon, every prayer, every act of service is imbued with a sense of divine purpose. The pastoral role requires an immense amount of dedication, and for many, this becomes their life’s work in the truest sense of the word.
Being a pastor is not without its challenges. It involves long hours, often unpredictable demands, and the emotional toll of walking alongside people through both their joy and suffering. Yet, for many pastors, the role is profoundly fulfilling. The sense of being entrusted with the spiritual care of others is a privilege they do not take lightly. In the local church, pastors are often viewed as shepherds who guide and protect the flock, providing them with wisdom, counsel, and support as they navigate life’s challenges. For some, this calling takes on a deeply personal and familial nature, as they invest in the lives of individuals, marriages, and families.
This sense of mission is seen in the lives of countless pastors who remain in local congregations for decades, faithfully serving without seeking recognition or fame. They are the unsung heroes of many communities, quietly and diligently fulfilling their calling. Many view the pastoral role as an eternal vocation—one that goes beyond personal accomplishment or success, instead focusing on the well-being and spiritual health of others. For these pastors, there is a sacredness in what they do, and they do it not for accolades but for the love of their congregations and their love of God.
As the late theologian Frederick Buechner once wrote, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” For many pastors, their calling is precisely in that place where their personal fulfillment and the needs of their congregations converge. They find joy in helping others find hope, healing, and purpose through their ministry, creating a life’s work deeply rooted in service to others.
The Pastoral Role as a Launchpad: A Different Calling
Yet, for others, the role of pastor is not the end but rather the start of something larger. This was true for figures such as Jimmy Carter, whose story offers a unique example of how a position can propel someone into a broader, more far-reaching mission. Though Carter initially became involved in public life as a governor and later as the 39th President of the United States, it was his post-presidency work that cemented his legacy as a humanitarian, peace-builder, and advocate for social justice.
Carter’s presidency, while notable, was not his ultimate life’s work. After leaving the White House, Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, dedicated themselves to a life of service, founding the Carter Center in 1982 with the mission of promoting human rights, alleviating suffering, and advancing peace. The center’s work has spanned numerous countries and tackled a broad range of issues, including disease eradication, peace negotiations, and the promotion of democracy. For Carter, the presidency was not the apex of his life’s work but merely a gateway that opened the doors to a global platform where his true passion for humanitarianism and social justice could flourish.
In many ways, Carter’s path is reminiscent of the journey some pastors take. For example, a pastor may serve in a local church, providing leadership and nurturing spiritual growth, but their ultimate calling may extend beyond the walls of their congregation to wider social issues. Just as Carter used his political platform to advocate for peace and human rights, a pastor may use their influence to address social justice issues, promote reconciliation, and advocate for marginalized communities. In both cases, the initial role—whether in the church or in politics—provides the foundation for a larger and more expansive life’s work.
As Carter himself said, “I have one life, and it’s really important to me that I use it wisely.” His life’s work was not about the title he held or the accolades he received; it was about how he chose to serve others and make a lasting difference in the world. Similarly, for many pastors, their role in the church lays the groundwork for a larger mission, one that reaches far beyond the local community.
The Shift from Local to Global: Embracing a Wider Mission
The life of Jimmy Carter teaches us an important lesson about the evolution of one’s calling. Early in his life, Carter may have thought of himself as simply a peanut farmer, a military officer, or a local politician. His entry into national politics was marked by modest ambition: to serve as the governor of Georgia and perhaps make a positive difference in his home state. But once he became president, Carter’s worldview expanded. His sense of mission shifted from the regional to the global. His role as president—an opportunity he saw as both a privilege and a duty—was not an end in itself but a means by which he could serve more effectively, both in the United States and around the world.
Similarly, for some pastors, the role of serving in a local church may begin as a specific calling—one that involves preaching, teaching, and pastoral care. But as their ministry matures, their sense of mission may broaden. Some pastors take on roles that extend beyond the local church, becoming leaders in denominational organizations, missionaries, or advocates for social causes. Their work takes on a global or even universal dimension as they seek to address issues of poverty, injustice, and human rights. The church, in this sense, becomes not just a building or a local community but a hub for broader social action and spiritual transformation.
A statistic worth noting here is that nearly 80% of U.S. pastors report feeling the call to ministry as a lifelong commitment—a calling that goes beyond career and into the realm of personal mission (Barna Group, 2022). This statistic reflects the deep commitment many pastors feel toward their role in the church, seeing it not merely as a job but as a vocation that shapes their identity and provides a foundation for broader service. For these pastors, ministry is a lifelong journey that can extend into a global vision for justice, peace, and healing.
For instance, figures like Desmond Tutu, who was an Anglican Archbishop in South Africa, used his pastoral platform to engage deeply with the anti-apartheid movement. His pastoral work served as a launchpad for his activism, which had a far-reaching impact not only in South Africa but also across the world. Similarly, figures like Mother Teresa began their ministries in local settings but were propelled into a global life of service, touching millions of lives worldwide.
Conclusion: The Path of Service
The recent passing of Jimmy Carter serves as a reminder that our lives are shaped by the work we do, but they are also shaped by the work we do in the service of others. For Carter, the presidency was not the culmination of his life’s work but rather the beginning of a broader, more impactful mission that focused on peace, human rights, and global health. In a similar way, some pastors find that their local church ministry is not the destination but a passageway to a larger calling, one that takes them into new areas of service, advocacy, and social transformation.
In both cases, the common thread is a life devoted to service—a life marked by a commitment to others and to making the world a better place. Whether one’s calling remains within the walls of the local church or expands into the world beyond, the key to understanding one’s life’s work lies in the pursuit of something greater than personal ambition: the pursuit of justice, peace, and the well-being of others. Whether pastoring a local church, engaging in humanitarian work, bringing kingdom practices into the marketplace, or making a unique contribution to the well-being of others, the deepest calling is to serve with love, dedication, and a sense of purpose that transcends individual success and touches the lives of others in profound and lasting ways.