A pastor in his 40s from northern China said he chose full-time ministry after realizing that God seeks "soldiers of the kingdom, not an army of people struck down by cancer," a conviction shaped by his work in the medical field and the sudden illnesses of colleagues.
The pastor, known by the pseudonym "Brother Jinghua" for safety reasons, has served his local church for more than a decade. A fourth-generation Christian, he previously worked in healthcare and enjoyed a stable job and a peaceful family life.
His journey toward full-time service began gradually. Through his work, he frequently encountered believers already serving in full-time ministry. During one conversation, a fellow Christian asked whether he had ever considered devoting himself completely to church work. Jinghua said he believed he needed a clear calling from God rather than relying on others' persuasion.
Around the same time, he took on a new role at home: fatherhood. While praying outside the delivery room as his child was born, he asked God to help his child become someone who would serve the Lord—ideally even a preacher. When the prayer ended, he felt confronted by the inconsistency in his own heart: he hoped his child would serve God, yet he himself remained unwilling to do so.
As life settled into routine, Jinghua also witnessed the limits of human strength in his hospital. Two colleagues who had joined the workplace at the same time—both hardworking and often sacrificing family life for their careers—were suddenly diagnosed with cancer, one with liver cancer and the other with breast cancer.
These moments pushed him to reconsider how he wished to spend the rest of his life. Eventually, he resigned from the hospital to enter full-time ministry. The process was costly—he had to pay a significant penalty to break his employment contract—but he left without hesitation.
Looking back, Jinghua said his decision did not come from dramatic miracles but from the accumulation of ordinary days in which he tried to discern God's leading. "It was in the seemingly small details," he said, "that God guided me step by step."
He believes that the path into ministry is never identical for everyone. Some Christians move forward because of a direct and unmistakable calling from God. Others spend long periods praying, weighing their abilities, and considering the needs of the church before making a wholehearted decision. Both journeys, he said, reflect a person's walk with God rather than a moment of impulse.
Originally from the Christian Times
