What is a young pastor to do? Interview with Liam Garvie

Continuing on the theme of interviewing this year's speakers and exploring this question of 'what is a young pastor to do?' today. It's Liam Garvie's turn to respond

Could you please describe for us your ministry setting and role?
The call of God has drawn me to St Andrews, a pretty inspiring place it has to be said where the preaching of guys like John Knox and the blood of Martyr's like George Wishart call out down through the years to pastors like me to take up the Gospel torch. By God's grace I strive to preach the Gospel in St Andrews Baptist Church as pastor there.

What was the thing that was most influential in confirming your call to pastoral ministry?
Two things really... I believe the confirmation of any call to ministry must be found first of all in the Word of God. Any man can desire the noble task of ministry but unless they qualify according to the biblical requirements, they should consider themselves 'not called'. Similarly, a man who is called to pastoral ministry should be immersing himself in all of God's and listening closely for His voice calling through it. For me, God used Psalm 71 to define the form of my calling and Judges 6 (v14 in particular) to assure me of the presence and sufficiency of his grace when I felt like my weakness would disqualify me.

The second thing that should confirm a call to pastoral ministry is the recognition of the local church and its leaders. In a strange turn of events I had applied for a youth worker post yet the leaders of my local church refused to give me the job as they felt i should explore further with our pastor and leaders a call to preach the Gospel. At first I thought they were wrong, but soon I appreciated their guidance in pointing out to me somethign I hadn't yet recognised in myself.

What are the clear priorities and core convictions that you hope will characterise your ministry?
The preaching of the supremacy of Christ and the Gospel. I resolve to know nothing except Jesus Christ crucified (1 Cor 2:2). He is all I have been called to preach and I do that by trusting in the inerrant, flawless and timeless Word of God. The sufficiency of the Scriptures in equipping the saints (including me) for works of ministry is without question a core conviction. Failing to adhere to the biblical mandate in any issue related to doctrine and practice for church or believer is not only negligent... it is sinful.

What has been the most significant encouragement in your time so far in pastoral ministry?
The renewed hunger of so many of God's people for the Word of God.

How do you care for your soul and tend to the soul of your family?
Personally, i benefit immensely from following McCheyne's Bible reading plan and also from my regular reading of sermons by Spurgeon. And every walk I take is equally nourishing for my soul thanks to the great preachers that fill up my iPod. I make the listening to a sermon one of the first things i do in my working week.

What has been the best advice you have received?
Pastoral ministry requires a soft heart but a hard hine!

What particular resources have benefitted you?
In these early years, there is no question that Spurgeon's Lectures to My Students has been invaluable. So have the resources available at www.9marks.org spearheaded by Mark Dever. In addition, the web mp3's that serve to clarify doctrinal truths and teach much of what I didn't receive in seminary.

How important have role-models been to you? Who has been particularlyused by God in your life?
Too many to mention... here are a few.
For his faithfulness in preaching God's Word, my old Pastor James R Clarke
For his incredible discernment in pastoral care, my old Pastor Angus Morrison
For his inimitable boldness and devotion to the Gospel, my old friend CH Spurgeon
For his kindness in enabling me to visit CHBC and learn about the importance of the local Church, Mark Dever
For her conastancy in prayer, my mother-in-law, Sarah Neill
For her patience, godly wisdom and unmatchable love, my wife Kathryn Garvie