The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Kristina C. during the 2009-2010 League.
Mission: Take Action - Interview with Pastor Michael Alexander
I chose to interview Pastor Michael Alexander from Oxford Free Methodist for several reasons. First of all, he is my own pastor and good family friend. He is also a very strong Christian with a wonderful family. During the interview, we discussed the following questions.
QUESTION: What motivated you to seek your current position?
ANSWER: He mainly emphasized his motivation being a direct call from God. His reasons for becoming a pastor had nothing to do with money or fun. "It is all hard work, but I believe that I am answering a call from God," he said.
QUESTION: What training is important to your position?
ANSWER: As far as training requirements, he believed that the most important training is hands-on, practical experience. Since there is no class room telling you exactly what to do in every situation, mentoring can be difficult but also very important to practice.
QUESTION: What daily struggles do you face in your position?
ANSWER: Like most people, he has several daily struggles. Some examples he mentioned were time management, dealing with emotional struggles of others, and balancing his time between work and family. "Family is most important next to God, but people count on me in my job; so balancing my time is very hard," he concluded.
QUESTION: What are some of the greatest rewards in your job?
ANSWER: The greatest reward he experiences is seeing people discover freedom. Whether freedom from worry, physical matters, or being set free in Jesus, he said there is no greater reward. "I love helping people overcome their pains, but the greatest is seeing people commit their lives to Christ," Pastor Alexander ended.
QUESTION: What role does your faith play in your job?
ANSWER: Obviously, because he is a pastor, his faith is everything. "Couldn't do my job without it! Everything I do, I do because of my faith." he laughs. The reason he decided to become a pastor was a result of his faith. Specifically though, he believes that his faith plays a major role in the advice he gives.
QUESTION: What is your main point of inspiration?
ANSWER: His point of inspiration is definitely the Bible, and he wants specifically to please God in all of his actions.
QUESTION: What is your favorite Bible verse and why?
ANSWER: When I asked him about his favorite Bible verse, to my surprise, he had to think in order to narrow it down. Finally, he said that his favorite verse is James 1:5: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." When I asked him exactly why, he said, "Bottom line, I need God's help." Basically, when people depend on themselves, they fall flat on their faces and as a pastor, he was confident that he needs all the help he can get!
QUESTION: How do you think God has used you in other's lives?
ANSWER: He thought about this for a while and then responded that God has used him to help save marriages, encourage those who have lost jobs or hope, and give parents advice for raising their children.
QUESTION: How has God used your position to change you?
ANSWER: Throughout his pastoral ministry, he believes that God has made him more dependent upon Him instead of any human being. In addition, he feels more and more confident in his calling. Though he said that he is not typically self-confident, God's way of using him has caused him to feel more boldness than ever before.
QUESTION: What would you suggest to those who are interesting in pursuing a pastoral career?
ANSWER: For those who are looking into the ministry field he gave an "at-first-glance", confusing statement: "Don't become a pastor because you want to, but because you have to." He explained that because pastoral ministry comes with tremendous difficulties, everyone should make sure that God is calling them. Be confident that this is God's plan, because those who are not specifically called by God into pastoral ministries cannot make it without His help. He said that you need to be self-dependent, yet at the same time, be ultimately dependent on God. Some pointers he also gave to those who feel a calling toward a pastoral life is be secure in personality, have a strong support system, marry someone who is equally called, and talk to those who have been in this position for some time.
