About the Author
Chaplain Paul Slater
by Chaplain Paul L. Slater
How in the world, for Christ's sake, do these three career choices fit together -- Internet Service Provider, Web Hosting Business, Professional Chaplain Career?
So begins the journey from Parish Pastor to Internet Service Provider to Web Hosting Business to Professional Chaplain Career.
From Parish Pastor To Director of Ministry and Technology
What did I know about starting a ISP or Internet Service Provider company? My knowledge of hosting websites was limited as well.
Nonetheless, I launched my new ministry career with the title of Director of Ministry and Technology, a job overseeing web site development for ministry.
So it was that age 53 my ministry career direction changed. What ensued has been a tremendously rewarding ministry career that eventually would lead me to becoming a Board Certified Chaplain, with my chaplain certification coming from the Association of Professional Chaplains.
How happy I am to have taken the time to be properly certified as a chaplain by an organization that is considered one of the premier chaplain certification bodies.
Today I met a chaplain who worked for a large hospital in the United States who has decided to lay off most of their chaplains. Because they received their certification from another organization not recognized for high educational standards, he finds himself without a job and un-hireable due to his lack of proper certification.
How I wish that I had available for me back then what is available to those desiring to build a highly visited ministry website, something with a name like the Internet Reference Center for Churches and Ministries.
An Internet Based Ministry Career Opportunity Changed My Ministry Career Direction
I know there were some who considered me to be a pastor leaving the ministry. I can say now that I was certainly the victim of pastor burnout. Yet this web based employment opportunity opened up my eyes to a wider concept of ministry than I had before pastoral burnout.
The internet opportunity offered me was to help start a web hosting business, specializing in church websites as well as websites for world mission organizations. We would also offer small business web hosting and nonprofit corporation web hosting.
My missions minded employer, a wealthy Christian businessman whose fortune had come from home and business security systems, was an individual who had the gift of giving.
By starting a Christian ISP he was able to add another income stream to his very successful business enterprise. By doing so he was able to fund world changing ministries through the internet by hosting church web sites.
I had started a computer repair business as a bi-vocational pastor in the early 90's to support my home mission habit, so my wife said. So it was that I was hired to help launch a faith-based web hosting business as a Christian Internet Service Provider.
We actually started our Christian ISP business, ReachOne Internet Service, by buying a small local ISP that was in financial trouble. He also hired the owner and his employees to run the internet business. After all, they knew web site development,having already hosted small business websites as well as home based business web site.
In Seeking Ministry Opportunities, Sometimes You Go There To Get Here
Once ReachOne Internet Service was up and going, my heart began to beat for reaching out to broken people rather than repairing broken computers. I began my journey toward professional chaplain certification while working for that Christian ISP. Taking Clinical Pastoral Education at Providence St. Peter Hospital launched my chaplaincy career.
I share this story to make this point. Sometimes, even after pastor burnout and what people often call leaving ministry, God is directing our lives to even greater ministry effectiveness. I often say that I had to go there to get over here.
It would be easy to see that brief 2 year period with the ISP as a ministry interruption. But that just isn't so. God was at work in my life and my wife's life as well. How she was given her Masters In School Administration is another story of God's provision and direction.
So if you find yourself near pastor burnout, thinking you should leave the ministry, I am not sure you can.
How can you leave ministry when there are ministry opportunities in almost every vocational field? Embrace the leadership of God, even if it seems to be unrelated to what we traditionally consider to me ministry careers.
Copyright � 2006, Chaplain Paul L. Slater, San Diego, CA., All Rights Shared. Sure, go ahead and tell my story if it will help someone along the way.
Published by Chaplain Paul Slater on August 23, 2006 12:07 AM
