“We need to be very careful about questioning the call of men because their circumstances do not fit our preconceived ideas.”

"an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life and with opportunities for progress."

While I agree with the general tone of this article, I believe American Fundamentalists need a more balanced approach to the "call to preach." We assume that if a man says he has been called, we should accept that at face value. I believe we need to give equal weight to his church's evaluation of his calling. Does he demonstrate giftedness for ministry? Do people who sit under his preaching (or teaching an adult SS class, etc.) respond enthusiastically to his labors? I've seen any number of men who believed they were called show scant evidence of divine giftedness. The old saw, "If God calls a man to preach, He also calls people to listen" needs more consideration. The local church needs to be more thorough in examining the evidences of an announced call. Some able preachers did not particularly sense a divine call but were prodded into ministry by a church that was convinced of their call.