Over the years, I have heard more than one Primitive Baptist minister adamantly make a statement similar to this: "God called me to preach, man didnt, so man is not going to tell me where I can and cannot preach." I havent yet found scripture to support that attitude of a Minister. In general most Primitive Baptists have held to the position that a minister is answerable to the Church of his membership, which is made up of men and women. So would it not be correct to say in the context of the Churchs authority that at least some men do have the right to call in question where a minister goes preaching?

The Lord instituted the practice of ordaining ministers

The scriptures indicate that Jesus directly ordained the twelve Apostles. "And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach" (Mark 3:13,14) He very well could have ordained others (or his Apostles) considering the seventy he appointed and sent as recorded in Luke Chapter 10. Although the calling of the Apostle Paul was a miraculous event I feel confident that it does not violate the practice of ordination, which the Lord himself set up for the Church to practice. "Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection." (Acts 1:22) After Christs resurrection and starting with the account of Barsabas and Mathias recorded in the first chapter of Acts; members of the Church were directly involved in the choice and ordination of ministers. The Church elected two and prayer was made to God asking which one the Lord had chosen. "And they prayed, and said, Thou Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen." (Acts 1:24) There is some controversy over whether Mathias who the church chose was chosen of God to be an apostle, replacing Judas. My personal opinion is that he was not an apostle, as were the eleven, because I can find no supporting evidence that the Church has the authority to select and ordain men into a distinct office of an Apostle. The basic meaning of the word Apostle is "one who is sent"; the term was applied to both Barnabas and Paul. "Which when the Apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, ---" (Acts 14:14) Our Lord was also called an Apostle "Wherefore holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;" (Hebrew 3:1) Nevertheless, when the term is used to identify those who served in the capacity of an Apostle of Jesus Christ it applies only to the ones Jesus personally chose, which would include Paul.

The Apostle Pauls subjection to the church

An examination of the Scriptures will reveal the fact that the Apostle Paul subjected himself to the Church. "Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwell in Judea: Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul." (Acts 11:29) After fulfilling this benevolent act on behave of the Church, they returned "And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark." (Acts 12:25) These verses indicate that Saul was a functioning member of the church at Antioch and before starting his preaching journeys was ordained by the Church, as evidenced by the laying on of hands at the Antioch church (a presbytery). "Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus." (Acts 13:1,4) The scriptural record teaches us that the Apostle Paul reported to the church after each trip he made. This fact along indicates he respected and felt responsible to, "the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth".

God calls and qualifies a minister to preach the gospel, not the church

The Call and qualifying of a minister is not the duty of the church but God along calls and qualifies a man. There is no scriptural proof that the church should provide any schooling or training other than exercising a man who they suspect has a call. After a Church has exercised a man within his home church, further proving of a candidate is provided by the practice of liberating him to speak in other Churches when called on. "Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty; with whom, if he come shortly, I will see you." (Hebrews 13:23) In harmony with the qualifications recorded in I Timothy 3, a candidate for the office of a minister and one that is liberated should be a faithful man and not a novice. "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (II Timothy 2:2) In accordance with the scriptures and in obedience to the Holy Ghost, a proper candidate is ordained by the Churches authority. "And when they (the church--for and by its authority) had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away". It is very significan't that the Scripture says, "So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost", and not by the Church. There are two distinct sent authorities entailed in this verse. One is being -sent away- (authorization by the church to perform the duties of a minister) and the other is being -sent forth- by the power they are to preach and who is to lead them into their field of labor. A preacher will preach the power of who sent him, so to truly preach in power and demonstration of the Spirit, one must be sent by the Holy Ghost and not the Church. "And how shall they preach, except they be sent". (Romans 10:15) This question is posed in such a way that it requires a negative answer, they can't. Christs command to his apostles was to go (not send) and preach only those things that he had commanded. "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:18-19)

Only churches with the same practices and doctrines, which are in harmony with the Lords commands and the apostolic record, have the authority to ordain a God called man to the ministry. It is disorderly to show contempt for the church in disregarding this authority given by its head, Jesus Christ. If the Church of a ministers membership fails to deal with a ministers contempt in going anywhere he wants to, sister churches have the right and duty to request he stop going to disorderly places to preach and appropriately drop Christian fellowship with him if he does not heed the Church. Therefore it is not a wise declaration to adamantly say that no man can tell us where we can or cannot preach. - Elder Claude McKee