79 PASTORAL CALLING AND OVERALL JOB SATISFACTION ing, and those living out their calling will also be less likely to search out a calling. When having a calling and living a calling are both high, it is less likely for a pastor to report a high search for a calling. These findings are similar to a 2012 study of working adults that reported living a calling to be strongly correlated to career commitment.53 Overall, presence of calling and the degree of living a calling were high among senior pastors, and the search for a calling was low. Also, the overall job satisfaction of senior pastors was high. It was found that presence of calling, search for a calling, and living a calling were all significant predictors of job satisfaction. In general, the presence of calling did not differ among age groups, but there were some small differences among length of time in current position and total career groups. The relatively high levels of living a calling were reported by all age and tenure groups. Search for a calling, although relatively low, did vary somewhat among age and tenure groups. Older and more experienced groups reported the lowest levels of search for a calling. Finally, job satisfaction was very high among senior pastors, but the highest levels of job satisfaction came from older and longer-tenured pastors. By identifying calling as a significant predictor of job satisfaction among senior pastors, the current study also highlights the importance of having and understanding a pastoral calling. Calling is a growing and popular field of research that seems to hold great promise. However, the body of knowledge still needs to become more unified in definitions and diverse in populations.Although the current study contributes to the relatively young field of research on calling, there is still a desperate need for further research from a Christian perspective.54 The construct of calling has many potential benefits to general well-being and career outcomes. Understanding the role of calling in the lives of pastors may be another way to help prepare them to serve God’s church and faithfully live out their God-given callings. NOTES 1 George Barna, “Nothing is More Important Than Leadership,” in Leaders on Leadership: Wisdom, Advice, and Encouragement on the Art of Leading God’s People, ed. George Barna (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1997), 29.
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