Some of you reading this post may need to get a new job. At least you may need to get an additional job.
Without a doubt, many churches will always need full-time vocational pastors and church staff. I am not suggesting all of you, even the majority of you, should go bivocational. But I do believe more of you should consider this path. Allow me to offer eight reasons why:
- A secular or marketplace job will put you in the middle of culture on a regular basis. Opportunities to develop relationships with non-believers will be greater. Opportunities to minister to people who would not set foot in a church will be greater as well.
- Full-time pastors and church staff often get missionally stale in their “holy huddles.” Perhaps the best way to break out of that Christian-only huddle is to be employed in a secular position.
- Smaller churches are increasingly unable to afford full-time pastors or staff. I have written on this site a few times about the flow of people from smaller churches to larger churches. As resources depart from the smaller churches, so do their ability to pay a pastor or staff person full-time. But these churches still need pastors.
- The digital world is offering more opportunities for flexible secular jobs than ever. I recently spoke to an IT professional who is also a pastor of a church. He spends about 25 hours a week in his IT job. He has declined good full-time opportunities in secular jobs because he wants to stay a tentmaker. I spoke to another staff person of a church who is an entrepreneur in the digital world. Those kinds of opportunities are growing every day.
- More churches are moving toward multiple teaching/preaching pastors. What was once common in large churches is now becoming increasingly common in medium and small churches. Many of these teaching pastors are in churches that cannot afford a second full-time pastor.
- More churches would like to expand staff, but don’t have the resources to do so. This issue is similar to #5 above, but here it refers to bivocational positions other than a lead pastor or teaching pastor. By the way, this approach allows church leaders to “raise up” people within their own churches—people they know and trust.
- A bivocational pastor or church staff can have greater freedom than a person in a full-time role. One of the “secrets” of church life is that many pastors and church staff are hindered from leading because their jobs would be in jeopardy. That is an unpleasant but clear and present reality. If a pastor or staff person has a job with other income, he or she may feel the freedom to move forward without succumbing to such pressure.
- A bivocational pastor or staff person has transferrable skills. A number of full-time church leaders have never worked outside of vocational ministry. They don’t understand the business and secular world. Bivocational ministers have secular skills they can use in their churches. They also have skills to support themselves if they find themselves no longer employed with their churches.
Bivocational ministry is a clear and definitive trend in church life. Some of the reasons for its growth are not that healthy. But many are. It is a great opportunity to make a greater difference in this culture in which we live. It is really a great opportunity to be a missionary on the field.
What do you of think of this issue? What are you seeing in your church and others?
Posted on January 19, 2015
With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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143 Comments
The issue of balancing work done for the Church vs. other work is obviously important to consider, but it can be very touchy.
I can see individuals with low levels of responsibility in a church managing their time well enough to focus on church tasks and also other tasks. But I’m having a hard time picturing a senior leader balancing his or her time between the church and otherwise. It doesn’t seem possible to be an excellent leader and hold another job at the same time.
What do you think about the reverse situation, Tom? When should churches with part-time staff pull them on full time?
I’ve seen many part-time staff forced to split their time and incur lots of stress doing two (or more) mediocre jobs, instead of being allowed to focus on doing one job excellently. I’d bet there are times where a church can get a better ROI by transitioning an important part-time position to full-time instead of hiring one or more additional part-timers.
How do we balance our responsibility as a church to support our leaders?
Thanks, Tom. I also enjoy your podcasts!
Sorry for the missing h’s, Thom!
No problem. I’m the one with the weird spelling.
Brendan: Those are great questions. I will pursue them in a future post. Thanks!
I really agree with this article. As a hospice chaplain, I have had the privilege of meeting and working with persons I would NEVER have met as a Pastor… Wiccnas, atheists, people just trying to put their spiritual lives together before they died, and an assortment of other souls searching for inner peace. This has given me perspective that I doubt I would have had otherwise. Also, I recognize that some of my preaching lacked specificity as I reflect on some subjects. What was a I trying to really say? Getting out of the cloistered environment of the church and into the real world has challenged me to live out my faith just as I admonished the congregations I served to do. Now, I get it. Building authentic relationships with people is THE way to establish credibility and a positive witness. And, in the corporate position I’m in now with hospice, establishing credibility and giving a positive witness is even more important. Thank you for this timely thought.
Bi-vocational does seem to be the “new” trend or expectation..
It is practical.
It also used to be practical that pastors moved up from smaller to larger and better better paying churches the rise of experience, education and family size.
Now we have the what used to be first church churches out of seminary satisfied withuntrained staff.
One well established and historical church contacted.me.
When salary was discussed I used the standard public school classroom teacher salary.
They thought I was outlandish or greedy to demand existence and pay for any degree compensation.
I have heard it many times as a point of affirmation that mega church pastor (fill in the blank) has no seminary degrees.
As a bi-vocational pastor I know there is no way I could not be better full time.
I dislike this trend because I feel it is many times taking advantage of the preacher.
Churches are often settling rather than growing.
Seminary education is way too high.
Often graduates find it is not wanted and that education less will not be compensated for..
My husband has served as bi-vocational in our early years of ministry, he worked 50 hours a week and pastored “part-time”. Later on in our ministry, he served as full-time pastor.
A Big problem for the part-time pastor and his family is Health Insurance. Who provides it??? It is so expensive in today’s world. It is not scriptural to put that burden on the wife, especially a young mom with children to care for.
This is one of the big expense issue challenges of a smaller church affording a full-time pastor in the first place.
Also, from experience, I can say that there is really no such thing as a “part-time” pastor.
Does anyone have an answer to this challenge of providing healthcare???
Ginny
Ginny
Great questions, Ginny.
I’m definitely getting a “pastors only work on Sunday” vibe from these comments and that bivo pastors are somehow more virtuous. I don’t understand what’s wrong with churches wanting a pastor who is devoted to “prayer and to the ministry of the Word” (Acts 6:4) Many of the commenters on here seem to think that young men committing themselves to full time ministry are being selfish or are scamming churches out of their budgets.
The more I think about it, I have to take issue with some of these points. Churches can be just as controlling of bivo pastors as they can with full time pastors and may be even quicker to run them out of the church. When that happens, you may have a job to fall back on but what have you accomplished spiritually? Furthermore, the idea of a hands-on missional pastor is great but his primary responsibility is to equip everyone else in the church to be hands-on and missional. Several hundred people being mssional in their workplace is a lot better than one pastor.
Churches of any size, shape, form or finance can be “controlling” of ANY pastor – be they full time or bi-vo. That is true. But, having been in both camps at one time or another, the fact of the matter is that if you’re bi-vo two things suddenly become true:
1. They can’t TOTALLY bully you around if they don’t control your TOTAL household revenue.
2. Finding another bi-vo (or even second job for a while) is MUCH simpler than finding a full time pastorate.
Dr. Rainer
As one who is seeking bi-vocational ministry opportunities, I decided to create an info-graphic based on the article…. here’s the link: http://wp.me/p4mbOP-1Xu
I hope you like it.
Phillip: I love it! I encourage our readers to click on this infographic. You should put this talent to bivocational use.
Thank you, Dr. Rainer,
If I may (without sounding too spammy), I offer services to ministers and to the secular world, alike, in setting up your digital platform: blogging, podcasting, video casting, video production, and social media.
If I may be of any service to anyone – minister or non – please contact me through my deknumi.com website – I’ve backed off on new production on that site for a few months, but, I’m looking for releasing a bit of new podcast episodes and new content for churches and Christians seeking to improve their digital platform.
Phillip Swindall
PS: I hope to see you at the Revitalize Conference next week in Gadsden
While I agree that in some cases it can be extremely beneficial. I wonder if more of these issues would be resolved by a more robust understanding of the job and expectations of the pastor.
If churches allowed the pastors more freedom a lot of these would be non-issues.
Good thoughts, Peter.
What are my transferable skills at age 57 after 35 years of full-time ministry? I did not choose the culture shift, but I feel caught up in the declining numbers game (which I might add is difficult to win). I love your articles and feel they are “right on.” I’ve considered the idea of bi-vo ministry but feel like I am giving up or unable to find something that would work within our context. What am I to do?
Jeff: Going bivocational is not giving up. You might try some other vocation on a very part time basis (like 5 hours a week) to test the waters. Of course, I don’t know your context, but I do know there are many online opportunities available. Check eLance.com to see how thousands of people are offering a variety of services online.
My experience may or may not add to your well written and timely thoughts. I was 32 when I felt led to full time music ministry. I attended a denominational university and was employed to a part time church music position almost before I arrived. Upon graduation it just didn’t work for me to attend seminary. I studied at Florida State University and served a church the entire time. I received a Masters and a Doctorate in music and accepted my first university position. I retired from church music but within several weeks was again in a part time position. Eventually I recognized the fact that I was meant to serve churches large enough to need a trained musician but to small to afford someone full time. I’m 82 and still in a part time position. The almost embarrassing and undeserved blessings that form my life are in large part present because I heeded the call to part time ministry. I hope these words add in some way to the discussion.
Your words are incredibly helpful. Thank you, Dan. May God continue to bless your life and ministry.