{"id":4421,"date":"2019-02-27T15:12:50","date_gmt":"2019-02-27T21:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nafwb.org\/?p=4421"},"modified":"2019-02-27T15:12:50","modified_gmt":"2019-02-27T21:12:50","slug":"the-challenge-of-a-bi-vocational-pastorate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/the-challenge-of-a-bi-vocational-pastorate\/","title":{"rendered":"The Challenge of a Bi-Vocational Pastorate"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Randy Bryant<\/strong><\/p>\n

Challenge! That word describes\u00a0any ministry, but 40 to 50 percent\u00a0of our pastors know a\u00a0special challenge. These men\u00a0face the unique demands of\u00a0the bi-vocational pastorate.<\/p>\n

Challenge in Concept<\/strong><\/p>\n

The bi-vocational pastor faces a\u00a0challenge with the concept itself. Does\u00a0“bi-vocational” really mean “part-time”?\u00a0No! “Part-time” means that you\u00a0are a church’s pastor part of the time.\u00a0That term originated when pastors\u00a0served a given church only on certain\u00a0Sundays, maybe the first and third, or\u00a0second and fourth.<\/p>\n

A bi-vocational pastor is a full-time\u00a0pastor who holds down another job\u00a0to support his family. A full-time\u00a0pastor who works an additional job\u00a040 hours a week while fulfilling his\u00a0God-given call to the ministry\u2014a\u00a0pastor who works another job on the\u00a0side, not a businessman who pastors\u00a0on the side.<\/p>\n

The average church member has\u00a0no idea what is required to be a “full-time”\u00a0pastor and hold down an outside job. What they do know is that\u00a0they want their pastor available in\u00a0times of crisis, illness and times of sorrow.\u00a0They deserve no less than this\u00a0and the bi-vocational pastor’s challenge is to be there when needed.<\/p>\n

The pastor must be creative in his\u00a0scheduling\u2014available to his people\u00a0while dependable and honest with\u00a0his secular employer.<\/p>\n

Fellow pastors schedule many of\u00a0their activities, meetings and programs\u00a0during the day when bi-vocational\u00a0men can not attend. This, many times,\u00a0is just a matter of not being aware of\u00a0the bi-vocational pastor’s schedule. In\u00a0truth, the pastor working a second job\u00a0probably needs the fellowship and\u00a0“feeding” available at many retreats\u00a0and conferences more than anyone\u00a0since his schedule rarely includes free\u00a0days for this type of event.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, the bi-vocational pastor\u00a0is not viewed as a “real” pastor\u00a0and it takes special explanations to\u00a0work with others such as hospital\u00a0chaplains, funeral directors and local\u00a0ministerial associations.<\/p>\n

Does our denomination grasp the\u00a0concept? Our reporting forms ask\u00a0whether the pastor is “full-time” or\u00a0“part-time.” Some church clerks\u00a0mark “full-time” because their pastor\u00a0is there every Sunday even though\u00a0he works another job. The numbers\u00a0may be higher than we realize.<\/p>\n

Challenge of the Clock <\/strong><\/p>\n

Every pastor struggles to find\u00a0enough time to accomplish all that\u00a0needs doing. When you add a 40-hour week to the schedule of the average\u00a0pastor, you can see how the\u00a0challenge to attend the children’s\u00a0school functions and ballgames, take\u00a0your wife out to dinner, participate in\u00a0local ministry efforts like Crisis Pregnancy\u00a0Centers or nursing homes, and\u00a0serve in denominational positions becomes\u00a0nearly impossible.<\/p>\n

However, if God has called you into\u00a0the ministry, blessed you with certain\u00a0gifts and also directed that you\u00a0should pastor a church that requires\u00a0you to work a second job, you have\u00a0to find a way to do it.<\/p>\n

Obviously, some things have to be\u00a0sacrificed. Can it be your family? No.\u00a0Can it be your church members? No.\u00a0Can it be people in your town that\u00a0need ministering to? Probably not.\u00a0Can it be that you will not be able to\u00a0serve your denomination at the district,\u00a0state or national levels? Perhaps,\u00a0perhaps not.<\/p>\n

The bi-vocational pastor must become\u00a0a master of prioritizing. There\u00a0are some things only he can do. No\u00a0one else can prepare his sermons,\u00a0no one else can prepare his Sunday\u00a0School lessons, and no one else can\u00a0be his members’ pastor in times of\u00a0crisis or illness.<\/p>\n

However, some visits can be\u00a0made by others in the church. Sometimes\u00a0phone calls will have to suffice\u00a0instead of home visits. Day time visits\u00a0with shut-ins or activities with seniors\u00a0groups in the church may not happen.\u00a0This may not be the ideal, and it\u00a0may not be the way he would\u00a0choose to function, but it is reality.<\/p>\n

There may need to be trade-offs\u00a0with a secular boss in order to be at\u00a0the hospital for Mrs. Church Member’s\u00a0middle-of-the-week, middle-of-the-day surgery. Sometimes it’s tough\u00a0to balance giving the secular boss\u00a0your best and giving your members\u00a0the time they need. It’s not a good testimony\u00a0to shortchange the boss, and\u00a0doing church work on his time is not\u00a0fair to him. God is faithful, however,\u00a0and will provide a way to accomplish\u00a0what He has called you to do.<\/p>\n

Compromises may need to be\u00a0made with your family. Vacations may\u00a0have to be an activity at the beginning\u00a0or end of the trip to the national convention.\u00a0You may have to get creative\u00a0in finding time with your wife.<\/p>\n

You may not be able to serve on local\u00a0boards or attend those interesting\u00a0seminars for pastors held on weekdays.\u00a0Going to dinner with a family in\u00a0your church on a weeknight may\u00a0mean less sleep that night because\u00a0you still have a sermon to prepare.<\/p>\n

Benefits for the Bi-Vocational Pastor<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s not a sacrifice though. One\u00a0positive aspect is the opportunity to\u00a0minister to people where you work.\u00a0There will be occasions to minister\u00a0to co-workers and bosses who attend\u00a0other churches but need encouragement\u00a0or advice. They see\u00a0you every day, reacting in various situations,\u00a0and after gaining their confidence,\u00a0you will have opportunities to\u00a0minister. They may never attend your\u00a0church, but you can influence them\u00a0positively for the Lord.<\/p>\n

Sermon ideas and illustrations\u00a0abound. Sometimes pastors are accused\u00a0of not living in the real world,\u00a0being disconnected from real people\u00a0and their struggles. By being out there\u00a0where they are every day, you experience\u00a0and understand what they are\u00a0facing. You see their struggles firsthand,\u00a0and can speak to them.<\/p>\n

Finally, the bi-vocational pastor will\u00a0probably be able to make enough\u00a0money to care for his family. He may\u00a0have health insurance or retirement\u00a0plans provided by his secular job.\u00a0Some smaller churches would not\u00a0have a pastor if he could not supplement\u00a0his earnings with a secular job.<\/p>\n

The bi-vocational pastorate is\u00a0unique and challenging. It’s neither\u00a0glamorous nor ideal, and many young\u00a0ministers will be open only to \u201cfull-time”\u00a0works. However, smaller churches\u00a0must have pastors, too. God wants\u00a0them to have a shepherd, to be cared\u00a0for and taught just like larger churches.\u00a0The bi-vocational pastor is essential to\u00a0the existence of our denomination. It is\u00a0a challenge that our men must rise to\u00a0meet, accept and perform by the grace of God.<\/p>\n

Article adapted from Contact <\/em>magazine, August 1999.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Randy Bryant Challenge! That word describes\u00a0any ministry, but 40 to 50 percent\u00a0of our pastors know a\u00a0special challenge. These men\u00a0face the unique demands of\u00a0the bi-vocational pastorate. Challenge in Concept The bi-vocational pastor faces a\u00a0challenge with the concept itself. Does\u00a0“bi-vocational” really mean “part-time”?\u00a0No! “Part-time” means that you\u00a0are a church’s pastor part of the time.\u00a0That term originated when pastors\u00a0served a given church only on certain\u00a0Sundays, maybe the first and third, or\u00a0second and fourth. A bi-vocational pastor is a full-time\u00a0pastor who holds down another job\u00a0to support his family. A full-time\u00a0pastor who works an additional job\u00a040 hours a week while fulfilling his\u00a0God-given call to the ministry\u2014a\u00a0pastor who works another job on the\u00a0side, not a businessman who pastors\u00a0on the side. The average church member has\u00a0no idea what is required to be a “full-time”\u00a0pastor and hold down an outside job. What they do know is that\u00a0they want their pastor available in\u00a0times of crisis, illness and times of sorrow.\u00a0They deserve no less than this\u00a0and the bi-vocational pastor’s challenge is to be there when needed. The pastor must be creative in his\u00a0scheduling\u2014available to his people\u00a0while dependable and honest with\u00a0his secular employer. Fellow pastors schedule many of\u00a0their activities, meetings and programs\u00a0during the day when bi-vocational\u00a0men can not attend. This, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pastors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4421"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4421\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4422,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4421\/revisions\/4422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}