Bi-Vocationalism and the New Pastor
In one of my last classes at Bethel Seminary, I stumbled onto a discussion board dialogue that left me thinking. Thinking deeply, in fact.
Two of my friends were discussing burn out in the North American church. More specifically the heavy demands put on pastors. While the conversation initially held my attention because of burnout, it ended up leaving me wondering about the future role of pastors in the church.
My friends went back and forth on a few exchanges in this thread. Then one of them–a man who is characteristically reserved about his personal life–let us in a little bit to where he was at personally. It was telling … and quite refreshing. He said:
I’m getting to a point where I’m wondering exactly what my vocational future will be. I know my limitations, and I’m simply uninterested in assuming the mantle of perfect, superhero to lead a bunch of Christians down some imaginary journey to their own perfection. If I find a church that wants a messed up dude like myself and feels like paying me to be their pastor and offer them what I have to offer, that sounds great to me. I’ll do my best to earn their generosity. But I also want to keep my fingers in the officiating world because I’ve developed some great relationships there that I want to maintain (and I think I’m good at it, and I enjoy it). So, if that means that I’ll be doing the sort of bi-vocational thing that you’re doing, that’s on the table for me.
His thinking was echoed by many in the class. Keep in mind, the people I go to school with are already in ministry, leading churches and ministries on a daily basis. They’re the pastors, deacons, elders and board members that make up your church. This wasn’t an isolated incident, either.
Another wise friend of mine weighed in on the issue. This is a man who’s been around ministry his whole life. He’s a PK (preacher’s kid) and he gets it. When discussing the future of the North American church he stated that “very few” churches will be able to afford full-time pastors in the future. “Just watching the trends,” he said, “most churches won’t have the money to afford full-time staff. Pastors will most likely need to be bi-vocational.” Another eye-opener for me, as he’s someone whose opinion I value greatly.
I’m beginning to wonder if bi-vocationalism is going to be a necessary part of the pastorate for the 21st century? I wonder if we’ve created a role in the “superhero” pastor that is, to borrow a business term, not “scalable” for future generations. We’ve forced our pastors to be the Every Man and Every Woman that No One is capable of being. Bi-vocationalism will provide a healthy distance for pastors and their congregations while alleviating growing economic concerns in many (not all) North American churches.
- Paul seemed to be down with bi-vocationalism.
- Jesus was a carpenter.
- I know of one church that requires (yes requires–as in, “you have to do this”) their pastoral staff to be bi-vocational. Love that. It forces them as a staff to get out into the community.
What are your thoughts? How would you feel about your pastor being bi-vocational? Pastors, do you see this as something you’d be willing to try? What are some potential pitfalls? Benefits?
Holler.
I'm a uni-vocational worship leader at my church, working FT for a Fortune 500 financial services company. I've been an unpaid volunteer for the last 3.5 years, coordinating a worship ministry of 40+ musicians. At times I feel exasperated because I can't offer the worship ministry the love and attention they deserve and I want to offer. Sometimes I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders as I try to balance work with a very busy family/personal life and my responsibilities at church.
While I can see this trend happening with ministry & church leaders, I feel that they will need to set expectations up front, focus on what's most important for the church, develop and utilize their best gifts, learn to say “no,” and remind their congregation they can only do so much. If they can find that balance, I commend them. It's a tough road…that's for sure.
Totally agree with what your friends and you are saying.
I have seen this going on for a while now, which actually led me to pursue some teaching certificate stuff because of this discussions topic. I realized that most churches could probably only hire a creative arts guy or youth guy part time or full time with a rough salary and realized that I could be a teacher and minister at the same time.
I think for a youth minister that is huge. What a great way to minister. Not only at the church and community but in the schools. No agenda, just teaching math or history.
I do think that this is the direction we are headed. My dad always tells me (and he is someone who went through burnout fatigue in ministry) “remember, Paul was a tent maker”
Basically telling me that Paul worked outside of teaching and preaching.
Sometimes I think we, or maybe just me, get lazy and do not want to do multiple things to support our families. But I do know a lot of ministers that spend more time on facebook and the interwebs then working at their church. Sad but true.
Good discussion
I can see a lot of benefit in this, and it does seem to be how things were done in NT times. I'm not a pastor, but in full time work with churches and I've thought about getting a few hours at the local coffee shop…to be in the world.
PRO (to name a few)
- less overhead for the church
- less emphasis on the pastor doing it all
- brings the pastor to a more common level, still leads, but stands on the same ground
- allows the pastor to taste “real life”
- gives the pastor a whole other group of people to connect with
- being a superhero is exhausting
But I don't know if pastors are going to grab hold.
CON (to name a few)
- inconvenient to have two sources of income
- loses all the flexibility that comes w being full time
- doesn't feel as “official”
- have to work for someone else
- split focus would be difficult
- being a superhero feels good
In fact I just had a conversation with someone yesterday about at CEO/owner who decided to step down as CEO and join the crew. It was a huge success for him and the company. He was happier, the company ran smoother, increased unity, etc. Just not sure many would be able to make that step. I think it's too nice being CEO all the time with all the benefits attached to it.
After working full-time for a church administratively and now working in the secular world full time, the difference is astounding. I have been pondering what to do in the next couple of years and I really like working outside of the church while focusing on a few key issues that I am passionate about regarding the church.
In other countries it isn't uncommon for a bi-vocational pastor to exist but because we can afford to have full-time pastors here, it is a privilege that I think is going away slowly.
Also, I think that pastors working in the real world keeps them aware and out of the Christian bubble that we often find ourselves in.
Good thoughts.
I've been “bi-vocational” “Dual-Career” (translation: overworked and underpaid) most of my 30+ years in ministry, at this point I'm full time pastor. “Pressing on for the upward call” has always been my focus, not a struggle between 'secular and sacred'. However, as someone who has walked the walk, I would suggest that Matt. 6:24 should enter into the decision process. I was blessed in having a job that I could leave at the office, but there was always tension between them, demands on energy and time that were difficult to cope with. And while it is true that Paul and Jesus both had skills they could use in a pinch, as far as we can determine, Jesus never practiced carpentry after entering His public ministry. And Paul only made tents until such time as support and opportunity freed him to the real work of his heart.
Can you have a 'secular job' and 'ministry job' at the same time? Sure. It may even be essential – and spiritually profitable – to do so. But there is nothing romantic about it, nor is it more spiritual than “the worker is worthy of his wages”. If you must, do it, “heartily as unto the Lord”. Just try to keep in mind which 'career' you're really striving for.
I am currently a bi-vocational pastor. I have worked in several grocery stores and pastored at the same time. Advantages? I can really relate to the people in the pew who have been grinding it out 40 to 5o hours a week. You get great “real life” illustrations for sermons! And, our church has actually gained members from those I have met in the workplace. Also, I get to do what I love without this Sunday's offering being the decision maker. Drawbacks? I am tired…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I think based on reading the posts below that there is an assumption that a church would understand the need for the pastor to do less. In many congregations, I am not sure this will ever be understood. If it comes to pass that most churches cannot afford a full-time pastor, I guess those that are not willing to be flexible, will be pastorless. I hope that it does not come to pass, because I think that it is best for the pastor and the church to have a full-time traditional pastor.
This hits home… I'm currently in the throws of this decision myself. Pastoring a small group in a home church, and working my tail off 50 hours a week to support my family. Not too mention I am in the Bethel In-Ministry M.Div program!
Burn-Out is not something that only happens to full-time pastors. It happens to anyone is any industry who is over-extended : )
The comments made about a pastor should work a regular job so he can stay connected to the community is certainly true, but I would say its sad to think Pastors who don't work bi-vocationally are not engaged in culture elsewhere in their communities. you have gyms, coffee shops, ball fields, and schools to name a few… there are so many places to be connected to the community for Christians it seems like a weird reason to want your pastors to get other jobs. What if he works with 15 people and they are all professed believers in Christ… does this count as a good secular job?
I can honestly say that my 50 hours a week doesn't allow me the time I need to pastor a small group well and build the relationships I want to build. If I'm at work 40-50 hours a week, taking time before or after work to build relationships means I rob my family of the time they need. I don't think this a simple subject, but it seems to me if we spend our time wisely as a full time pastor, we should be able to connect with our community and with our people, and still have the proper amount of time to spend loving and raising a family.
I would like to offer a thought… I think the subject of burn-out may have less to do with time and energy and more to do with some in full-time ministry feel they are so busy at church they have less of an impact for the gospel than before they became full-time pastors. So maybe the issue of burn-out is tied to what your time as a pastor is spent doing. And often pastors feel like they have less and less time to actually impact lives, which is why they went into the ministry in the first place. If pastors and their boards re-worked what the job looked like so more time was spent impacting lives outside of Sunday morning, maybe we would have less ministry burn-out! Just a thought because this subject came up last time we all got together at Bethel for Winter Intensives…
This seems like a symptom of a type of church structure that focuses on a Pastor giving a long sermon that accounts for most of the service time each week. I don't think there would be such a heavy demand on a Pastor if he/she didn't have to write a 40-minute sermon every week.
The nice thing about a more “traditional” liturgy is that the Pastor has a less demanding task of writing a 10-15-minute sermon.
The other thing is that those extra minutes free up time for the rest of the church body to share their gifts. These might be gifts like prophecy, interpretation, sharing stories of faith, prayer, etc. You know, stuff that the Bible tells us should be in our worship services along with preaching and singing (and dancing!).
In exploring a different and IMO more balanced and Biblical structure, maybe the rest of the church would feel more engaged, and be more inspired to give, which would also help the Pastor? Thinking aloud in this last part.
I think this is a painful balance in a culture that takes multi tasking to a whole new level. And in reality its going to work best for those individuals who are really driven to focus their ministry efforts in the area they are most passionate and skilled in. I consider myself tri-vocational if we're giving ourselves titles. I work as a pharmaceutical sales rep, am the children's ministry director at our church and have a family. There are times when the “divided attention” this requires feels a little like I'm not doing anything GREAT but am managing to do all things ok. I'm not sure too many churches aspire for their pastoral leaders to just do things ok.
That being said, I'm incredibly lucky to use my gifts in mulitiple areas that interest me, challenge me and fulfill me. Balance vs. burn out. Not a new concept – but one that perhaps means our pastors deserve a little more grace than we tend to dish out. Super hero is unattainable. And for me, balance means greater passion and joy in all areas of my life. I think if bi-vocational is by choice to pursue a passion that is different than bi-vocational by necessity.
Pastor Rick is all over this one. The whole point of being “full-time” or uni-vocational is freedom and focus. I worked bi-vocationally for awhile, and there's nothing spiritual about it. Both “jobs” were rewarding and challenging, but only one was a calling… for me at least. But there was much frustration when my efforts with my church were often majorly hampered by my responsibilities at my other job.
If working another job were necessary for me to pastor, I would… I'd pastor for free if I had to. But as much as I can, I will concentrate on fulfilling my calling to equip the saints for service. The less I have to “earn my bread” on the side, the better.
I'm pro bi-vocational. Here's why:
- lower overhead for the Church
- the bible talks a lot about the whole body working together rather than just a small staff or leader doing all the work. I believe it should be distributed – I believe the bible implies this, rather than the current, popular model.
- I don't like my tithe going to support staff & offices. When I worked for a church I saw how lazy the staff was and how much money we wasted.
I'd much rather have that money be spent on training volunteers to do all that work & figuring out a way to distribute the work among the body. Utilizing more of the people of the church is not only biblical, it creates buy-in, it helps them grow & mature, it helps church members develop stronger relationships with one another (b/c more of them are invested & working together), it develops the strengths of way more people, so the Kingdom can advance further and more churches can be started.
Also, I've seen personally that the church staff have a lot of fun, goofing around, deciding what their church does and the rest of the congregation is paying for it. I don't think it's fair.
Is it possible that burn-out is a result of pastors bearing a burden they are not biblically meant to carry. I believe the modern notion of pastors who are paid full time to come-up with an inspiring message on Sunday, and manage a property and a staff, who does programs, and counsel some people, is not biblical.
It seems to me that the scripture talks more about the body working together, some are prophets, some teachers, some evangelists, some have gifts of leadership, some of preaching, etc.
In our modern church culture we pay 1 guy to wear lots of hats, and the guys with the other hats given to them by the Holy Spirit, we mostly ignore. This burns-out the multi-hat guy, and it sadly under utilizes the other people.
Not only is it biblical for us to distribute the responsibility it's more practical (from a burn-out standpoint) – tho it's harder to figure-out, a little uncomfortable, requires greater patience & love for one another, probably won't grow as big – but can multiply like rabbits.
My pastor works for Fedex full-time and seems to counsel every marriage in the church. There is no way he could afford his house or putting his kids in all the sports programs they are currently apart of if he didn't. He is also the most Spirit-led man I know. Here's the issue, working full-time, being super-dad/super-husband and pastoring a church leads to a burnout of its own. I'm all about being bi-vocational, and I feel VERY called to work in ministry. I don't think I'll be able to support my family doing ministry. I have a college degree and no job. I will be working to get various licenses to start my own business. With my own business, I hope one day to have the flexibility a pastor needs to meet and counsel people where they are as well as make a living. This was a very refreshing pot J-Wise. I have been wrestling with this recently.
My husband and I where volunteer leaders of a church plant. My husband was the worship leader . He also owned and worked at his own marketing company. It worked for a time. It totally burnt us both out because both where full time jobs. In our case tho the church was not paying us we were simply volunteers. We did it for a year and never missed a Sunday or practice. When we did ask for time off we where asked to step down.
I think it would be awesome to see more pastor's and staff out in the community but it would be a fine line with not turning either jobs into full time. The pressure's from each job could create a very stressful situation. I would hope the model for that would be worked out to protect the persons involved.
The perfect scenario would to have a part-time job and be able to be in ministry part-time and paid. Maybe someday that will be what God has for our family.
I am a bi/vo pastor and I'm learning to live in the tension.
Is it hard? Yes.
Is it worth it? Absolutely.
The beauty of it is that our church has learned not to be dependent on me to come in and save the day. There's quite a bit of “one-anothering” going on and it's an amazing thing. Plus, I don't take a salary from our church which frees up more resources to be good news to our city and this world.
At the same time, it can all be too much. Especially when you're a spouse and a parent in addition to working a full-time job and leading a growing community. It's wonderfully messy, trying, and can easily produce burnout. After all, leadership is still required and that simply takes time, energy, and effort. It's work.
Jesus was a carpenter but once his public ministry hit the streets, we didn't hear much about his carpentry skills. Paul was a tentmaker, but it was for a period of time, and he didn't have a family to provide for.
I believe we'll see more and more pastors working at least part-time outside the church. Some for necessity, other's for intentional mission, many for both. Overall, I don't think it's a bad thing; in fact, it's quite healthy for the church. I just caution that it not be at the expense of the pastor.
Love it….
All Christians are called to be a Royal Priesthood which means we can all be vi-vocational in the way we put our faith into action and lead a secular life at the same time. In fact, I know many lay people who do more pastoral ministry and have more of a servant's heart than many of the pastors who are paid a decent salary to do what some do for free, as well as keeping a full time job and bringing up a family. Yes, I do believe the role of pastors as a remunerated job may well disappear. This will force those who are not in it for genuine motives, to be sifted like wheat, and only those who are truly and solely following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ will remain in their pastoral callings and produce good fruit for the Kingdom.
What a fantastic insight into what is really taking place in the Body of Christ today. Hallelujah!
As the wife a bi-vocational youth pastor, it is exhausting for both of us. If by chance your secular job pays you well and offers flexibility it “can” work. The grass is not greener being bi-vocational. I would love for my husband to be able focus his time on his passion of reaching youth for Jesus. Right now he does not have time to do all that he longs to do.
Paul wasn't bi-vocational out of necessity, but out of desire. I currently am bivo out of necessity and will keep it that way because I want to until the demands of the ministry (where my heart truly is) will overshadow my ability to remain that way. But in regards to this thought, we have to be careful to not thump the drum of “low overhead” and “out in the community more” because in all sincerity the flock should treasure their pastor alot more than they do. The question we should be asking is not whether or not a pastor “should” be bivo, but why aren't our churches flourishing enough to afford to pay a full time salary? The Apostle Peter didn't go back to fishing and also Pastor, he pastored full time as well as the other church fathers in Jerusalem. Timothy, full time. Paul was an exception, not the rule. And the basics are, if everyone in our churches would simply tithe, this discussion wouldn't need to exist, but only for those who enjoy and are adept at doing both.
FYI, we always wonder why pastor kids get the bad raps, this might be a root cause. Dad's out pastoring and working full time at the expense of his family. Not good.
Hi, I've enjoyed reading these comments.
I'm one of the few bivocational pastors in Scotland, and have to find my own way forward in how it works (and how it doesn't!). I've written a paper on staying the course in bivo ministry and have a Twitter page called Bivocational that links to various resources, artcles and web-pages.
What has been most exciting for me is (re)discovering the deep theologocal reasons for this type of calling, whereby we are intentionally alongside others in a workplace, to learn and to share. It truly is incarnational mission, and being a minister for the Kingdom in the world.
When you operate at that level, it frees you from the “I'm only doing this because there isn't enough money in the church” thinking, which is often the main reason for embarking on this route and, ironically, the worst.
Blessings to you,
Gus Macaulay, Glasgow, Scotland.
Tough one. I worked the first 10 of my 14 years in ministry as bi-vocational and it was far more stressing and burning than “balancing.” If the goal is to get the pastors or staff into the community, then intentionally do that. Pull their office and have them take an office “out in the world.” If being full time as a pastor causes a bubble mind set, then it's the atmosphere and ethos that needs to be changed, not the vocation. Having two jobs, one as a pastor, and then keeping a balanced, healthy family life is incredibly difficult. The churches I have been a part of just couldn't see how taxing it is to do both. I currently pastor in a poor urban setting, and I can't imagine how to take a second job. I am not a super pastor, and we work very hard to delegate and give everyone a place to express their gifts and talents, but I am still left overwhelmed with the workload. Another job could help relieve church finances, but would probably kill my family.
Wally nailed it. Where does family fit into the bi-vocational pastors life?
Bi-Vocational is the new black. It is more acceptable to be a bi-voc pastor now (it used to have that “he's not good enough to cut full-time” feel, not anymore). It helps the church financially, helps the church in a missional way, and helps church have healthy expectations on the pastor (and fam).
Exactly. I am also a bi-vocational pastor. No matter how hard I try, finding balance has eluded me. Between the demands of ministry and a second job, there are just too many balls in the air, and it is my family that suffers. Also, either the ministry, or the other job, will suffer, because your loyalties are divided. My heart is in the ministry, and I know that my performance in my other job suffers. This negatively impacts my witness in my secular job, don't you think? If a pastor needs to have ongoing contact and experience in the world outside of the church, which I believe he does, there are many other ways to do so intentionally without causing the ministry or his family to suffer.
Thanks for the post. I'm a 3/4 time pastor and 1/4 time writer — or something like that. That said, I hate the word “bivocational” I explain why here: http://adamjcopeland.com/2009/03/23/why-bi-voca… “Bivocational” is misleading and bifurcated — what our calls need not be. Peace.
I have done both. I started as a bi-vo youth pastor. Then became a full time Youth Pastor, then full time senior pastor. After some rough experiences (including pastoring one church that was deacon possessed!) I went back to a full time secular spot. I now co-pastor an independent church while working full time as a crime scene investigator for a Sheriff's Office.
While being bi-vocational is challenging, it is also the most rewarding experience of my 30 years in the ministry. I think the key is a pastoring team. My co-pastor and I split the preaching and other duties. To me, the biggest obstacle to this arrangement is in the heart of the pastors themselves. If you can't get over the need to be “the guy” then you can't do it this way. To me, it is awesome. I feed others one week and get fed the next. Awesome. It truly is the most fun I've ever had as a pastor!
I think you guys are hitting the nail on the head… as someone in the throws of being bi-voctional I'm pulled in so many different directions that I can't see straight sometimes. And in the end, my family sees less of me, and neither vocation get my best. I think this is my biggest issue with bi-vocational… nothing I do is as good as it can be because of a lack of focus! Focus feeds quality, and right now I see with a blur because of the time commitment of 2 jobs, and then… life : )
Justin, a friend linked to this post – my first time to your site. I did a series on bi-vocational ministry (http://j.mp/qzhpk) a while back that I thought you (and others who are reading you here) might be interested in. Truthfully, I point it out more for the discussion that took place through those posts than anything else, but the posts themselves bear some relevance. Thanks for sharing your thoughts here.
i definitely think this is the role of the pastor in the future. we've been doing it here (Life on the Vine, IL) for 7 years, but not just out of mere necessity. a bi-vocational, co-pastorate (no senior pastor) also trains to the congregation not to expect everything from a professional pastor, but to learn to exist as the priesthood of all believers.
so we do it just as much as a value than as a necessity.
Thanks for the links, Adam. I'll be checking these out!
Thanks, bro. I'll check these out….
Love that idea of a co-pastor. I'd love to visit Life of the Vine sometime … Expectation from your congregation is KEY. Well done.
Much like Geoff's comment below about co-pastorship, I come from a church plant led in co-pastorship. I serve as a lay pastor under them. Frankly, we're all going bi-vocational right now. And, frankly, it's a great way to understand what the people in the church are dealing with and it keeps us all connected to those we want to reach. A call is a call…it doesn't matter if you do it for free or get paid because it's who you are.
It makes perfect sense. Most Christians are too cheap to want to pay a workman what he is worth. I remember one of your past posts about the tipping habits of born again Christians. One word- Cheap. Yes, time to accept the fact that most Christians in America talk the talk, but don't walk the walk when it comes to giving. I'm sure glad I'm not a pastor, for that is a sure fire way to starve to death if you expect your flock to pay you a living wage.
One of my favorite Wendell Berry quotes spoke to me (as a bi-vocational pastor) on this:
“It seems to me that one of the most important things in ministerial training would be to teach them do do something besides be a preacher. Because…it's a bad thing to be professionally trapped. And I can't imagine a worse trap to fall into than a total dependence on being a minister. They ought to be taught to garden, to farm, carpenter, take care of themselves in some other way. And THEN they can tell the truth.” – Wendell Berry, 2007 Convocation and Pastor's School.
That quote is money. I'm totally stealing it!
It's yours, man. Seriously, though, I just quit my ministerial position after being bi-vo at 2 churches over the last 8 years or so. Jesus is so dang smart. There is tremendous wisdom in his saying “No one can serve 2 masters”. I know he wasn't talking about bivocational ministry, but it's true nonetheless. If you try to be the best professional minister and the best professional or employee at the same time, neither will be done as well as they could be. Part of this may have been my personality, or my profession (IT, which requires a tremendous amount of keeping-up-to-date), but I just couldn't do both without burning out and wrestling with which plate I needed to let drop.
I am currently bi-vocational and it is very hard. While I do get out and associate with others who wouldn't normally come to church, this also means that I have responsibilities towards another group besides the church and my family. To truly be a good worker, there are times I must put in extra hours there and work towards making that organization a better place as well. Therein lies the issue. What do I do when the church needs me and I am have responsibilities towards my other job? It's hard enough to balance your family life and church duties, but when a third group enters that also demands your time, talent, and treasure, it can get really difficult. I think if the church wants bi-vocational pastors, it needs to be ready for the pastor to not always be available on their schedule. They must respect the boundaries in the pastor's life and be willing to pick up some of the slack when he cannot be around. I think each church body will be forced to decide if they want their pastor available to them or are they willing to share their pastor with another job. Each body may make a different decision based on their needs. Think about it, when you are in a time of tragedy, will you be OK with your pastor not being there due to his work schedule at another job? Will you be OK with your pastor not being able to perform your wedding ceremony due to his work schedule? These things will come up and the body must be willing to deal with them in a way the supports the bi-vocational pastor.
I serve as the Director of Missions for Southern Baptists in Vermont. After 17 years of working with small churches served primarily by bivocational pastors, I have written a new book entitled Developing Leadership Teams in Bivocational Churches. It is published by Crossbooks, a division of Lifeway Christian Resources. I would love for you to share this resource with bivocational pastors in your circle of influence. There are so few current resources that have been developed just for them.
You can read all about the book and purchase as copy at:
http://www.crossbooks.com/BookStore/BookStoreBo…
or you can go to http://www.terrydorsett.com and click on the picture of the book.
Hope you find it helpful.
Dr. Terry W. Dorsett, Director
Green Mountain Baptist Association
30 Jones Brothers Way, Suite B
Barre VT 05641
http://www.vermontbaptist.org
I serve as the Director of Missions for Southern Baptists in Vermont. After 17 years of working with small churches served primarily by bivocational pastors, I have written a new book entitled Developing Leadership Teams in Bivocational Churches. It is published by Crossbooks, a division of Lifeway Christian Resources. I would love for you to share this resource with bivocational pastors in your circle of influence. There are so few current resources that have been developed just for them.
You can read all about the book and purchase as copy at:
http://www.crossbooks.com/BookStore/BookStoreBo…
or you can go to http://www.terrydorsett.com and click on the picture of the book.
Hope you find it helpful.
Dr. Terry W. Dorsett, Director
Green Mountain Baptist Association
30 Jones Brothers Way, Suite B
Barre VT 05641
http://www.vermontbaptist.org
I have a dream of a NON-vocational staffed church. Bi-vocational is a great step in that direction. My pastoral friends seem to want to be regarded as regular people and not put on a higher ‘holy’ ground. What better way to mix with and understand our communities than to live life with and like them? If a large church has hundreds of ministries, as well as a board all led by working volunteers, then why not a volunteer pastoral staff? Too much work to do? Then, double or triple the staff. (see why I call it a dream) Too Hard?? wahh…. Do lay servants have it easy? Is it supposed to be easy? As a lay servant, God, church and family are priorities, yet they must put most of their time into their vocation to support family and church. Lay people work, go to school, pray, Bible study, family ministry, visit people in need, time with spouse, serve on boards, lead youth groups, bible studies, help with church maintenance, serve at the local shelter. Didn’t I hear about a concept called – Priesthood of the Believers? Lay servants are being pulled in a thousand directions by competing priorities, and not a dime is ever considered going thier way, rather they are expected (and do) give significantly of the resources from these ‘jobs’ towards the churches where they serve so tirelessly. There would be challenges, but wouldn’t it be cool to pull down the veil between staff and lay leadership? Messy, difficult, yet rewarding healthy and effective in so many ways. In my relationships with students, I hear the echos of the conversation you mentioned. The students are challenged with their desire to serve God in such a deep and special way that they want their education and ‘job search’ process to differentiate from the secular world. (Go to school, get a bunch of student loans, find an underpaid job at a church, work, get paid, go in more debt) They are expressing that the schools are teaching this process due to the drive to succeed, as a ‘job factory’ rather than to train and teach people to spread the gospel. It seems mundane and not an organic Godly inspired process to them. They want to live out their calling in freedom, and serve the church. They want to go to school to learn Jesus way, learn their calling, and be trained up to fulfill their call. They are wanting to serve God – in ministry, where they might somehow in life be blessed with resources to sustain them, not be shackled by a paycheck. Can’t predict how the next generation church will look, but I appreciate that they are wrestling with this. I definitely see some creative church models in the future, which is exciting, because that means our methods are staying fresh with our culture, and our churches will not fade away, yet the gospel is always the same!
Thanks for your thoughts,
Tony