Pastoral Ministry

Reflection and Realignment: The Challenges of Bi-vocational Ministry

/ pastorlynnmalone / 2 Comments

Last week was the one-year anniversary serving as “Pastor” of Haughton Methodist Church. I put the title pastor in quotes because most days I don’t really feel like their pastor. I feel more like their Sunday preacher. Please understand, that’s not a reflection on the congregation. It is a reflection on me.

The anniversary gave me pause to reflect on a year of bi-vocational pastoral work. The time of reflection helped me identify some challenges I’ve faced. I share them here as a means of personal processing, acknowledging that my reflection may actually be helpful to other bi-vocational ministers, or to those considering bi-vocational ministry.

Don’t worry! It’s not going to be a long, drawn out blog. I don’t have that much time (I’m a bi-vocational pastor, after all!), and you won’t take the time to read a long post.

Defining Terms

First, I should define the term “bi-vocational pastor.” It’s really self-defining, but just in case, a bi-vocational pastor is one who works a full-time job in addition to serving as the pastor of a local congregation.

I intentionally use the term bi-vocational “pastor” because it is a specific calling within the Church. Here’s the reality–every believer is called to ministry. That means every believer is a “bi-vocational minister,” but not every believer is called to be a “bi-vocational pastor.” Make sense?

Why a “bi-vocational pastor”? One reason is the financial aspect. There are many (and by “many,” I mean a LOT!) of small churches across the country-side that lack the resources to pay a full-time pastor. This is the primary reason for bi-vocational pastors.

However, there are some pastors who feel God’s call to both the marketplace and the Church, so bi-vocational ministry affords them the opportunity to fulfill both callings. There are other reasons, too, but I said this wasn’t going to be a long blog, so…

Why am I a bi-vocational pastor? I am a bi-vocational pastor because when I stepped out of a full-time ministry role, I did not step out of God’s calling to preach the Gospel. When I left vocational ministry in 2019, I wasn’t completely sure what the Lord was calling me to, but I was entirely sure it wasn’t to full-time ministry.

Seasons of Transition

Early in the transition, I thought perhaps this new calling was for simple “pulpit supply.” I’d scratch that itch to preach by filling in for other pastors. Yeah? No! That wasn’t it.

Not long after I stepped away from a full-time role, a congregation called asking me to “fill in” for a period of time. That fill-in role turned into a two-and-half year interim situation. I’m certain the Lord called us there for that season, but I also felt the Spirit’s nudge that the season was over. (Absolutely WONDERFUL congregation, by the way!)

After another couple of interim stints in congregations, I thought the Lord’s call might be lived out in that way. After all, interim pastor is a legitimate need of the Church, and there are pastors specifically trained for such ministry (I’m not one of them, though), but because I wasn’t trained in that ministry, I didn’t have the expertise (nor the time) to lead the congregations in the work necessary to prepare for their next pastor.

Haughton Methodist Church has been different, though. I felt (feel?) called to settle in and be their pastor–their bi-vocational pastor. That calling brought a different mindset to ministry for me, and I suppose it is that mindset that has caused this week of reflection. It might also have to do with the fact that I got another year older this week, so there’s that! Anyway, let me get to the challenges I’ve faced.

1. Time Management and Overload

Margin matters, and as a bi-vocational pastor, I’m finding little margin in my life. Family gets crowded out and rest is sporadic, at best. The most concerning part is that personal spiritual renewal is almost non-existent (dare I confess that?).

That leads to mental and emotional fatigue. My grandfather, who was a businessman, worked all day, went home and vegged out in front of the television. I now know why he did that. He was tired! I often find myself doing the same thing. Many days when I get home I just want to do something totally mindless and that wastes a lot of time.

2. Limited Ministry Opportunities

I know the congregation needs new ministries. I know that I need to be discipling leaders and I know I need to be present in community outreach. There’s that time thing, though. It is difficult to discern and communicate a vision for the congregation while keeping the plates of family, work and ministry spinning. Not an excuse, just a reality.

The only way I know to overcome this reality is to rely on the laity of the congregation. I’ve got some of the best at Haughton, that’s for sure, but laity still need leadership.

3. Identity and Calling Tension

I confess that I wrestle with a “less-than” feeling when compared to my full-time clergy colleagues. I honestly don’t know why because I’m certain the Lord called me away from that. Perhaps it’s that I fear others perceive me as “less-than,” and that is my real problem. I’ve always struggled with what others think of me. Yes, there is more spiritual work I need to do if I’m still worried about what other people think of me.

I’ve tried to figure out who I am in this new season. Am I a pastor who owns a business, or am I a business owner who also pastors? It’s a perplexing question. How I answer the question determines how I set my priorities. I seem to answer it differently on different days, and I can’t think that’s a good thing.

Blessings Abound

These are just three of the challenges I’ve reflected on over the past week or so. There are probably a dozen others, but this post is already too long. Lest anyone think the past year has been all challenges, you would be incorrect. There have been far more blessings, and counting those blessings is one way I’ve managed the challenges. I’ll save those blessings to share for another blog post.

In the meantime, please pray for the congregation at Haughton Methodist Church. Oh, and pray for me, too. We both could use the prayers…and you could probably use the practice.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Don’t Be Insane…

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You know the definition of insanity, right? Insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting a different result. The definition has been attributed to Albert Einstein. No one really knows if Einstein said it, but regardless, it is still true.

I bring up insanity only as a follow-up to my previous blog (here) dealing with the pastoral supply shortage in the church world (particularly among Methodists). Many congregations are searching for pastors and they are doing so with a mentality that is either dying or already dead.

Many congregations want a pastor like the pastors from the “good old days”–one who visits the sick, comforts the grieving, preaches good sermons, leads great bible studies, attends all the church functions, opens and closes the church on Sunday, etc. Many congregations are looking for a pastor “Who can meet our needs.” They are looking for Pastor Fetch.

If you’re a congregation that is searching for a leader, and you’re looking for a Pastor Fetch, you’re being insane. The reason for your insanity is because you’re trying to do ministry in a world that no longer exists. The world (the culture) has changed and your congregation is not changing with it. My counsel to you is “Don’t be insane!”

The 21st century and the dawn of the Information Age (call it the rise of the internet), along with the introduction of social media, has changed the landscape for EVERYTHING in our world. The church, as per usual, is one of the last institutions to adapt to that changing landscape (although the Covid pandemic did speed up the process for some). The tectonic shifts in culture have rendered the “old” models of ministry (and ministers) dead, or at the very least, on life support.

The “Old” Models

What are the “old” models of ministry I’m referencing? First, there is what I will call the “priest” model. This model has the leader who has been “trained” in all the rites of the faith tradition, and has the credentials to prove it. This person “stands apart” from the lay persons in the congregation and is the go-between for God and the people.

Another model of “old” ministry is that of “chaplain.” Yes, this model has the congregational leader as a “shepherd” of souls. You need a “pastor” with counseling skills and psychological insight who can visit the sick and care for the needy.

Another “old” model of ministry is that of “preacher-teacher.” The leader has to be trained in Greek and Hebrew in order to interpret the ancient texts. This leader is the resident scholar and theologian, and the sermon is the centerpiece of this model of ministry. An entire industry of theological education grew up to support this model of ministry, and the reality is that industry depends on the survival of this model for its continuation.

A more recent “old” model of ministry is that of “CEO-Manager.” This model has a leader who manages budgets, recruits and manages people for tasks, develops programs for ministry, gains new “customers” (converts) and casts vision for the congregation. This model is pretty much a singular reason we have so many “megachurches” these days.

None of these models has been ineffective. None of these models are necessarily un-biblical (with the exception of the CEO-Manager model). Unfortunately, each of these models have been rolled into the job description for one person, thus the leader who became “Pastor Fetch.”

A “Pre-Christian” World

The parallels between the first and twenty-first centuries is striking. I guess we might say is “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The parallels include globalism, religious pluralism along with a new focus on “spirituality” (people are “spiritual but not religious), and the collapse of institutions (including religious institution) are but a few of the most obvious ones.

The re-emergence of a pre-Christian world (culture) necessitates a new model of leadership in the church. It is called the “Apostolic” leadership model, and it harkens back to the days of the first apostles. I believe God is calling congregations and Christian leaders to re-learn and re-engage in this model of ministry to be effective in this new “old” world.

The “Apostolic” Model of Leadership

So, what does it mean to engage in this new “Apostolic” leadership model? First, this model is “missional.” The congregation (and its leaders) must be on mission–the Great Commission.

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28: 19-20 NIV).

Evangelism and sharing the Gospel must be at the heart of every congregation. We must be prepared to tell the story of Jesus to a world that increasingly has not heard the Word, and we must do it with creativity–taking the church to the street, or the amusement park, or the ball park, or the concert venue–well, you get the point. One congregation actually leases an amusement park once a year and invites the community free of charge to come as a means of promoting the Gospel.

Next, the new “old” model is “kingdom focused.” To be kingdom focused means that we believe Jesus’ kingdom does not fit the model of this world, and that it actually extends past the walls of church building programming. This does not mean we are pursuing political power, but are looking for collegial relationships that are community based and community focused. It is not about “how do we get people to come to our church,” but more about, “how do we take church to the people.”

Thirdly, the new “old” model is “team-oriented.” Pastor Fetch cannot and will not do it all in the apostolic model. Jesus had a team of twelve (probably more) that he taught and commissioned to begin the work of ministry. The Apostle Paul had Barnabas, Silas, Timothy and Luke as helpers for the work of ministry. A team orientation to ministry assists in bringing ALL the necessary skills to the work, and it promotes accountability among leadership in a much more spiritual way.

As part of this team orientation, ministry leaders will be focused on developing disciples who exhibit and practice the “five-fold ministry gifts” found in Ephesians 4.

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature,attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4: 11-13 NIV).

Ministry leadership is about developing others to fulfill the calling of the mission. Congregations seeking pastoral leadership need to be looking for persons who can lead them in learning to the do the ministry instead of leaders who do the ministry for them.

The Leader a Congregation is Looking For

In this cultural age, every congregation should be looking for a pastor who is evangelistic, meaning their primary desire should be to see others come to Jesus. The primary desire of your new pastor should not be to meet your spiritual needs, but rather should be concerned with inviting others into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Another characteristic that should be high on a congregation’s list of qualifications is a person who is interested in community engagement, a person who has demonstrated the ability to engage in building relationships across congregations, businesses and other non-profits in the communities they’ve served.

A final characteristic I would be looking for if I were looking for a pastor is a team-building mentality. Is the person capable and has he/she demonstrated the capacity to surround him/herself with other leaders and allow them to share the work of ministry. Has this person delegated responsibility to others, and has this person taught and trained others how to use their giftedness for ministry?

Those are not necessarily qualities that have been high on your list for previous pastors, but if a congregation goes looking for a pastor like their previous pastors, then they’ll likely get exactly what they’ve gotten in past, and that will only lead to a continuing decline in the congregation. But, I say, “Hey, if you want what you’ve always had, then by all means, go for it. You’ll get what you’ve always gotten, and that’s just insane.”

But, then again, what do I know? I’ve been out of vocational ministry for five years. I don’t know much of anything. I’ve just been observing from the sidelines. One can learn a lot, though, when observing from the sidelines.

Until next time, keep looking up…

The Road Between Work and Worship…

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Part of my present devotional exercise is reading a sermon a day from Eugene Peterson, beloved translator of The Message paraphrase of the Bible. Though Peterson suffered some damage to his “evangelical” reputation near the end of his life, I refuse to throw the baby out with the bath water. Peterson was gifted with the ability to turn a phrase with elegance and simplicity, and with over 50 years in ministry, he turned many phrases that are both abounding in truth and utterly challenging.

If you’ve never read Peterson (outside the occasional look at The Message), I commend his work to you. If you are a pastor, you would benefit greatly from his memoir The Pastor: A Memoir, whether you’re just beginning the work of pastoral ministry, or whether you’re nearing the end of the journey. Another classic I would recommend any Christian read is A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society. This book will change the way you view Christian discipleship. Well worth the read.

So, one of the sermons I read this week offered me a particular challenge in how I view the church (little “c” intentionally used–meaning the local congregation). Here are the two paragraphs that challenged me:

“The ideal church, as far as I’m concerned (which is rooted in my understanding of Scripture), would be one where nobody came near the church for six days and everybody came on Sunday. The best kind of church would be one with no committees or organizations–nothing happening here between Sundays. Not because we have nothing to do but because we have everything to do. During the week we’re out carrying crosses, denying ourselves, following Jesus, making our witness, helping our neighbors, serving God, working responsibly and as hard as we can to be the people of God in serving and suffering the way he’s called us to do it. We work. We do.

“But, then, on the “seventh day” (the first day for Christians), we come here and leave all that behind. And we enjoy everything that God is doing. We become carefree. Free. We become children again. We let God do it all, and you sing and adore and become aware of his presence.”

Sermon “Transfigured”, Eugene Peterson

Ah! A congregation with “no committees or organizations.” A pastor’s dream! But, without the incumbent “work” of ministry that all Christ-followers are called to do in the interim, I’m sure it would soon become a nightmare. Perhaps it has…

I am reminded by Peterson’s words that there is to be no distinction between our work and our worship. We worship AND we work. Worship is meant to fuel our work. Too often, we compartmentalize our lives such that our worship is divorced from the everyday-ness of life. “This” is my religious life, and “that” is my work (everyday) life. I get so much out of the “worship” part that I want to return tomorrow or the next day to experience it again, but in doing so, I neglect the necessity of the “work” part of loving my neighbor or greeting the stranger. Worship becomes the excuse for my failure to work. Ouch!

It is easy to be Christian on Sunday. It is much more difficult to be Christian on Monday when we are met with the challenge of actually putting feet to our faith. And, if I can go to enough bible studies and serve on enough church committees, I can find solace in the fact that “I’ve done my Christian duty.” It becomes easier to forgo the loving my neighbor or caring for the orphan part of our Christian duty.

As a pastor serving full-time in vocational ministry, I thought it was my responsibility to lead Bible studies and develop programs that enhanced the life of the congregation and fostered discipleship in its members. To do otherwise would likely have gotten me fired! Besides, how would anything ever get accomplished in the life of the congregation without committees and organization? Right? Someone has to lead all that. The “work” of the church does need to get done, after all.

Now, serving as a bi-vocational pastor, I’ve come to appreciate the necessity of the work that must be done outside the walls of the church. Listen, folks! The lost aren’t coming to the church anymore. If we would encounter the lost, it will be in the ordinary, everyday encounters we have with the people where we live most of our lives–our work and our home. It is in that environment that we must live obediently and faithfully. It is in the Monday through Saturday of life where disciples are formed. It is in the Monday through Friday of life where the lost are introduced to Jesus, and are offered the opportunity to embrace him as Lord and Savior.

Worship is not an escape from the world…a welcome respite from the challenges of life. Worship is meant to propel us into the world where our work becomes our witness, and our service to others reflects our faithful obedience to Jesus Christ.

I certainly don’t mean to diminish the work I did as a full-time vocational minister, nor am I casting dispersion on the many friends and colleagues who continue to do that work faithfully. I am, however, calling into question the motivations for doing what I did as a pastor, and for doing what we do as congregations. Age and context have given me a different perspective, and that change in perspective has me questioning some of my deeply held beliefs concerning discipleship. That’s all…

I guess the long and short of it for me is that there is no distance between worship and work. The journey of discipleship follows the same road between worship and work. I suppose faithful discipleship is learning how to “keep it between the ditches” along that road.

Until next time, keep looking up…