Consider this…….
The term bivocational should be defined as the pastor who has another source of income beyond the church, whereas a pastor who receives all his income from the church is clarified as fully funded. In actuality, both are full time. Some churches are able to go from bivocational to fully funded. Some churches will move from being fully funded to bivocational. Many times the deciding factor revolves around the finances of the church. The size of a congregation can dictate if the pastor is bivocational or fully funded.
There are other considerations in making this decision for churches on the borderline. This brings to question if changing the
pastoral status will limit the effectiveness of the church. Also, they must consider the calling they have and that of the pastor.
The reality is there is a calling for both types of ministry.
The greatest obstacle for being bivocational is community perception. Some see bivocational ministry as second rate ministry. They see it as a lack of faith or not being a good enough preacher. This may be a challenge to a young minister. I challenge
bivocational pastors to regard God’s call and not uninformed or injudicious comments from others. This type of feeling would
offend the great apostle Paul who supported himself by making tents (Acts 18:3) while he preached and started churches. He refused to be a burden to those he served (2 Thessalonians 3:7-9). Paul had the right to receive support, but he chose rather to earn his own living to set an example.
There are many small churches that would have to close their doors if they could not find a bivocational pastor. Just like each
Christian is equipped with different gifts for ministry, so each pastor is equipped with gifts to minister to the congregation that God has called.
So why don’t all churches grow so they can be fully funded? Not every Christian desires to be a part of a large church. I tell this to smaller congregations all the time. The smaller church has an appeal for some people who do not desire a large church.
I think there are different size churches with different ministries because God loves variety. We need the smaller congregations just like we need the larger congregations. Let’s celebrate our pastors and churches in their calling and ministry whether bivocational or fully funded.
