The Bi-Vocational Preacher
Current economic realities and trends in church demographics have led an increasing number of churches to consider downsizing the job description of their pastors from full-time to part-time. In my recent book entitled Part-Time Pastor, Full-Time Church (Pilgrim Press, 2010), I discuss this trend in detail and offer suggestions and strategies for local churches, search committees, seminaries, denominational officials and clergy who might at some point consider moving into one of these part-time pastoral positions.
Oftentimes, the part-time pastor in a local church is someone who, like myself, is bi-vocational, in effect, working two jobs, one of which might not even be in the arena of ‘church work’. Such is my own situation. For the past ten years, I have served as the pastor of the Congregational Church of Union, UCC, while at the same time maintaining a rather active full-time position as a school counselor in the public high school of the town in which I live. While there are many topics one could explore when looking at clergy in positions such as mine, one which is readily overlooked is the impact of bi-vocationality upon the PREACHER . In other words, one must consider the ways in which the preacher’s unique life situation might have impact upon the way he or she approaches preaching.
While relevant to Protestant clergy, for sure, this is also a question that must be considered by those in the role of Permanent Deacon in different Christian traditions. Actually, considerable writing has been done around the concept of the deacon who serves ‘ in the marketplace’ and is able to bring the values of the Gospel to those arenas in which one is engaged outside of the church. Equally significant, in my experience, are the ways the preacher’s life outside of the church is able to ILLUMINE him/her and how he/she approaches the preaching task.
For better or worse, often better, the full time clergyperson has as primary vocational focus on the workings of the church community. While other individuals, members of her/his congregation are spending their days in the world of business, education, law, industry, agriculture and so on, this pastor is concentrating on the maintenance and the nurturing of the local church community in her/his care. This, of course, has tremendous benefits and a large number of local churches have been beneficiaries of this significant commitment.
On the other hand, the bi-vocational minister is in a significantly different situation. Out in the world beyond the walls of the church, he or she is living an experience shared to a great degree by members of the congregation. Specifically, their common task is to figure out how to apply these Gospel values espoused on a Sunday to life in the real world of Monday, Tuesday and so on, often a world that speaks a language and may even espouse asset of values far different from that promulgated within the cozy confines of the church.
The responsibility to reflect upon the application of Gospel ethics and orientation in one’s own workplace and the experience of living in a world outside of the sanctuary may provide great opportunities for the bi-vocational preacher to address her/his congregation in ways that CONNECT to the own questions and struggles congregants experience in their daily lives. My suggestion then to the bi-vocational, part-time pastor of this day and of the future is that one should NOT take one’s vocational situation for granted. One instead should reflect and pray about it, and also examine thoroughly the UNIQUE gifts one can bring to the pulpit as a result of one’s serious approach to integrating work experience with one’s pastoral and homiletic ministry. To this end, I offer the following suggestions for the preacher in this challenging and exciting situation:
- Pay attention to what you are learning about life from your workplace. Recognize that in your midst are those who have much to teach you about living a good life in the real everyday world.
- Be attuned to the ethical struggles and contradictions which you experience and observe as you seek to live your own faith in the context of your work.
In doing the above mentioned, you are growing in your empathy for those who work outside of church settings. Do not hesitate as you learn from them to listen carefully to what people are telling you about what they really need from the church. I’ve learned a lot about what NOT to do in parish ministry and in preaching from taking seriously the advice of those with whom I work in my ‘secular’ job.
When all is said and done, even as one carries the experiences of one’s bi-vocational situation to the pulpit, what is MOST important is that one is attentive, first and foremost, to the principles of good preaching.
Additionally, all preachers need to understand that we come from life situations and contexts that affect our preaching and from which we can learn much. The interaction of our personal lives with both the message of the Gospel and the relational dynamic of interacting with one’s congregation make the homiletic ministry a dynamic, exciting and spiritually rewarding reality.
Underlying all of this, however, is the recognition that the preacher comes to serve others. As Jesus made quite clear, one does not preach to be served. Another way of saying this is that we all need to be reminded, regardless of how profound our life experiences might be, that IT’S NOT ABOUT US! The bi-vocational preacher brings significant and unique gifts to the contemporary homiletic task, as do preachers from many other situations. It is the preacher’s task to cherish those gifts and thus to use them well in the service of God’s people and for the greater glory of God!
