Podcast Episode #406
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Listener questions are always fun to answer. Today we cover a wide-ranging group of topics and answer several pressing questions from listeners.
Some highlights from today’s episode include:
- Do I see all denominations dying? No. But we are seeing more struggling.
- When you study Scripture, it’s difficult to argue against a plurality of leadership.
- Good financial stewardship should be a requirement for church leadership.
- Co-vocational ministry is the future mainly because of its effectiveness.
The listener questions we answer are:
FROM PAM:
On podcast 390 you mentioned the rise of networks. I would like some detail about various networks and how they are utilized for the strength and growth of the Church.
FROM DAN:
I see in the Scriptures that the early church was led by a plurality of elders. There seemed to be no “senior pastors” in the early local churches. In your opinion, must a church have a senior pastor? If so, should that person have greater influence over other pastors/elders? What are the benefits and drawbacks of equally shared authority and influence shared among a plurality of elders in a local church?
FROM JEREMY:
The treasurer at the church I pastor at recently told me that one of the members of our finance committee does not give financially to the church. What do you do in a situation like this? How do you avoid this from happening in the first place?
FROM TODD:
If my church is in a small, rural town with other small towns 15 minutes down the road, is having multiple sites in other towns a good idea and how far from the home site do you go?
FROM JASON:
We struggle, like many churches do, to get our guests to acknowledge that they are visiting using our communication cards. What are some other ways that we can connect with these guests? We recently started using greeters in the sanctuary which has helped some, but we are still missing large amounts of guests.
FROM MATTHEW:
As a bi-vocational pastor, I often get asked the question, “So when are you moving to full-time ministry?” It even happens in my church from time to time, where well-meaning members tell me, “Well, Lord willing we’ll be able to get you full-time on the field someday.” Often, bi-vocational ministry is looked upon as something to try and escape, or as a steppingstone to a “real” pastorate, rather than being valued as a dual calling. I feel a distinct call to bi-vocational ministry. I am a pastor and a public school teacher, and I feel convinced that God has placed me in both situations. My question is, why do Christians and pastors downplay the value of bi-vocational ministry?
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Feedback
If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free copy of Becoming a Welcoming Church.
We have a pastor who resigned because of multiple health problems and started the process to file a claim with disability insurance. We’re Southern Baptist. Pastor has multiple serious health issues. Multiple heart problems, advanced vision loss due to complications from diabetes. His claim which seemed like an easy ‘yes’ was denied and he’s now without income or ability to work. It made me think about the financial needs of aging Boomer pastors. Are the safety nets available to them going to hold up with so many of them reaching retirement age? How should churches help them? Did they have good financial planning guidance from denominations during their prime working years? If not, do denominations/churches owe them more now because we let them down in some way then?
Many times these claims are denied first time around and then takes a second filing. If that doesn’t work, should hire a disability attorney to help in the process. Perhaps the church could help with that expense.
Related to the bi-vocational post…Paul was bi-vocational and I think he made a pretty good impact on Christianity…lol. I myself am bi-vocational and have heard some of the same remarks. I was once told ministry was my “hobby.” At first, I admit it really hurt but now people are seeing that churches cannot afford full time pastors and we are the future of the church if is to survive.
Paul was not bi-vocational. This is a sentiment that gets thrown around quite a bit, but it’s just not true. Someone who is bi-vocational (as if that concept even existed 2000 years ago) does not travel around the known world on multiple mission trips that lasted years at a time. Yes, there were apparently times when Paul worked to support himself, but there were also times when he spent years in prison because of his apostleship and relied on the support of churches. That’s not what I would call bi-vocational. Paul himself advocated for church supported ministers of the Gospel. It is clear from scripture that Paul’s first, last, and only commitment was the Gospel.
Brad Brisco with the North American Mission Board just published training on the BiVocational role of pastors and in a nutshell how it is the wave of the future and not a bad thing. He has created a bunch of lessons for church planters and future pastors to work through.
I have not done the training or incorporated it into our discipleship for future pastors as it is on the Send Portal and therefore challenging to use, but the material from listening to Brad speak at the Midwest Leadership Conference is valuable and worthy of all our time facing this issue.
Speaking as a full time journalist and pastor who often does not have the time desired for ministry because of the requirements of writing for a newspaper seven days a week.
Concerning being a bi-vocational pastor, I am the student and associate (which is practically volunteer) pastor at a small church, and I agonize over the fact that after working 40+ a week (some of which also comes home with me) and spending time raising a family, I do not have either sufficient time or energy to #1 study/pray deep and long enough to really bring out what my students need, and #2 not have any time to invest in their lives outside of the church. There’s no way I can go to their schools or games, set up Bible studies or other outreach activities, and forget about taking them to any kind of youth or student conferences that aren’t on a weekend. In the 8 years I’ve been ministering, last year was the first ministry trip I was able to take them on; something I had long wanted to do. I am now in the pursuit of my first pastorate and my desire is at the very least to not have to dedicate my entire week to a “market place” job so I can actually begin to study, write and visit/minister to the people in my care. Maybe it all works when there are other avenues of income, or you have more help, but it is indeed a burden. I understand you have to give it your all and I have attempted to for the last 8 years, but being financially supported for your work in the ministry would be awesome, at least in some percentage. I would do bi-vo again if that’s what God plants me in for sure; this is my call and passion, but it would seem I would be able to accomplish quite a bit more if I didn’t bear the entirety of my finances while attempting what amounts to full time responsibility. Just my two cents.
Have spent 29 years as fulltime pastor and the past 5 years as bi vocational pastor and business owner. Serving bi vocationally has afforded the opportunity to lead congregations in need of revitalization who have limited financial resources and also do personal evangelism in the marketplace.
Understand that younger pastors and church staff want to invest their prime years in full time ministry. A word of advice would be to develop a marketable skill set that would give you the option to serve bi vocationally. There may be a great ministry opportunity in the future that would require additional income to supplement traditional church compensation.
That’s a good word, Danny.