Bi-vocational ministry is not the plague. It’s not the end of the world as you know it. It’s not a perfect situation either. There are pros and cons to it. At least 11 of them! I am not writing this article out of research only. I have lived many years of my ministerial career as a bi-vocational pastor. So I get it. I wanted to focus on leading my church and the ministries I was asked to manage. I felt the tension of making tough decisions regarding my time management. It’s not always an easy lifestyle.
I did ask a few other pastors, school, and non-profit part-time leaders. I didn’t want my opinion to be too biased. What I discovered is that all of them lived out tensions that needed to be managed, not resolved. Someone told me once, “This situation needs an answer, not a reaction.”
I hope that by the end of this article, you will be at peace, at least a little more, with the idea of this non-perfect situation. Also, if you are considering a bi-vocational position, you may actually enter into it with clarity.
Note: I believe these pros and cons are different sides of the same coin. It really depends on how you see it and look at it. Paul often mentioned how your mindset determined how you approach your ministry (2 Timothy 2).
1. Pro: Biblical Concept
Bivocational is a totally acceptable way to live out ministry. It is a well-known fact that Paul made tents to make a living as it is said in Acts 18:2 (ESV) “(Paul) was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade”. The apostle Peter was a fisherman by trade and he kept his business running while he followed Jesus. Proof of that is that he returned to his work right after Jesus’ death. Other disciples lived out the same concept. Isaiah was a prophet and worked in the king’s court. Living out bi-vocational ministry is a very biblical concept, and that is a pro for sure.
2. Pro: Work of Ministry
Paul declares the 5-fold ministerial positions in the church in Ephesians 4:11 (NIV): “the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors, and teachers”. For many of us, we understand this as paid, full-time, vocational ministry. The issue with that understanding is that it doesn’t say that at all! Ephesians only state the roles, not the manner of payment or time involvement. But Paul does say that whatever title comes with the position, “Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:12 NLT)
Your role isn’t to be paid full-time. Bivocational ministry is about equipping people to do the work. This allows lay leaders to fulfill their calling.
3. Pro: Saves Money
We think of our personal budgets when we work. We all do. Let’s think about the church budget for a second. Bivocational ministry makes it easier on the church’s finances. It may not be your favorite consideration, I get it.
When money is freed up by not receiving a bigger salary, it gives permission to the church to invest in initiatives that will help its community. Saving tens of thousands of dollars may go to feeding the homeless, taking care of the widow, or even investing in departmental ministries. “Religion that God accepts as pure and without fault is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help.” James 1:27 (NCV).
4. Pro: New Hires
The saved money could also be invested in hiring bi-vocational ministers to lead departments like children’s or youth ministry, or even whatever the church wants to pursue or needs. Think about it, if you saved $30,000 from a full-time salary, you can hire a couple of part-time people that will take some load off your work plate.
5. Pro: Freedom
Bivocational ministry gives you all the liberty you want when it comes to choosing what you want. I know many pastors who wished they could do a part-time writing gig, or continue enjoying the big benefits of the small business they had. Freedom has a price tag attached to it.
My wife refused a full-time ministerial job to stay part-time as this allowed her to pursue other things she wanted. With the saved money, the church hired a part-time pastor that eventually became my successor a few years down the road.
6. Pro: Focus on needs
When you’re bi-vocational, all of the sudden, the scarcity of time and energy forces you to focus on what is really important. You don’t have time for the “unimportant things” ( I know, everything is important in ministry). Those, you delegate to others, which enables point 2.
7. Con: Stretched out schedule
One of the harder things to live through is the stretched-out schedule. To make ends meet, you will have another side job that will bring in the money you need to make a living. For some with weaker time management skills, this will be very hard to live with. Yet, when you look at it differently, if you are full-time, your schedule will not be lighter. It might actually get busier as most of the church responsibilities will fall back on you…forcing you to develop time management skills! The illusion that working full-time and leaving bi-vocational work will better your schedule is a lie! Those 50-60 hour weeks will continue, only now, it would be for one job, not 2 or 3!
8. Con: Blurry Boundaries
This bi-vocational ministry reality comes with busy schedules and very blurred life, time, and role boundaries. You will need to stop working at one point. It is hard to set healthy boundaries that will allow you to respect your life and other people’s demands. While it is doable, it’s not easy.
9. Pro and Con: Jack of all trades
It is said that a jack of all trades is a master of none. I’ve heard many bi-vocational leaders say “I’ll never get to be very good at anything if I don’t get to focus on one thing.” In his 2019 book “Range”, David Epstein proves otherwise, thus his subtitle, “Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World”. A jack of all trades can become a benefit when you view it from another angle. Jack of all trades becomes a master of more than one.
10. Con: Fulfillment
This flows from the precedent points. When you’re a bi-vocational leader, you may feel some lack of fulfillment. This stems from the belief that you need to focus on one thing, invest all your energy in a task, or that there are so many other things you wished you could do but can’t because you are part-time.
As a reminder, look at what Paul accomplished being “a part-time church planter”!
11. Pro: Entrepreneurial spirit
One of the titles we give to God is that He is the “Creator”, which He is. Being bi-vocational helps you live out that creative spirit within you. You can become creative with your time, sources of revenue, or leadership abilities. Being entrepreneurial is not only about business. It is about launching initiatives as well. Bivocational is great for this.
Breaking free from the ideas of pros and cons can be helpful. I get it though, it is easier financially to have one income that covers all expenses. Your calling is not tied to revenue though, it is a higher calling than that. It is about purpose, vision, and having the God of it all backing you up. Bi-vocational ministry can make you a better leader. Embrace it, with its difficulties and challenges, and love it for its benefits and rewards.
