I became a bivocational pastor in 1981 when I accepted the call to serve Hebron Baptist Church in southeast Indiana. I began that ministry without any ministerial education or pastoral experience. I only knew God had called me to the ministry. I served that church for 20 years while working in a factory for most of that time. During those years I also graduated from a Bible school and earned a bachelor's degree.
In 2001 I became an Area Minister with the American Baptist Churches of Indiana and Kentucky and remained bivocational even in this role. Two years before I took early retirement from my factory job our family assumed ownership of a small business which I continue to manage. As an Area Minister I have the opportunity to work with churches when they seek new pastoral leadership. More and more of these churches are saying that they are willing to consider a bivocational minister. They have seen the successful ministries of many of our bivocational colleagues, and they now understand that this is not a second-class ministry. In fact, for many of these churches becoming bivocational could be the best choice they could make.
In the spring of 2006 I earned my Master of Arts in Religion with a concentration in leadership and then enrolled in a Doctor of Ministry program which I am currently pursuing. If approved, my DMin thesis will address the role of coaching in equipping bivocational ministers for greater ministry effectiveness.
The frustration I felt as a bivocational pastor was the lack of resources developed specifically for us. That is why I have written four books specifically for bivocational pastors and the small churches we often serve. I am committed to providing resources and encouragement for bivocational ministers and the churches they serve. Along with this website we also offer a monthly e-newsletter that is free to anyone who requests to receive it. We only need your request and your e-mail address, and you can be certain that we will never sell our addresses to anyone. About a year ago I became involved in coaching and started coaching bivocational ministers. We now offer a blog to help bivocational ministers have a place to share their thoughts with one another. It's a great place to discuss with other bivocational ministers the joys and frustrations you feel in this ministry.
We also want to provide you with the information you need to excel in the ministry God has called you to. Let us know the topics that would be most helpful to you. Ask the questions that are troubling you. Help us help you in this exciting ministry God has given you.
|
I am very excited to announce that I have recently accepted a part-time position as a Senior Consultant with New Church Specialties, an organization dedicated to new church planting and the revitalization of existing churches. Headquartered in Kansas City, Kansas, they have consultants and coaches serving dozens of churches and judicatories. To find out more about NCS please check out their web site at www.NewChurchSpecialties.org.
|
|
