The Bivocational Pastor

Spoiler alert...I am a 34 year old bivocational pastor.  In case you don't know or need a reminder, a bivocational pastor works outside of the church or ministry they serve in order to supplement a shortage of salary that can't be provided from their church.  Chances are, you clicked this link because you are one. There could be many reasons for this but the main reason is that the pastor or staff pastor serve a smaller church, typically less than 150 people but sometimes, depending on the churches financial situation, could be a church up to 250 people.  This is my situation as pastor of Velocity Church in Mansfield, OH.  Velocity Church is a church that currently averages 75-85 people (including kids) on a Sunday morning.

Moving forward, I'm hoping to take a few minutes each week to encourage those currently in bivocational ministry or who may find themselves there someday.  Know this...being a bivocational pastor doesn't make you a second class pastor.  You and I experience things, see things and have insight to things that some full-time pastors could only dream to be part of.  At the same time, we experience struggles that at times, have our mouths watering to be in full-time ministry or perhaps wanting to throw in the towel every other Monday.

As for me, I have been in some form of pastoral ministry since 2005.  I'm not saying I know all there is to know about ministry...far from it.  I just hope that some of my experiences will help or encourage someone else. In 2005, my home church, New Hope Assembly of God in Lancaster, Ohio asked me to serve as youth pastor after being active in the church and youth ministry since 2000.  I did have a 10month break in there and someday, I may share that situation.  I was thrilled to accept the position while I was also working full-time outside  of the church while serving the students of New Hope. After getting credentialed with the Assemblies of God in 2007, I went to New Beginnings A/G in Tiffin to serve as full time youth pastor and was there until 2011.  In April of 2011, my family and I made the move to Mansfield.  Originally, I was full time but in August of 2012, made the move back to bivocational ministry and continue to do so to this day.

If you are keeping track, of my 11 years in pastoral ministry, all but 5 years and 4 months have been as a bivocational minister.  I wouldn't say this makes me an expert on the subject but it certainly makes me qualified considering I have done it as both a team pastor and a lead pastor.  No, I have never written a book, done an interview or been a conference speaker. Until now, I have never really blogged about it and yet I am sure there are some finer writers out there on the subject.  I have simply been that guy that has gutted it though hurdle after hurdle, year after year and am still active in ministry.

Be encouraged by Galatians 6:9 (ESV)  "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." You are doing good.  Lots of Good.  Keep it up! Don't give up!!!

So, in the posts to come, I will share some REAL thoughts, REAL struggles, REAL loses and REAL victories that I have experienced as a result of nearly 6 years in bivocational ministry.  I hope to give you insight of experiences that were good and not so good for me personally, my family or the church.