The Case for Moving Toward a Bi-Vocational Ministry Model

Changing times...

It might be time to shake up the way we’ve done church for as long as anybody can remember.

What kind of shakeup am I talking about?

I believe it’s time to rethink and even move away from the concept of full-time ministers.

To be clear, I don’t believe there is anything wrong with paying ministers. It’s well-supported in the New Testament text and draws on strong Old Testament precedent.

Twice Paul drew on the Law’s command that “you shall not muzzle the ox as he threshes” as an indication that evangelists should not be hindered by monetary concerns (Deuteronomy 25:4, 1 Corinthians 9:9, 1 Timothy 5:18).

He later seemed to endorse the idea of paying elders as well, saying “A laborer is worthy of his wages” (Leviticus 19:13, 1 Timothy 5:18). Jesus Himself quoted this concept to assure His disciples they were allowed to take food, drink, and housing from supporters while out on their missions (Matthew 10:10, Luke 10:7).

On the other hand, we also find Paul making tents alongside Aquila and Priscilla to support himself in Acts 18:3. This gives us the concept of the “tent-making preacher.”

In 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10 he said he and his fellow workers did not take anyone’s bread for free, but labored to show the Thessalonians an example.

And, in 1 Corinthians 9, he both lays out the case for why those who labor for the Gospel are able to receive a living for it, but also reminds them that he still did not take it from them (9:15).

Two principles become clear from these verses:

First, there is nothing wrong with paid ministry. In fact, it’s a good thing.

Second, there are times and places in which it is advantageous for ministers to not exercise this right but rather support themselves with external income.

With that in mind I offer two conclusions:

1. It’s my contention that we are in one of those times and places when tent-making is advisable.

2. The church broadly recognizing this would be one of the best shifts we could make in our current moment.

Allow me to explain why I make these claims with three reasons why I believe we’re in such a moment, and four benefits that would result from making this shift.

Why it’s needed

Member disconnect

Due to our rapidly decaying culture, the disconnect between member and preacher is becoming a chasm. As I’ve ventured into the world of secular work here and there, I was shocked by just how captured by LGBT ideology and wokeism the average company is.

From my church office, I had no idea members were being inundated so heavily with this stuff. And for that reason, my lessons were at times out of touch with their needs.

This is part of how we “understand the times.” Peace time is the time for hammering out theological minutae. When war is at our door, it’s not time to squabble with your fellow soldiers over who has the shiniest badges.

And yet we’ve got preachers who are convinced that the new heaven, new earth debate is the biggest threat facing the church while their members go to work and receive pronoun sensitivity training and their youth group kids are getting lured toward neo-paganism (no, I’m not kidding) and transgenderism on TikTok.

Getting out of our church offices and into the real world helps fix this. It’s the best way to know what your people are going through.

Economic difficulty

You don’t need me to drag out the charts to tell you economic times are tough. It’s long been the case that preaching was a commitment to a lower standard of living for most, and that’s fine.

But the higher inflation goes, the lower that standard drops. To our country’s great shame, very few families can afford to live on a single income anymore.

It is not a church’s fault if they don’t have the budget to give a preacher a comfortable life. However, it is their fault if they insist he stay in the office full-time and prohibit him from exploring other opportunities. And it is especially their fault if they are (admittedly or not) counting on the preacher’s wife to support him.

If she wants to work, fine. That’s a whole different matter. But for an entire church to saddle her with breadwinning to support her husband’s ministry is flat wrong.

Growing persecution

Many still balk at claims that persecution is coming. But it’s already arrived in Canada, and the people driving the change up there are no different than the people on the political left in our country. If they get their way, we won’t be far behind.

Church tax exemption could be the first to go, dinging available funds for salary overnight. If they get that change, they will come back for more. Having preachers who are fully ready to preach truth and lose church income is a needed bulwark against these advances.

What benefits we could expect

Now that we’ve covered why it seems the climate recommends tent-making, let’s look at the positive changes I believe would result from this shift.

No more “that’s the preacher’s job”

I was once interviewed by a church who told me, almost verbatim, “We’re all really busy with work and family stuff, so we need a guy who can do our evangelizing and visiting for us. Some people think the preacher should equip the members to do that kind of stuff, but that’s not what we want. We don’t have time for that.”

Needless to say, that was a brief interview process. But at least they were honest with it. Plenty of church members and even elders operate from that same view of the ministry. Others joke a little too seriously about the “he only works Sundays” thing.

But a preacher who’s just as busy with secular work as everybody else is might be able to get other people out of that mindset.

Greater evangelistic opportunity

We’re in a tough evangelism climate as is. Church office hours only make it tougher. “If you build it, they will come” church growth only “works” for churches with significant resources, and what they usually attract is church customers.

Actual evangelism takes real world connection. What better way to make such connections than day-in, day-out work contacts? Plus, it’s a chance to build the church’s reputation. For better and worse, the preacher is often a church’s face in the community. If the face is hidden behind a closed door, outreach will be difficult.

Truth trumps church politics

Managing personalities will always be part of the preacher’s job. However, a church is not in a healthy place when the preacher knows his ability to support his family is in jeopardy if he runs afoul of “Mrs. So-and-so who’s been here 80 years.”

We laud the nobility of preachers who stand for truth even at great personal cost, as well we should. But we also should be doing everything in our power to avoid putting them in the situation where they have to make such a choice.

A financially independent preacher might be the best way to avoid this alternative kind of “muzzling the ox while he threshes.”

Putting down roots

Most preachers who lose their jobs bounce back with another one fairly quickly. But unlike your average member in the pews who experiences a layoff, the preacher almost always has to pack up his family and leave their home behind.

But a long stay in a single place is one of the best ways for a minister to impact a community. Financial stability and the knowledge that his family can put down roots financially and relationally would do wonders for his ministry.

In practical terms

Of course, tent-making ministry is already a reality for plenty of preachers and congregations. It is certainly not all benefit and zero cost, I’m sure they would all tell you.

However, for the reasons outlined above I do think the time is right for bigger congregations to start moving in the direction of bi-vocational ministers.

For church leaders, this would mean being open to the idea of letting your minister out of strict office hours to pursue other work. If you have any leads, you may even help him do so.

For members, this would mean rethinking your preacher’s role but also supporting him in his work. If you can help him find opportunities or connect him with the right people, don’t be shy. God always expected His people to support and uphold those who labored for them and led them.

For ministers, it would mean rethinking your duty to your family, people, and community, in a way.

One of the biggest motivations for writing this is my own journey. Since leaving full-time pulpit ministry, I’ve had to work to find extra income, and it’s been a rude awakening to find that the years of pulpit work have left me with a narrow skillset and limited resume.

So, I write this in hopes that other ministers will evaluate this reality for themselves and start considering what they might be able to do should push come to shove:

What if persecution really does ramp up? What if you want to put down family roots where you are and continue serving your congregation but can’t afford to support your family there? What skills and opportunities do you have in your back pocket if preaching the truth costs you financially?

Maybe it’s time to think and pray about what Plan B might be. It might even be time to start exploring side incomes, especially in a time when the internet presents so many opportunities outside the brick-and-mortar, 9-to-5 job.

The day may soon come when the church has a strong need for people who are already well-positioned to make some tents.

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Notes

Chapter 1 is up now! Go here to read

If you missed the Intro, go here