Bivocational Pastors.....

[handy]

I guess poor areas just don't need ministers then.


Believe it or not, there are still some areas in this nation that does not have a large enough population base to support a full time minister...take my town...only 150 people. Represented by about 30 families...and not all of them Christian, about a 1/3rd are Mormon. There is no way that the church in this community could ever hire a full time pastor. There is just not enough money. And, my town isn't the only town like it in this area. Idaho is dotted with little communities like this all over.

Praise God that we have some really dedicated men around here who are willing to work both a day job and meet the ministerial needs of the small communities around here. The spirit that prompted Paul to make tents so that none would need to support him still lives on!

 

[reba]

Dora
my Daddy had to have the 2 jobs... As he got older and us kids gone the church members got the benefits of his age!...I agree with you and hope the money job is not to taxing on the pastors. Dad was cut to be a small town pastor..

 

[handy]

Reba,

So many times its the retired ministers that are really stepping up to the plate. Our town is blessed with a wonderful retired Nazarene minister. He desired to retire in the (even smaller) community up the hill from us and live out his golden years fishing and sitting on his porch watching the moose and elk. But, as he and his wife would come up to work on their retirement house, he would go to the services at the church here in town...and began to see the real needs. He doesn't preach every Sunday...there are about 4 different pastors who come and fill the pulpit. But, Paul Loree is there to comfort the ill, baptize people, hold funerals, marry folks, say the blessings for the town functions, and generally fulfill the day to day spiritual needs of the people. I really respect him...he moved up here to retire about 8 years ago at the ripe old age of 68 and now at 75, he is still working hard.

You know, I've been a Christian now for well over 30 years...I don't think I've ever met a minister who has actually "retired".

 

[Gazelle]

:D Well, far be it from me to mention (faith) in such a thread. Without it, the community and the minister will be stuck with bi vocational....

Paul worked making tapestries because he had to live... when the churches didn't give enough for his ministry.... what a shame imo.

 

[reba]

Blessing to all the pastors who struggle to uphold small churches . Churches in low income areas, those who are willing to pull double duty. Willing to trust the Lord for their jobs and thankful for any pastor. I do not see these folks as with out faith. But willing to be as Paul before them, and thieves.

 

[handy]

One thing I will say about this community....there is no way the church could pay a person a living wage...just not enough money in the limited families there are. But, those same families...well, when one young family's house burned down and they lost everything..the whole community got together, brought over clothing for them and their 4 kids, toys, games, food, and there were immediately organized dances, baked good sales, and donations for an auction that enabled them to get back on make a deposit + 1st month and start utilities on an apartment down in town. People went through and gathered furniture, pots and pans, tableware, curtains, blankets, sheets, towels...everything they needed so that when they moved in they weren't sitting on boxes and sleeping on floors. With the money that was raised at the fundraisers, we were able to buy new beds for each of their kids.

When one of our young mothers had to go to the hospital for a week, the community again joined forces to care for the children, pay her husband's low wage while he was at the hospital for his wife, keep the refrigerator full of easily reheated food so that she wouldn't have to cook...as well as folks going over to clean her house for her so that she wouldn't have to worry about that either while she recuperated.

One of our men has cancer and we are watching him slowly die. He actually has one of the better incomes around here, he is the employer of the above mentioned husband. However, his insurance caps ran out long ago for his cancer treatments and now he and his wife are struggling with medical bills....Again, this community rallied around and organized a huge auction. We hit all the businesses, wealthier people, asked for any and all donations...goods, services, furniture, you name it.....We managed to raise over $17,000 for his medical bills....naturally the money didn't come from our community...there is no way that money is to be found here....but we organized it and promoted it and called anyone and everyone about it and well over 300 people showed up for it.

These people around here...they are like the widow and her mite. They give out of their own want...not out of their excesses. If they can't give money, they make goods...if they can't make goods, they give services...if they can't give services, they are there at the function to cook, to clean and to help out.

I can't tell you how many times I have gone down to the store, paid $30 to make food for a fund-raiser, then gone to the fund raiser and paid another $20 to eat the food I brought. It's just how we take care of our neighbor's around here.

I can't tell you what a hit in the gut it is to me to hear someone suggest that this community doesn't have faith. 2

 

[Prentis]

Paul made carpets, and provided for himself. A good example to follow!

 

[Blazin Bones]

The work of the church, is varied and more than a full time job. To ask someone to do all that plus another job, plus travel, just isn't the best thing for the church. IMO the church people need more faith that God will provide for them and they need to agree to pay the pastor full time pay.

The number of people who call and come for counseling, the visitation of shut ins, new members, visitors etc are often left to the minister alone...yet even with members visiting once a week to some doesn't do much but allow the people to meet more people from the church. People feel slighted if they don't receive a visit from the pastor. There are meetings and coordination of events, and community gatherings where the pastor represents the church, as well. Then there is the time necessary for developing and ingesting the messages for at least one meeting a week, though many even small churches also have at least a study mid week. And you wonder why in a small church that also requires the minister to teach a Sunday School/Bible class that it is along the same theme of the sermon??? The pastor visits in the hospital also and that takes extra time in waiting because they aren't always in their room or available! The small church often leaves it to the minister to make sure everything about the church is organized... order the music for the choir, (sometimes even practice and lead them too!)...replenish the copier, create and copy the programs.... maybe even clean the church, clear the snow from the walkway Sunday morning... can you imagine?

From personal experience, not all these things are necessary or required to fulfill the call of a Pastor. Jesus commanded one thing of his Disciples, Go and make disciples. Yes I pastor a smaller church, but it also keeps things simpler. The members talk to each other during the week and will let me know if I need to visit with a family. The church understands that I cannot work a full-time job and therefore if they beleived I was the minister called by God, then they would need to understand the limitations God has ordered on my time.

 

[emptytomb]

Hello all,

I believe it depends on the ministry and what the circumstances are. Paul wasn't always a tent maker. In Acts 6:4, it shows that the congregation of the disciples were supposed to be "Fully devoted." 1 Timothy 5:17-18 is about those who work hard in preaching and teaching. These are worthy of wages, this could be full time or part time.

I am presently starting up a ministry. Let me tell you, it is hard to balance a full time job with ministry and family too. Some day I hope to do ministry full time. I see the potential for the need of full time work. Right now there is no funding to support this though. I am hoping that within the year, I can go part time job and part time ministry. Everything is in God's hands, and I am confident that He will show the way.

 

[reba]

Empty ... you are correct it is hard Daddy did it for years... When dad no longer need to support us He was able to spend more time with God. God blessed him... Part time minister is an oxymoron like part time christian Teasing a bit.. God bless you and family it is a hard balancing act.