I really resonated with this post. After 7 1/2 years of "full-time" fully supported minister, my wife and I changed course. She became the main breadwinner and I ended up getting a AAS degree in electronics and I ended up working full time in a research lab. Most recently I served two small-town rural churches in North Carolina. I lived some distance from the congregations. I don't like the term "part-time" pastor since some of my most significant pastoral encounters took place in my non-church work, but my understanding with the congregation (and presbytery) was I will preach and lead worship, do pastoral work as needed, and moderate the session (church board), a requirement in our polity. As I have often said in these situations "ministry of the laity" is not something we aspired to, it was a necessity and reality for the congregation. I said I will show up and support such things as youth work, Sunday School, but the real leadership and energy in these things must come from the elders and the laity.
A nice side effect of this is that when something does bubble up that I can help support, it was something the people in the congregation initiated, not something the pastor thought up that people should do! The last congregation I served for 19 years. It has about 40 members. But the people did step up in the work of the congregation. The advantage of a small congregation is the pastoral work is not overwhelming. Weeks would go by with no one in the hospital. In my times of pastoral transition my question about a prospective congregation would be is it small enough so that the pastoral work would not be overwhelming. Incidentally, I was a W-2 pastor after a long discussion with my tax person, since it seemed I was in my situation an "employee" of the church, not self-employed. I didn't have anything withheld, but just paid estimated tax. But in short I do think that all this can provide a framework that supports healthy long-term pastoral relationships where gifts of the pastor and laity can flower and bear fruit.
Great post! I was a worker/priest (bivocational….co-vocational….I like that) for the first 20 of my 30 years of ministry in the LCMS (Lutheran). My “real job” was a great gig as a professor teaching emergency medical services and human anatomy & physiology. I served a church in decline and definitely had boundary issues, but truth be told, I violated more of my own boundaries than the saints did mine. My second 20 years was serving an urban parish with a Lutheran high school on campus. I believe I left them better than when I was called there. After retiring from the college I served a parish in Phoenix while I lived in Tucson half the week (joint custody). God granted me healing from an abusive relationship and an amazing wife 25 years ago. I lost a 19 year old son in a motorcycle accident and he left me with a 3 month old granddaughter. I’m trying to remember if I was a 1099 employee, but I am guessing not because I was able to list my “salary” as housing allowance. Now in retirement, I am able to take my $750/month pension from the Concordia Plans as housing allowance. I took a great gig as a Care Pastor for for a huge (for our tribe) parish and about wore myself out…I am 73 and still serving the parish we belong to. I am now able to come along to side our seminarian and give him a traditional liturgical perspective (with a SMILE) in a parish that values the more contemporary setting. Hang in there.
I think this also presents an opportunity for lay leaders to step up in roles. I think it moves church councils to take more ownership for decisions instead of let's see what the pastor wants to do. My old congregation (closed after 118 years of ministry) transitioned to part-time pastors with lay leaders leading worship and providing pastoral care. We were able to keep our food ministry at our property as a new non-profit with the foundation of Gospel hospitality that had grown in our congregation.
I read about a tent maker that was a bi-vocational pastor. Had very successful ministry and managed to write a few books too😀
say more 😉
I really resonated with this post. After 7 1/2 years of "full-time" fully supported minister, my wife and I changed course. She became the main breadwinner and I ended up getting a AAS degree in electronics and I ended up working full time in a research lab. Most recently I served two small-town rural churches in North Carolina. I lived some distance from the congregations. I don't like the term "part-time" pastor since some of my most significant pastoral encounters took place in my non-church work, but my understanding with the congregation (and presbytery) was I will preach and lead worship, do pastoral work as needed, and moderate the session (church board), a requirement in our polity. As I have often said in these situations "ministry of the laity" is not something we aspired to, it was a necessity and reality for the congregation. I said I will show up and support such things as youth work, Sunday School, but the real leadership and energy in these things must come from the elders and the laity.
A nice side effect of this is that when something does bubble up that I can help support, it was something the people in the congregation initiated, not something the pastor thought up that people should do! The last congregation I served for 19 years. It has about 40 members. But the people did step up in the work of the congregation. The advantage of a small congregation is the pastoral work is not overwhelming. Weeks would go by with no one in the hospital. In my times of pastoral transition my question about a prospective congregation would be is it small enough so that the pastoral work would not be overwhelming. Incidentally, I was a W-2 pastor after a long discussion with my tax person, since it seemed I was in my situation an "employee" of the church, not self-employed. I didn't have anything withheld, but just paid estimated tax. But in short I do think that all this can provide a framework that supports healthy long-term pastoral relationships where gifts of the pastor and laity can flower and bear fruit.
Great post! I was a worker/priest (bivocational….co-vocational….I like that) for the first 20 of my 30 years of ministry in the LCMS (Lutheran). My “real job” was a great gig as a professor teaching emergency medical services and human anatomy & physiology. I served a church in decline and definitely had boundary issues, but truth be told, I violated more of my own boundaries than the saints did mine. My second 20 years was serving an urban parish with a Lutheran high school on campus. I believe I left them better than when I was called there. After retiring from the college I served a parish in Phoenix while I lived in Tucson half the week (joint custody). God granted me healing from an abusive relationship and an amazing wife 25 years ago. I lost a 19 year old son in a motorcycle accident and he left me with a 3 month old granddaughter. I’m trying to remember if I was a 1099 employee, but I am guessing not because I was able to list my “salary” as housing allowance. Now in retirement, I am able to take my $750/month pension from the Concordia Plans as housing allowance. I took a great gig as a Care Pastor for for a huge (for our tribe) parish and about wore myself out…I am 73 and still serving the parish we belong to. I am now able to come along to side our seminarian and give him a traditional liturgical perspective (with a SMILE) in a parish that values the more contemporary setting. Hang in there.
I think this also presents an opportunity for lay leaders to step up in roles. I think it moves church councils to take more ownership for decisions instead of let's see what the pastor wants to do. My old congregation (closed after 118 years of ministry) transitioned to part-time pastors with lay leaders leading worship and providing pastoral care. We were able to keep our food ministry at our property as a new non-profit with the foundation of Gospel hospitality that had grown in our congregation.