Much In Life Beyond Our Control

BIVOCATIONAL PASTOR LEARNS LESSONS IN UNEMPLOYMENT

I am what’s known as a bivocational pastor.

Bivocational pastors work full-time to support their families in addition to their work in their church ministries.

Most of us don’t call ourselves “part-time” pastors because the truly part-time pastoral ministry is extremely rare.

For some pastors “bivocational” is a dirty word. In their minds, it is synonymous with fl edgling and failing churches that aren’t able to support their pastors adequately.

For a long time, one of my biggest goals was to drop the label and return to being a regular, vocational minister.

I’m not sure I’ve completely abandoned that goal, but I have become increasingly comfortable as a bivocational pastor.

Being bivocational has taught me many things about people, church and life. These are lessons I never got in a seminary classroom.

For instance, I’ve learned as a bivocational pastor just how busy people’s lives really are. I don’t think church should add to those crazy schedules.

There are many days I am exhausted from a day’s work. The last thing I want to do is lose my valuable evening to some pointless church meeting or activity.

I’ve learned to embrace a simple approach to church life that puts people above programs.

Being bivocational has been good for me.

It’s also been good for my church.

Because I am bivocational, my church hasn’t been burdened by having to pay me a full-time salary.

This has allowed us to add other bivocational leaders to our team. We also are able to invest a signifi cant percentage of our budget to meet the needs of people.

But here’s the ironic part: I am now unemployed.

The company I was working for closed its doors, and I was out of a job on the first of September. This is the second time in two years I’ve had to endure a company closing.

This time around, I’ve been personally fi nding out what many people haveknown - this is still a very diffcult job market for the unemployed.

And so, I am learning some new life lessons.

These lessons involve trusting God and being willing to wait on God. This can be especially tough for a person like me. I normally try to make things happen.

I’m a motivated, ambitious person.

However, after a couple months of being unable to make a new job happen, I am realizing anew there is much beyond my control.

My days are spent sending out resumes and waiting for the phone to ring. It gets very discouraging when it doesn’t. Every day is an exercise in humility and faith.

I’ve grown to be comfortable as a bivocational pastor, but I don’t think I’m ever going to be comfortable as an unemployed, bivocational pastor.

But I am thankful for this time.

I am thankful for the extra time I’ve had with my wife.

I am thankful to be on the receiving end of the generosity of friends.

I am thankful for the opportunity to practice what I preach about how being a Christian doesn’t mean Jesus is going to make all of your problems go away.

I’m especially thankful each Sunday to lead my congregation in the Lord’s Prayer. For the last couple of months, when we’ve said the words, “Give us today our daily bread,” I’ve actually meant it.

And that’s a very good thing.

ROBB RYERSE IS AN UNEMPLOYED, BIVOCATIONAL PASTOR AT VINTAGE FELLOWSHIP IN FAYETTEVILLE.

HE IS ALSO THE AUTHOR OF “FUNDAMORPHOSIS: HOW I LEFT FUNDAMENTALISM BUT DIDN’T LOSE MY FAITH.”

Religion, Pages 10 on 11/09/2013

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