Ministry Specialists: Co-Vocational Ministry Approaches & Benefits

Recently a commenter on one of my articles pointed out that 4 out of 5 Advent Christian churches have 40 active attendees or less. His concern is whether or not full-time vocational ministry is viable for most pastors today. Although this is a concerning statistic that deserves out attention, I think it should cause us to rethink our methods and models of ministry.

Renowned church consultant, Thom Rainer, points out in a recent blog that small churches are making a comeback in North America as mega churches are starting to decline in popularity. As our culture transitions from big and broad to smaller and bespoke, we should consider what that means for pastoral leadership. How can our churches structure their leadership in such a way they can maximize their ministerial effectiveness? Can new leadership models make a unique impact in the communities we live with the Gospel of Jesus Christ? I think so.

I’m going to share with you a few options that could benefit an increasing number of Advent Christian churches. However, I want to offer a disclaimer. I love full-time vocational ministry and ministers. I think they are integral to the life of the church. Many are not wired for co-vocational ministry, and that does not make them better or worse. Churches are as unique as their members and their communities. I’ve preferred co-vocational ministry because it continues to offer me the freedom to exercise my evangelistic gifts without feeling guilty that I’m spending “too much time” with the lost rather than the congregation that I’m called to shepherd. Undoubtedly there is a balance for every pastor and church. A pastor who is less naturally evangelistic could need a push toward evangelism and vice-versa.

What about the APEST Model?

The APEST model of ministry finds its roots in Ephesians 4:11-12, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (English Standard Version).

Some suggest these are simply roles. I tend to think that Paul is describing leaders with particular giftings that are so prominent that they can be characterized in those roles. Each of us is endowed by the Spirit with gifts and some have so much of this gift they can be called Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds, and Teachers. I’ll leave descriptions of these roles/gifts to others or another blog post. However, I’d like to suggest that although one is characterized as an Evangelist that does not mean they can’t also be a Shepherd or Teacher. Instead, God has given us people that are uniquely gifted in these roles but not to the exclusion of other gifts. One could be an Evangelist and a Shepherd but their natural inclination is Evangelize. If they spend an inordinate amount of time with the flock they get antsy, drained, lethargic, and discontent. It’s as if they are a caged lion pawing at the gate to prowl.

Churches should consider these things when they identify potential leaders, elders, and pastors. How has God gifted this person? Can this person equip us for the work of ministry utilizing these gifts? What are we doing to utilize our gifts while growing our weaknesses into strengths?

Part-Time Paid Pastors/Elders

My good friend, Dr. Adrian Dixon, planted a church alongside a few friends about 20 years ago using this model. Each pastor/elder draws only a small part-time salary from the church, while their main source of income is derived from outside employment. This allows pastoral staff to focus on a specific area of the church like music ministry, preaching, visitation, children’s ministry, youth ministry, etc.

Imagine a church with 3-5 part-time pastors/elders who specialize in a specific area of ministry as a church of 50-100 people. Instead of paying one pastor $60k-$80k, you could have a few pastors for the same amount of money. Recent trends indicate that the younger crop of pastors prefer team-based leadership even if it means they make less money.

Volunteer Pastors/Elders

You can read my recent article Help! We Don’t Have A Pastor where I mention one option is to utilize a church’s lay eldership to serve in the pastoral role. Your view of eldership might be different from mine, but I firmly believe an elder is a pastor, and they should be able to teach (1 Tim 3:2) in addition to caring for the spiritual needs of the congregation. 

Paul says, “17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” (1 Tim 5:17-18)

Although a church should be willing to pay its pastors/elders, it is not required for the pastor/elder to accept those wages. I’m sure a stipend or honorarium would be appreciated by lay elders/pastors. In the instance where a church does not have vocational pastors/elders, they could utilize the existing leadership to provide the spiritual care necessary while providing modest remuneration for the work of ministry.

Mix of Paid and Volunteer Pastors/Elders

Most churches already have paid staff elders/pastors and lay/volunteer pastors/elders. This affords differing perspectives and flexibility in ministry. From my vantage point, most churches do not properly equip their lay elders/pastors for teaching or shepherding. I’m not suggesting lay leaders need to go to Bible College or Seminary, but some level of training in theology, biblical interpretation, preaching, and counseling should be required.

It can be quite frustrating to a vocational pastor/elder who has spent weeks, months, or years studying a specific topic or issue only to be thwarted by another leader who has given the issue as much consideration as what color underwear they intend to put on in the morning.

The Ministry Training Institute (MTI) is a great cost-effective way to train your elders and potential leaders, especially if they are already busy. Find out more at mtiprogram.com or email me at ereynolds@mtiprogram.com.

Training Co-Vocational Pastor/Elders Without Going Broke

As mentioned above, MTI is a great program, of which I’m on staff. It costs as low as $50 a month and last about 3 years with ministry specialty tracks like Pastoral Ministry, Church Planting, and Missions. There are scholarship opportunities in many Advent Christian Conferences and Regions to help subsidize. One church offers to cover all costs for its members who choose this method of training.

Other resources exist as well. I’m currently working on a project that would include free videos and podcast episodes that coincide with popular-level material to train lay leaders in the areas of biblical interpretation, theology, and New and Old Testament overviews. This is one of the outcomes of my recent Doctor of Ministry project centered on microchurch planting.

BiblicalTraining.org has countless free courses in all matters of ministry. 

I suggest pastors lead a training cohort in their churches for elders, deacons, and potential leaders in their church. Make it a high-expectation Bible Study where you give other people an opportunity to lead as well.

Benefits For Church Revitalization

Imagine you are a church that is thoroughly entrenched in 20th-century attractional ministry, and your approach to attractional ministry saw some fruit in 1984, but now most people bypass your church on the way to another. It’s frustrating because you know that you dying but desire to live. You don’t know how or what to change. You just know that a change is needed. Your love for Christ hasn’t diminished, but you’ve become preoccupied with bucketing water out of a sinking ship, hoping the hole will plug itself. Now compound your problems because you no longer have a pastor, and you’re not sure how you’re going to pay for one.

What should you do? First, this is a very real and common situation in America, including Advent Christian churches. Second, take a deep breath and praise God for his faithfulness because he continues to love you no matter your church’s ministry situation.

In an ideal situation, you’d reach out to the ACGC Church Health Department along with your Conference and Regional Superintendent for some help. They can offer all kinds of practical and spiritual guidance. I’m not getting into those details because this article is about covocational ministry, but I know those folks would count it a blessing to assist you.

Although your church might be lacking in able-bodied members or enough finances to pay a vocational pastor full time, there is an increasing number of pastors that are seeking covocational ministry opportunities. They love the church and love being in the workforce. Why do they like being in the workforce? Those reasons vary as much as the individuals. However, from my perspective, it’s because they enjoy the opportunities God presents to share the Gospel with their neighbors. They like knowing they can serve God’s people without being too big of a financial burden. So here are a few benefits to the church:

1. Financial Flexibility

2. A Minister in the workplace

3. Increasing appeal to more pastors

4. It puts a missionary in the mission field

5. In an increasingly secular culture, a pastor who is also a tent-maker receives credibility in the community that doesn’t always exist otherwise

Benefits For Church Planting

I’m a church planter. In these waters that I currently swim, there are so many models and methods it makes my head spin. What I’ve learned is if you have the ability to rage large sums of money that can last you at least 5-7 years, then full-time vocational ministry could be a financially viable option even if it’s not the best missiological option.

Financially and missiologically, it makes sense to me for church planters, especially Advent Christian church planters, to be covocational. Refuge Church pays me $1,000 monthly, and the rest of my income comes from multiple sources, so covocational is the only way we could be financially viable. Missiologically I wouldn’t want to plant a church any other way. I am engaging daily with folks in my community, which builds relationships and opportunities to share Christ. So here are the benefits of covocational pastoring for church planting:

1. Keeps me in the community

2. Builds credibility

3. Provides a stable income for my family

4. Affords regular opportunities to care for others in my community that I wouldn’t have otherwise

5. I have regular opportunities to share Christ or some aspect of the Christian faith

Benefits For Leadership Development

My son wants to join the Army and then become a K9 Officer. My daughter wants to be a Lawyer. These long-term career aspirations are admirable and realistic. The Army is always hiring, and crime will likely never go away. These careers have appealed to my children because they’ve seen the positive aspects of those professions. Although they’ve seen positives from the pastoral vocation, it isn’t one that looks to be financially viable in 20-30 years. More churches are closing or shrinking to the point where fewer full-time pastoral ministry is possible. So if our only model for the church relies upon full-time vocational ministers, then we are limiting the pool of possible candidates and the financial viability of our churches.

If we continue to encourage covocational ministry, more Christians will see it as a viable career path. A person can love their current vocation and see God’s call on their life to serve him by serving a local church simultaneously. Essentially, we open the door to otherwise qualified people who could have a call on their lives to serve but shut out that possibility because of perceived limitations bound by a full-time vocation-only model. So here are some benefits:

1. Appeals to a wider candidate pool

2. More opportunities for more people to get involved

3. Utilizing the spiritual gifts of a broader group

Conclusion

As mentioned above, covocational ministry will require creative or non-traditional solutions to train people for ministry. It is unrealistic to expect covocational pastors to shoulder the financial burden of Seminary or Bible College. I love Seminary. I have two Seminary Degrees, including a Doctorate, and I’m finishing out a second Masters. I just love to learn, and Seminary has been a great medium for my quest for knowledge. However, most of my education has been paid for through the GI Bill. I’ve also received scholarships through Berkshire Christian, various conferences, and the Southern Region. I’ve been blessed!

It is beneficial to receive a Seminary degree or take Seminary classes to prepare for ministry. It is not necessary for everyone. MTI is a great resource, and we’ve got more resources that are being prepared. Ultimately, each pastor/elder will need to determine the most effective and efficient means to prepare for ministry. I’d encourage each to consult with other pastors/elders to help them discern their educational future. One thing is clear to me: we need pastors who are called, qualified, and trained for both vocational and covocational ministry.