The Parish Paper - May 2015: Seeking a Bivocational Calling for Pastors and Churches

Bivocational ministry is different from serving multiple parishes. The pastor holds a dual role—he or she serves in a local church ministry position (or in multiple churches) and meets other significant non-church work obligations. Most often, these pastors receive salary and support from other employment—such as chaplaincy, teacher or professor at a religious school, or serving in a community services non-profit organization. More than half of bivocational ministers fit this description. However, many pastors would describe the “other” part of their vocation in unique ways—like farming, a legal professional, IT specialist, or sports coach. Most bivocational pastors reject the label of “part-time pastor” because they see their pastoral calling as full-time.