Paul was a tent-maker.  James and John, Peter and Andrew were all fishermen.  Matthew was a tax-collector.

Were they bi-vocational in their service for Christ?  Did they support themselves by working for a living while they spread the Word?

More and more, I hear pastors say that bi-vo is the way to go.  By supporting themselves they can start a church from scratch without having to solicit funds from supporting congregations until they become self-sustaining.  By supporting himself, a pastor cannot be held hostage by a church bully–or a committee of controllers–who insist that he do things their way to keep from losing his job and throwing his family into financial crisis.

What are the skills a bi-vocational pastor would need most?  Most, I expect, are the same abilities and strengths he would need in a full-time pastorate.  For instance…

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Someone once said a mega-church pastor must be willing to live on $300,000 a year, be considered a celebrity in the community, and put up with an all-paid country club membership.

I’ll pass, thank you.

The skills a mega-church pastor actually does need will depend on the congregation, I expect, but would include:

1. Strong preaching strength. This will be the pastor’s sole contact with most of his people. So, he’d better get this right.
2. Administrative ability. In most cases, there will be an executive leadership team represented by four or five heads of ministerial teams. They meet with the pastor once a week to set directions for the church and make important decisions, then each one gathers his own team to plan their work.

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The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.  (2 Timothy 2:2)

We were told in teacher-preparation classes in college…

–If you are teaching your class  and the superintendent of education suddenly enters the room and quietly takes a back seat to observe, go right on with what you were doing.  Teach that lesson as though you know more about it than anyone on earth.

–If you do a good job, the children may not remember you in future years, but they will carry skills and knowledge that make them better people the rest of their lives.  “If you can read this, thank a teacher.”

–If you are in this work for the money, find another profession.  In time society may realize the true value of what you do, but don’t hold your breath.

–Your work does not begin and end with the ringing of the bell.  This is a calling and it involves your entire life.

–You are one factor in a never-ending succession of people passing it on.  Someone taught you. But someone taught those who taught you.  Those whom you instruct today  will in turn teach others.  Do not be the weak link in that precious  chain.

Now,  apply that to the church and those called to preach….

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This happens to every pastor:  Some civic (as in ‘nonreligious‘) outfit calls and asks you to lead a prayer at their gathering.  Sometimes it’s the city council or state senate, sometimes it’s a convention or some club’s gathering.  Invariably, you are faced with the decision on what to say and what you should not say.  Here is what I did.

In 1994, I was in my fourth year pastoring the First Baptist Church of Kenner, LA, in metro New Orleans (across the street from the New Orleans International Airport).  I received a phone call one day informing me that when the American Dental Association held its annual meeting in our city a few months hence, they wanted me to offer the invocation.  I was surprised and honored. 

The caller said I would have three minutes for the prayer. She added, “And Pastor, please make it interdenominational.”  In my journal I wrote: “Had she said to omit the name of Jesus, I would have declined the honor for the sake of principle. As it was, I felt I could do something that would satisfy everyone.”

My secretary Peggy kept referring to it as  an “innovation,” instead of ‘invocation.” 

The day came.  It was a huge hotel in downtown New Orleans.  Perhaps 700 to 1,000 people in the room.

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