I recently submitted an article to Lifeway Research on the topic of bi-vocational ministry. I wish I had seen this podcast episode before I wrote it! It’s a helpful conversation between Jason McConnell of the Rural Church Institute at Wheaton, and Ira Antoine of the Texas Baptists discussing some of the blessings and burdens of bi-vocational ministry.
I’m planning to start a series of short articles with suggestions for my fellow bi-vocational laborers, but let me just drop one point that I think is crucial to making bi-vocational ministry work:
Realistic Expectations are Everything.
The experience of the church, and the pastor, are deeply affected by the expectations they have for what ministry can be and what it should be. Until then, though, I commend this conversation to you.