Meet Paul, the first bi-vocational pastor
The first bi-vocational pastor in the history of the church was the Apostle Paul. Famous for his “tent trade,” Paul supported himself with his skill at making tents while doing missionary work throughout Asia Minor, Macedonia and Greece. Paul did this even though it tended to reduce his credibility. He took that risk? because he didn’t want to be a burden on the people he was ministering to.
Since then, thousands upon thousands of pastors have used their own “tent trade” to support themselves in church plants and smaller congregations.
Paul was bi-vocational, not only to support himself, but others
But there were two other reasons why Paul worked at his tent trade. First, he did it, not only to support himself, but also to support others around him. And secondly, he did it to be an example to his new converts. He wanted them to be self-supporting and other-supporting as well. Here’s how he described what he did and why he did it to the elders in the church at Ephesus in Acts 20:33-35.
“I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”
Paul was bi-vocational so he could be an example for others to follow
Notice that Paul doesn’t paint a rosy picture here when it comes to meeting the needs of others. Ministry alone is hard enough. Providing for one’s own needs by taking a second job in addition to doing ministry is even harder. And taking a second job in ministry to provide for the needs of someone else as well is harder still. But by doing so, the pastor becomes an example to the church to do the same thing.
Imagine an entire congregation taking on second jobs so they can meet the needs of “the weak” among them. That is the vision Paul is casting in this passage. Sound far fetched? Not if the pastor is doing it himself. I believe the time is quickly approaching when pastors in America are going to have to do just that.
This post first appeared in NewCommandment.org.
_______________________________________________________________
Learn how to form teams of men for every widow, single mom
and fatherless child in your church at NewCommandment.org.
_______________________________________________________________
