Effective Strategies for Bi-vocational Ministry

Book excerpt: Abstract: The researcher's doctoral project addresses finding effective strategies so that bi-vocational pastors can be successful in their ministry and secondary profession. The project focused on bi-vocational pastors from Protestant denominations. The project explored the issues that make being successful in ministry and in a secondary profession difficult for pastors. Identifying the successful strategies within ministry and the secondary profession will allow the pastor to successfully handle the inevitable difficulties that bi-vocational pastors face. The scope of the researcher's doctoral project was limited to the number of bi-vocational pastors that were interviewed. The researcher answers the question, "What strategies do effective bi-vocational pastors utilize to succeed in their pastoral responsibilities as well as their second profession?" The researcher concludes that bi-vocational pastors can be successful when they follow the various strategies uncovered in the research in the areas of time management, self-improvement, their secondary profession, preaching, training, helping church members, administration, handling change, and receiving help from other pastors.