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First off, I did not mean this as a slam against bivocational ministers. You guys certainly are pulling more than your fair share of the load here on earth.

My point is that you or your contemporaries are often not available during the day when emergencies pop up. For example, when my father lay dying my pastor was able to spend two full weekdays with us at his bedside.

I would dare say that most bivocational pastors would have that luxury to do that, their “civilian” jobs would not allow it.

Again, this is not a slam, but an observation.

Thanks again for what you do to further God's kingdom.

First off, I did not mean this as a slam against bivocational ministers. You guys certainly are pulling more than your fair share of the load here on earth.

You are missing one important point. In most denominations full-time clergy are expected to attend all kinds of meetings, functions, commissions, conferences... whatever. You can never assume that your minister will be available when you need him. He may be away in some city, like Atlanta, Washington, or New York, when you are in rural Minnesota.

Emergencies. If you are fortunate, when your minister is not available the supply will send a retired minister, and it will be an old darling you have known for years and love as much as if he were a member of your own family. If not, you might get a decent, spiritual and committed Christian with no talent for making an immediate connection to strangers. That isn’t much comfort when someone is dying and you need that connection.

Many years ago one of my closest friends, an elderly member of the congregation, called to tell me that her husband was dying. (He had been sick for a long time.) Their daughter, a woman a few years older than I, one of sophisticated Manhattan gels was also my friend. I could hear her in the background, hysterical. Not good.

My husband had just flown off to one of these conferences and would not be back for several days. The family didn’t want a stranger, so they asked me to come. I was a young engineer, with no pastoral training whatsoever. I was married to the minister, a much older man and an experienced clergyman, and that was the extent of my experience.

This was before the days of cell phones, so I couldn’t reach my husband to get some pointers. I was able to leave work and go directly to their house, where they dying man was resting in reasonable comfort.

I stayed with the family until my husband was able to get back, which took about a day. To my surprise, the family wanted me there. My infant son was in the living room sleeping on blankets on the floor. Nobody seemed to mind.

Thinking back, my utter incompetence at ministering must have provided some comic relief.

I prayed with them, but anybody could have done that. Pastoring, giving them the assurances they wanted was what was difficult. I could only tell the old man, who had been a thoroughly decent individual, but bad-tempered, curmudgeonly, and a thorough pain in the a** for as long as anyone could remember, that he hadn’t exactly been a sweet peach, but then neither had I, that I was pretty sure that wherever God was sending him, I was certain that I would be going to the same place. The old man smiled at that and my idiotic (but not untrue as far as personalities are concerned) comment put him at his ease. He died before my husband’s plane landed.

God was in control. He always is. I could only show up and do my best.

I will say a prayer for your father.

Gamecock .. I took no offense .. smiling. I have often been asked when I am going to get a real church. If people only knew ... lol

yes there are limitations for all of us. I am self employed and an employer ... and although that gives me a bit more freedom for day visits, even then there are time where conflicts of schedules happen. It is why bivocational’s spend inordinate time building leadership in a “shared ministry” role. It is amazing what a small church of 75 can do when ministry is “shared”

Not a bad perspective for any church .. even in a more conventional setting. Many demands are put on our pastors ... things that divert them from not only their gospel commission but their ministering as well. Pastors are often busy .. but so busy that they are not effective.

I will tell you that Pastors are a selfish lot as well .. we tend not to want to share ministry ... insecurity? Maybe. Bivoicationalism force me to share my “authority” with key committed people. Amazing what that does in a congregation

As an engineer/physicist I am interested in “effectiveness” getting the most bank for the buck so to speak. lol All churches need to be effective ... Read Snyder's “wineskins” ... it opened my eyes

I wish you Godspeed