The covo/bivocational pastor is not a new concept. But it’s finding renewed life today.
In this guest article, Richard Oliver writes about what it means to have a covocational attitude. This is an adapted excerpt from his book, A Covocational Attitude: Sharing the Motivational Convictions of Paul.
— Karl Vaters
Historically, many churches have not been able to pay their pastors a fully supporting salary. Pastors of such churches often support their families by working a second job or vocation, a status referred to as bivocational.
Covocational ministry represents an important subset of bivocational ministry, when the pastor has motives in addition to financial need.
Covocational Benefits
A covocational attitude produces a variety of benefits including increased stability in ministry, greater longevity of pastorates, and greater funding available for ministry.
The pastor personally benefits from less financial pressure, health insurance, transferable skills, greater perspective, personal growth, and the freedom in the pulpit that comes with financial independence.
The church benefits from the pastor’s understanding of the life experiences of the people and the development of a covocational church mentality where everyone treats their work as service for God.
The community benefits as the covocational pastor sets an example of evangelizing for the church, encouraging outreach. The covocational ministry also overcomes stereotypes of ministers and the church existing only to get their money.
The Call of God
Pastors approaching small churches with such an attitude will more easily recognize God’s calling to those
places. Pastors of larger churches and denominational leaders with this attitude will show greater appreciation and honor for those willingly doing double duty.
Since many new ministers will need to spend part of their careers bivocationally, training schools and
seminaries should teach ministerial students a covocational attitude as preparation for real-life ministry.
Many bivocational ministers experience low self-worth and a poor identity unnecessarily because neither they nor the broader church culture have learned this attitude.
Bivocational ministers who struggle with their identity need hope. Hope comes with a healthy identity as a child of God serving him in multiple ways (vocations).
Bivocational ministers need to recognize their multi-vocationality as normal and healthy, accepting the foundation of a covocational attitude.
We Need Bivo/covocational Pastors
Christ’s church needs bivocational pastors.
Developing a covocational attitude will make a crucial difference in many churches by providing willing pastors for difficult or small settings.
Covocational pastors accept their calling, feel needed, and reject second-class status.
Maintaining a covocational attitude requires contentment with God’s current call. Pastors must embrace where God has placed them and trust him with their future.
He may lead them to stay put or lead them on. He knows best.
(Photo by Marco Nürnberger | Flickr)
