About three years ago, faculty and staff at Lancaster Theological Seminary noticed an increasingly common trend: more students were holding down church-related or secular jobs while going through graduate studies for ministry. In 2020, the Faith Communities Today study of U.S. congregations confirmed their anecdotal observations with statistics: some 34 percent of churches are led by clergy who have other paid employment outside of the congregation.
Being employed in a related field is common for United Methodist ordained deacons such as the Rev. Darryl W. Stephens, Ph.D., who heads United Methodist studies at Lancaster Seminary in Lancaster, Pa. However, employment has been rarer among ministerial candidates aiming for pastoral ministry. United Methodist polity dictates, “full-time service shall be the norm for ordained elders,” and defines “full-time service [to] mean that the person’s entire vocational time . . . is devoted to the work of ministry in the field of labor to which one is appointed by the bishop” (Book of Discipline 2016, para. 338.1).
This full-time bias in the Discipline makes it difficult for ordained elders to engage in innovative, multivocational ministries, Dr. Stephens contends. In contrast, it is much easier for licensed local pastors to be appointed part-time to a congregation while they hold another job.
ATS Graphic
Cost of seminary per full-time student based on denomination. (Association of Theological Schools Chart)
Part of this trend among seminarians and new graduates can be attributed to the increased costs in money and time of obtaining a seminary education required for ordination. For example, according to research by the Association of Theological Schools, the cost of a three-year seminary degree in a mainline denomination such as The United Methodist Church can be upwards of $60,000. Additionally, a candidate for “ordained elder in full connection” may spend as many as 10 years going through the process leading to ordination. This investment in time and money has become increasingly burdensome for many potential candidates, especially because starting ministerial salaries rarely are adequate to meet both living expenses and student debt payments.
Researching the multivocational topic led Dr. Stephens to develop a network of scholars and reflective practitioners eager to support the practice of intentional bivocational ministry. Their findings led them to conclude that bivocational ministry is the future of the church in North America. They believe this idea holds out hope for the United Methodist Church as it navigates a transition marked by declining congregational resources and a splintering of the denomination over theological differences.
Intensive research into this ministry evolution has resulted in a new book edited by Dr. Stephens, Bivocational and Beyond: Educating for a Thriving Multivocational Ministry, forthcoming from Books@Atla Open Press. The book was released May 5 and is open access (i.e., free to download).
Multivocational conference
In conjunction with the book launch, Lancaster Theological Seminary and the United Church of Christ’s office of Ministerial Excellence, Support and Authorization are co-sponsoring a virtual conference, “Embracing Multivocational Ministry,” May 14 via Zoom. The ecumenical conference is open to laity and clergy.
In a telephone interview, Dr. Stephens told United Methodist Insight that recent research into bivocational ministry yielded surprising results. One of the biggest relates to differences in attitudes between predominantly white congregations and faith communities of color.
“In predominantly white congregations, the concept of professional clergy has led to a bias against bivocational pastors as being less qualified than full-funded pastors,” said Dr. Stephens. “It has also led to decreased participation by laypeople in a church’s ministries.”
“In contrast, we found that bivocational ministry is the norm in many African American, Hispanic, and immigrant faith communities,” Dr. Stephens said.
The Rev. Kwasi Kena, an ordained United Methodist elder and associate professor of ethnic and multicultural ministries at Indiana Wesleyan University’s Wesley Seminary, argues that “bivocational congregations are well positioned to offer the gospel to people in an ever-changing environment.” In a chapter titled “Exploring Distributive Ministry,” Dr. Kena contends that a bivocational pastorate can result in a cooperative church culture in which laypeople function as ministers sharing pastoral responsibilities with lead clergy.
Through this model, the burdens of ministry are more widely shared, and laypeople transform from consumers of religious services into disciples who live out the teachings and model of Jesus, Dr. Stephens noted.
These findings have led Dr. Stephens and his colleagues to propose bivocational ministry as an exciting prospect for denominations, including The United Methodist Church, that are concerned about future ministry staffing because of declining personnel and congregations’ financial resources.
“Intentional bivocational ministry requires bringing your whole self into service for others, in the workplace and at church,” Dr. Stephens says on the book’s web page. “When you seek resonance with the transcendent in all areas of your life, you have achieved a multivocational mindset.”
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.