Ethics Considered

It’s official. The book is now published!

Bivocational and Beyond: Educating for Thriving Multivocational Ministry is an open access, edited volume for church leaders and those that teach and support them. Buy a hardcopy on Amazon. Download a free electronic version from Books@Atla Open Press.

Contributors include bivocational pastors and other reflective practitioners as well as theological educators and researchers: Ronald W. Baard, Phil Baisley, Kristen Plinke Bentley, Mark D. Chapman, Ben Connelly, Jo Ann Deasy, Susan J. Ebertz, Herbert Fain, Norm Faramelli, Kwasi Kena, Kathleen Owens, Anthony Pappas, Ed Pease, Hartness M. Samushonga, Darryl W. Stephens, Steven C. Van Ostran, James W. Watson, Ralph B. Wright Jr., and Jessica Young Brown.

Cover art by Cecily A. Stephens.

Want to learn more? Attend the Embracing Multivocational Ministry Conference, Saturday, May 14, 2022, 2–5pm EDT, via Zoom. Sponsored by Lancaster Theological Seminary and MESA, Ministerial Excellence, Support and Authorization of the United Church of Christ. Only $35.

What do my book and this worship series have in common? They are both available online at no cost! The book is available free on Kindle Unlimited—and a trial subscription will cost you nothing.

The worship series must be popular. Yesterday, I discovered that my book, Bearing Witness in the Kin-dom, was rankd #2 in Methodist Christianity on Amazon, trailing only the UMC Book of Disicipline!

Theological school looks at the reality of multivocational ministry

Lay and clergy leaders, come all! Presentations by authors and judicatory leaders. Methodists, Baptists, United Church of Christ, Presbyterian, and more. Only $35 to register, and each registrant will receive the e-book Bivocational and Beyond.

Click here for conference information and registration.

Conference Organizers and Facilitators

While the collection includes critiques of racism, it cannot be seen as an antiracist collection. See my review at the American Academy of Religion’s Reading Religion website.

Ministry, money, and graduate theological education—for Black students, multivocational ministry provides the connection and the possibility for serving the communities that need them the most.

This is one of a series of video posts from the authors of Bivocational and Beyond: Educating for Thriving Multivocational Ministry (forthcoming April 2022). This book is an edited volume for church leaders and those that teach and support them. Contributors include bivocational pastors and other reflective practitioners as well as theological educators and researchers.

In Chapter 5, “Black Student Perspectives,” Jo Ann Deasy examines the perspectives of Black seminarians on debt and finances in order to improve the support offered by graduate theological schools. The author draws on qualitative data she and co-researchers collected during a 2019 study on Black student debt by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). Though not originally designed to inquire about multivocational ministry, the data revealed many challenges for multivocational clergy and the seminaries they attend. Few of the students interviewed expected to make a living wage in ministry after graduation. Most recognized that the congregations they came from and the congregations they planned to serve would not be able to support them financially. Many Black students considered educational debt and multivocational ministry as intentional strategies to assist them in answering their call, pursuing theological education not for financial success or security but in order to minister to their communities. This chapter concludes with implications for graduate theological education.

For resources on bivocational and multivocational ministry, see the book’s webpage.

With the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, church leaders may wonder what their tradition teaches. Recently, I was asked about Methodist perspectives on war and peace. It’s all over the map.

Methodists in the United States are as conflict averse as they are patriotic. This presents a conundrum when the nation is at war. Historically, United Methodism teaches that “war and bloodshed are contrary to the gospel and sprit of Christ.” However, Methodists have been active in all major wars fought by or within the United States. For example, Methodists fought on both sides of the Civil War. Today, Methodists honor those who serve in the military as well as support those who conscientiously object to military service. The UMC also supports individuals who engage in civil disobedience in response to unjust laws.

Methodist theologians have practiced and defended the entire range of stances on war and peace. Stanley Hauerwas and Stephen Long teach that the church should be pacifist. Paul Ramsey promoted the principles of Just War theory, which teaches that war may be considered only as a last resort. Ramsey argued that defending a neighbor by force, if necessary, was an act of love. Many Methodists (such Robin Lovin and Rebekah Miles) approach the issue of war through the lens of Christian Realism, arguing that armed conflict may be the best of the available, sin-filled options for achieving an approximation of justice.

Perhaps most prominent within Methodist theology and practice are efforts at peacebuilding. Methodists were instrumental in forming the United Nations and writing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Methodists, such as Walter Wink and Nelson Mandela, worked to achieve social change through non-violent resistance, notably in South Africa. Still other Methodists, such as Ellen Ott Marshall, promote conflict transformation and Just Peacemaking, teaching proactive measures for resolving conflict prior to the last resort of war. Methodists have also advocated for nuclear disarmament, promoted Millennium Development Goals, prioritized care of creation, and welcomed refugees.

Methodist responses to the current crisis in Ukraine look different outside the United States. Missiologist David W. Scott recently discussed how Methodists React to Russian Invasion of Ukraine from around the world. Relationships among and between United Methodists in Ukraine and Russia hold particular gravity (and perhaps also promise) because they are part of the same episcopal area.

As Methodists in the United States pray for peace in Ukraine, here are some additional resources:

The UMC’s Peace with Justice Covenant Congregation Program, for congregational study

The General Board of Church and Society: https://www.umcjustice.org/what-we-care-about/peace-with-justice.

What qualities do successful bivocational congregations share?

This is one of a series of video posts from the authors of Bivocational and Beyond: Educating for Thriving Multivocational Ministry (forthcoming April 2022). This book is an edited volume for church leaders and those that teach and support them. Contributors include bivocational pastors and other reflective practitioners as well as theological educators and researchers.

In Chapter 11, “The Bivocational Congregation,” Anthony Pappas, Ed Pease, and Norm Faramelli address the question: What is the shape of tomorrow’s church? The authors answer this question by offering ethnographic case studies of five very different churches to illustrate certain qualities of bivocational congregations: healthy team functioning; a high commitment to being a ministering presence in a particular place; a willingness to die to self, if need be, in the cause of serving others; an acceptance of bivocationality as a full expression of the church, not a second-rate, temporary, expedient form of the church; and a willingness to experiment and trust that a higher power has something wonderful in store for tomorrow. The authors conclude that a congregation does not necessarily have to have a bivocational pastor to exhibit the positive qualities of a bivocational congregation. More important is the dual calling of the congregation to fresh understandings of mission and function. In an epilogue, Pease offers advice on how to prepare a congregation for bivocational ministry.

For resources on bivocational and multivocational ministry, see the book’s webpage.

It’s not all the same story. Diverse narratives reveal the varied experiences of congregations and ministers in bivocational ministry.

This is one of a series of posts about the authors of Bivocational and Beyond: Educating for Thriving Multivocational Ministry (forthcoming April 2022). This book is an edited volume for church leaders and those that teach and support them. Contributors include bivocational pastors and other reflective practitioners as well as theological educators and researchers.

Kristen Plinke Bentley, an ordained minister with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is director of the Thriving in Ministry program at Lexington Theological Seminary. In Chapter 7, “Pitching Our Tent with Bivocational Ministry,” Bentley compares Paul’s model of self-supporting ministry with narratives of bivocational ministry today. Based on surveys and interviews with Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) ministers serving congregations in Kentucky, Bentley observed three primary narratives about bivocational ministry. Some leaders pointed to economic challenges for congregations, seeing the model as “a sign of the times.” Others perceived the missional potential of bivocational ministry, describing it as “on the cutting edge.” Others, particularly those in African American and Hispanic/Latinx contexts as well as those in rural communities, saw bivocational ministry as “the way we’ve always done ministry.” These narratives reveal the varied experiences for congregations and ministers related to bivocational ministry. They also demonstrate that some congregations have long-term experience with bivocational pastors that could help others build capacity for well-being and thriving in ministry.

For resources on bivocational and multivocational ministry, see the book’s webpage.

How can multivocational ministers keep up when information needs are continually changing?

This is one of a series of video posts from the authors of Bivocational and Beyond: Educating for Thriving Multivocational Ministry (forthcoming April 2022). This book is an edited volume for church leaders and those that teach and support them. Contributors include bivocational pastors and other reflective practitioners as well as theological educators and researchers.

In Chapter 18, “Seeking Information Mastery in Multivocational Ministry,” Susan J. Ebertz adopts a model by Hubert Dreyfus to frame the importance of continual learning to achieve mastery in multivocational ministry. This chapter focuses on learning about information rather than learning specific facts: how to determine what information is needed, where to find it, and how to evaluate it. The author then walks through challenges, such as finding time for learning, countering algorithmic bias in internet search engines, and discerning trustworthy and knowledgeable sources. The author concludes by inviting the reader to share what is learned with their congregations, ministry colleagues, and community. Such collaboration brings one in contact with diverse voices, promoting innovation and allowing for creativity in thought and practice. Through careful and efficient research and collaboration with others, multivocational ministers can continue their learning in ways that support effective ministry.

For resources on bivocational and multivocational ministry, see the book’s webpage.