The current climate of the Coronavirus Pandemic has given me an opportunity to reflect on the state of pastors all over the United States, especially urban pastors. The resiliency and resourcefulness of these leaders have always been points of strength but in this season they shine the most bright. This is true specifically of bi-vocational pastors, or as I like to call them, ambidextrous pastors. In an hour that is requiring all of us to be honest about what is essential and non-essential, the bi-vocational leader has several things working in their favor. Here is a quick list to encourage you:
- The bi-vocational pastor isn’t much of a financial burden on the church. With members out of work and giving down, pastors who have taken less, out of necessity, are better positioned to care for the needs of the people and continue towards the vision. If you are a pastor who has seen their secular job dry up, you have some amount of income coming from the church. This is the beauty of having multiple streams of income.
- In a season of “This & That,” the bi-vocational leader models to their community the need for members to take up work that they wouldn’t normally think to do to make ends meet.
- Isolation issues are real. Another benefit of being bi-vocational is having real-time access to multiple perspectives. The danger of being unaware of what is “really” going on is not a luxury that is afforded to marginalized folk and especially communities of color. Your people need to hear answers that aren’t steeped in Christian clichés. You are a leader who has had the opportunity to stay relevant. You are better because you haven’t been insulated or isolated by the church.
- Shepherding people to greener pastures is a lot easier if you know where the greener pastures are. Identifying resources and creating access points to help members get their needs met is best done by leaders who have a seat at tables of commerce as well as the church. In the last month, I have received more calls from people who wanted to share resources than I have received from people in need of help. Many non-profit and governmental leaders that I have spoken with knew me prior to pastoring. This is the beauty of developing trust in your community prior to tragedy.
Remember Nehemiah. He was an enslaved bartender who had a God-given passion for the condition of his war riddled hometown. He didn’t have a degree in wall building, resource management or conflict resolution. What he knew was the voice of God and how to build teams. To my ambidextrous pastors – You got this!
