A theological reflection of bivocational pastoral ministry: a personal reflective account of a decade of bivocational ministry practice experience

ABSTRACT

Bivocational Ministry (BM) practice is not a new phenomenon. Ministry practitioners are increasingly taking on the option of serving in ministry at the same time as having another vocation outside of ministry. However, in addition to a dearth of research that focuses on BM; the scarcity of reflective academic discourse on BM is apparent. This paper, nonetheless, offers a valuable contribution to this area of Practical Theology, which deserves attention. It draws from 10 years of consistent BM practice through a reflective methodology. This reflection explores various aspects of BM and engages questions of the authenticity and the efficacy of BM through theory, which include Scripture and research. This paper thus provides a viable foundation for further academic discourse on the notion of BM.

KEYWORDS:

• Theological reflection
• bivocational ministry
• bivocational pastor
• bivocational clergy
• pastoral reflection

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Hartness M. Samushonga is a ministry practitioner and an emerging practical theologian. His theological interests include church planting, ministry leadership, bivocational ministry and burnout in pastoral ministry. His MA Theology dissertation encompassed empirical research on the risk of burnout in bivocational pastors. Hartness is a bivocational minister and church planter who leads and pastors a church, and also has a corporate operational management and leadership vocation. Hartness is pursuing doctoral research in management. He is an alumnus of Harvard University's Harvard Kennedy Schools of Government – Leadership Decision Making. Hartness is passionate about supporting bivocational ministry and ministers. He has consequently pioneered ‘Bivo Support UK’ a body that promotes and supports bivocational ministry focused training and research – in collaboration with other bivocational ministers and academics around the globe.

Notes

1 The Form and Manner of Making, Ordaining and Consecrating of Bishops, Priests and Deacons, according to the Order of the Church of England, first published in 1550.

2 I responded to the questions based on my feelings and experiences of each vocation in turn and compared the results.