Uniquely Bivocational

Book excerpt: Uniquely Bivocational explores the challenges and opportunities facing the bivocational pastor. Often misunderstood and undervalued, bivo pastors provide leadership for the majority of the churches across America. Learning to balance family, church and work is perhaps the most unique challenge facing these special servants of God. To help produce a healthy relationship between a bivo pastor and his church, this book explores realistic expectations from each perspective in detail. Practical tips are provided on how to become comfortable with the limitations of having a second vocation. Also presented are the advantages of serving a church as a bivocational minister. Bivocational pastor, as you go through this book, you will see that a key element in being an effective bivo pastor is to be yourself. You are the best you there will ever be! If you are where God put you, there is no move up! You must be all God made you to be right where you are. Lead the church you pastor to become the beacon of life and hope that Christ designed it to be. Ray Gilder has led Bivocational Ministries for the Tennessee Baptist Convention since 1995 and has been the National Coordinator for the Bivocational and Small Church Leadership Network since 2005. He has served as pastor of seven churches in Mississippi and Tennessee, most of those as a bivo pastor. His driving motivation has been to raise the level of awareness and appreciation of bivocational ministers who are faithfully serving all across the Kingdom of God. He and his wife, Diane, have three children: Shanon, Stephen and Galen, as well as five grandsons. Stephen has lived in Heaven since 1995.