Writing "Bivocational Ministry"

The author of Bivocational Ministry: Field Notes for Congregations and Ministers, Rev. Dr. Kristen Plinke Bentley is project director of Lexington Theological Seminary’s Bivocational Ministry Research and an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). In this Q and A, she discusses her inspiration, her writing process, what's reading, and her favorite feedback so far about the book.

What inspired your book?

I was first inspired when I heard one of the ministers I interviewed share that his experience being a bivocational minister for the first time (he also had a full-time job outside the church) helped him overcome burnout he had from being what is often referred to as a “full-time” minister. I wanted to explore more about how the minister-congregation relationship is re-aligned through bivocational arrangements. How do lay leaders partner best with ministers when those ministers also work for pay outside the church? That nudged me to find out more about how congregations can be communities where they strengthen the shared ministry of pastor and lay people helps them strengthen the way they serve God where they are located.

How long did it take you to write your manuscript?

Once I began writing in earnest, it took six months to get to the draft I submitted for editing. That followed two to three months of pre-writing which included developing the outline for the book and deciding which stories needed to be told and where they should go in the book. However, I would not have been able to write the book at all without the many stories and experiences of ministers I have heard since 2014. The book is rooted in many conversations with ministers and lay people, surveys of ministers, and other interactions with people who were thinking about bivocational ministry and its location in the 21^st century U.S. ministry landscape.

What was the biggest challenge of writing your book?

I found it challenging to keep the book to its intended length. In my first draft, one of the chapters was way too long. Although I thought it was full of “good stuff,” I forced myself to reorganize the chapter and remove some stories and other material I had originally included. It was hard to let go of things I had written in order to make the book better. I was grateful that some of the omitted parts eventually found their way back in at another place and in a much shorter form.

What makes this book relevant today and different from other books on the subject?

Bivocational Ministry tells stories of ministers from different contexts who make up a significant portion of the ministerial landscape–those who have paid employment outside the congregations they lead. Their experiences often have been overlooked, and I think we can all learn a great deal from the way they serve God in various contexts. Their experiences can be instructive for other ministers and congregations, especially when many have been facing increasing economic challenges since 2008. Also, while other books on the topic of bivocational ministry share good insights from authors who are bivocational ministers themselves, this book includes grass-root observations from numerous ministers and lay leaders, women and men alike, in congregations where the ministers are serving while also employed outside the congregations.

What do you hope readers take away from your book?

If readers have not previously realized what it means for ministers to “be bivocational,” that is, to hold employment outside the congregation they lead, I hope they come to understand and appreciate these pastors and see ways they lead congregations in a variety of settings. For congregations and ministers who pick up the book to learn how to “become bivocational” or strengthen the way they already do it, I hope the book provides guidance for conversations around their experience. I hope the book prompts discussions that help congregations, and their leaders, discover ways to strengthen their ministry despite economic challenges they may be facing.

What was the most inspiring feedback you received from a reader?

I was very happy when one reader told me the book is “both realistic and encouraging.” I appreciated this feedback because it reflected a goal I had for the book—to be useful to the church without skipping over the challenges we’re facing. I hope the reader was right and the book provide insight into the realities of 21^stcentury bivocational ministry in the U.S. while also giving some helpful and hopeful advice to congregations and ministers. Congregations need support to serve God in time and places that often have a challenging set of circumstances.

What are you reading now?

I am currently reading the novel, Clean, by Alia Trabucco Zerán after hearing about it on public radio. I have not finished it yet, but so far, it’s full of suspense. It tells a story through the eyes of a domestic worker, and her story is full of isolation and grief.

Even though I do read quite a bit of non-fiction, I always try to be reading fictional work, mostly novels or short stories. I think reading fiction helps expand my imagination and the way I see the world. I am frequently surprised by the truth I find in fictional stories.