Pastoral Entrepreneurial Training

In the church context we find ourselves in the 21st century, many pastors identify as bi-vocational. A bi-vocational pastor means that pastoring a church is only one of their jobs as they also work in a separate job, outside of their church context. These pastors typically do this out of necessity because the salary that they receive as a pastor is not sufficient to live and support a family. It is due to this reality that I believe pastors should receive some sort of formal business training before entering the world of ministry.

The formal training does not have to be a full four year degree from a university, but some sort of class or curriculum that equip them to function on a basic level would be extremely helpful. Even if these pastors do not enter the ministry in a bi-vocational role, many of them begin to work the second job well into their ministry career, after starting a family, purchasing a house, or whatever else adult life may bring. It is during their time in education, whether undergrad or seminary, that these pastors should receive this business education because once adult life begins they will most likely not be able to reenter the academic world for more schooling.

In addition, ministry does not always have the best job security because churches sometimes do not last forever. In the event of a church closing, the pastor may be left with years of ministry experience but no way to enter a job outside the ministry world if the situation requires it. Having some sort of entrepreneurial business training would equip them, even if it is at a basic level, to find a backup job if needed. In conclusion, I certainly see the value in people entering the ministry receiving formal entrepreneurial training so that they may find a job in a bi-vocational role or as a backup.