Ray: Bivocational pastors accept “unique anointing of God”

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I am so thankful for men who have accepted the call to serve the Lord in the small-church mission field. These bivocational pastors are so valuable to the overall mission of the Lord to save his children.

richard ray130Richard RayThe uniqueness of the bivocational pastor goes unnoticed by most, but not by the Lord. 1 Samuel 16 reminds us of this: “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’”

The heart of the bivocational pastor is one who tends to the sheep with boldness, courage and love. The uniqueness of the bivocational pastor is not his love of serving the church but his willingness to be self-sacrificing of his time and talent as he serves his church and his family. The bivocational pastor is someone who is willing to hold down a secular job to provide support for his family, while he also accepts the anointing of God.

However, this unique bivocational calling affects more than one church or one ministry. We all know the bivocational pastor has the opportunity to minister for the Lord in his secular occupation, but the uniqueness goes beyond that. The secular talent of the bivocational pastor is limitless in how it can and does make an impact on the kingdom of God.

texas baptist voices right120I serve as the executive director of the Bivocational/Small Church Association. Therefore, I assist churches in their various needs. When a need arises, whether it is construction, legal, administration, financial, medical, counseling or other needs, I can call upon the many bivocational pastors who serve the Lord with their unique secular talent to assist these churches. The bivocational pastor is a unique calling and anointing from God that does not go unnoticed by me and, more importantly, by the Lord.

If you are a bivocational pastor, you have accepted a unique anointing of God. Your talent to serve both in the church and beyond is unique. If you would like to share your unique talent with other churches to assist them in serving the Lord, then I encourage you to email me. I want to thank you for accepting the anointing of God and sharing your secular talent to further the kingdom of God.

We are here to serve you as you serve the Lord. Remember, the Lord has called you to serve, but he has not called you to serve alone. Visit our websiteour website for more information on how the Bivocational/Small Church Association can minister to and serve you. For more information, contact me at [email protected].

Richard Ray is executive director of the Bivocational/Small Church Association and
director of missions for Tri-Rivers Baptist Area.


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