The Future is Bivocational PB by Andrew Hamilton

Shortlisted for the Sparklit Christian Book of the Year 2023
 
When I was in my 20’s and relatively new to paid ministry, I remember reading about another pastor in the deep south of our state who was employed as the school bus driver, alongside leading his local church. I vividly recall a moment where I thought, ‘Wow; how sad that you finished up at a church that couldn’t afford a ‘real pastor’.

I somehow assumed that the only reason a pastor would choose to work outside of the church was to pay the bills – to survive. Today, I am ‘that guy’, running a small irrigation business while leading a Baptist church, but surprisingly loving life and finding the combination to be both missionally engaging as well as conducive to developing church leadership that is in touch with the challenges of everyday people.

This book advocates for bi-vocational mission and ministry to be taken more seriously in the Australian context, particularly as we enter an increasingly secular landscape. It is a mix of story telling, theological reflection, insights from other bi-vocational practitioners, as well as simple, practical advice for pastors, churches and Bible colleges who wish to explore this as a mode of mission and ministry.