by Dennis Bickers | Jan 23, 2020 | Opinion
One third of all seminary graduates in 2017 were planning to enter bivocational ministry. A recent article in Christianity Today cited this statistic from the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), which also noted this includes 57% of black/non-Hispanic and 41% of...
by Dennis Bickers | Sep 13, 2019 | Opinion
Jarrid Wilson, an associate pastor in a California megachurch, was a strong advocate for mental health. He began an organization to help promote good mental health and was very open about his own struggle with depression. On Monday evening, he took his life....
by Dennis Bickers | Aug 30, 2019 | Opinion
I conducted a survey a number of years ago of bivocational ministers within the American Baptist Churches, USA. One of the questions asked concerned their level of education. Those responding reported everything from a high school education to doctorates. Many had...
by Dennis Bickers | May 2, 2019 | Opinion
Many bivocational ministers face a major challenge trying to meet the expectations of the congregation. Most churches have a job description for the pastor, and most pastors do not get into trouble because they do not fulfill that job description. They get in trouble...
by Dennis Bickers | Aug 29, 2018 | Opinion
I worked third shift on a factory assembly line years ago. One night, the foreman on our end of the line was telling me how difficult the job was on him. He was under a lot of stress, couldn’t sleep and wasn’t sure what to do. I explained to him that if he...
