Who is a BiVo (Bivocational) Minister?
The answer to this question changes depending on who you ask. My thoughts about this have changed over time as well.
Traditional Definition
A BiVo Minister or a Bivocational Minister is a person who works and earns a living in the market place and at the same time works as a minister of the gospel. Usually, they are also paid some allowance or part-time income by the church or ministry they work for.
My definition of the BiVo Minister
A BiVo minister is a disciple of Jesus, who takes the responsibility of making disciples for Jesus as their primary vocation, and any other job as a secondary vocation. This is without regard to how these vocations are funded.
2 years ago, I thought that a Bivocational Minister is a minister of the gospel who earns income from two different sources. That is a pastor or evangelist who earns money from his or her work as a pastor or evangelist and also as a doctor, teacher, plumber, construction worker, blogger etc. Or who earns income from their work in the market place only, but also serve as a Pastor or Minister.
I also believed that a drummer or Sunday school teacher who earned all their income as a teacher is not a BiVo minister. At that time, I would have described that drummer or choir member as a volunteer at church who is a committed member of the body of Christ.
Around the end of 2019, the Lord began to redefine the Bivocational Ministry to me.
Okay before I tell you about that. Let me tell you that, in 2018 I felt led by the Holy Spirit to devote a large portion of my time and ministry to do one thing. Encouraging and Empowering Bivocational (BiVo) ministers.
What I did not do at that time was to get the definition of BiVo ministers that the Holy Spirit was referring to. So I started a podcast, called the BiVo podcast. It was going well but around the middle of 2019 I found that I just could not continue. My definition of BiVo Ministry was changing. So I stopped.
It’s not really the definition of BiVo Ministry that changed but my definition of disciple became very sharp.
The truth is, I have always focussed on discipleship in my ministry. I believe that Jesus came to make disciples and He continues to make disciples today.
What I did not articulate and accept in 2018 is that once a person becomes a disciple of Jesus, that person has a calling that must be respected as a vocation. What that means to me now is that every disciple of Jesus has a mandate and a calling to make as many disciples for Jesus as they are empowered to by the Holy Spirit.
Before now, I knew and I referred to Pastors who worked full-time in a secular job as BiVo Pastor even though they were not paid by the church. I did this because I knew that for many of those pastors, they saw their work as pastors as a calling. They just happened not to be paid from the church purse.
What is new ? Disciple Makers?
My new definition is that every disciple of Jesus is called primarily as a disciple-maker and as such any other job we do is a secondary vocation. This means that all disciples of Jesus are BiVo Ministers.
A BiVo minister is anyone who is a disciple of Jesus, who takes the responsibility of making disciples for Jesus as their primary vocation, and any other job as a secondary vocation. This is without regard to how these vocations are funded.
How does that affect you?
Well once the Holy Spirit convicted me that every disciple of Jesus is employed by the Holy Spirit primarily as a disciple maker, I had to agree that all disciples of Jesus are BiVo Ministers.
I understand the instruction to the Holy Spirit better now. What I sense the Lord asking me to do through this website and other avenues that open up is to let all disciples of Jesus know that they are either BiVo Minister or Full-time ministers.
My job is to help you realize that you have been employed by the Holy Spirit to call others to Jesus as disciples. You are engaged primarily as a disciple-maker. Any other job or vocation you have is secondary. Your job as a doctor or Politician is designed to assist you in fulfilling your primary call as a disciple-maker.
3 Reasons for BiVo Ministry
1 – Jesus Called You to Be a Disciple Maker
I have elaborated on this already in my definition. Here, I want to show you a few scriptures that will make this more real to you.
Make Disciples
In Matthew 28:18-20, we see Jesus instruct the first disciples about making disciples. He instructed them to teach the new disciples to observe ALL the things that He commanded them.
What this means is that they were to make disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples and on and on. Each disciple teaches the new disciples to obey Jesus. So our primary task as disciples is to make disciples.
Seek the Kingdom
Another text that may help is the one in Matthew 6:33
Here Jesus is teaching His disciples that the primary task of any disciple of His is to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
What does it mean for us to seek the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness? I believe it means that we seek the progress of the Kingdom in us and through us. The Kingdom of God refers to the rulership of God.
So if we are to seek God’s rulership and righteousness first, it means we must put God’s plans and purposes first. We know that God’s purpose is revealed in Christ Jesus. And Jesus has made it clear to us that He wants as many people as possible to be restored to the Kingdom of God.
Jesus is referred to as the first born among many brethren. Jesus wants to place many “Jesus” everywhere on earth, calling more disciples. In actual fact, Jesus wants to live righteously and gloriously through all His disciples. That is what it means for the Kingdom of God to come or to make progress on earth.
Here is what Charles G. Finney has to say about this verse
“The command to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness first, enjoins upon us to treat this subject as of absolute and supreme importance. This must be the great business of our lives. Nothing else is allowed to have any practical importance compared with this.”
Commit to Faithful men
You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 You therefore must endure[a] hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. (2 Timothy 2:1-7)
This is the way of the disciples of Jesus. Whatever you learn or receive, transfer to other disciples who would comitt them to other disciples.
Are you a disciple?
Now that I have shown to you a few of the scriptures that made it plain to me, that every disciple has a primary vocation called disciple making, I hope you would accept this vocation.
I believe that every disciple of Jesus is called to be a disciple maker. What bothers me is that there are too many believers out there who think that they are disciples of Jesus but they have not accepted this call.
Do you see making disciples for Jesus as your primary call in life? If that is not the case, you are not alone. You can do something about it. You can accept that call now.
You can determine that everything you are and do must contribute towards sharing the good news of the Kingdom of God with others and making new disciples for Jesus.
Take note that, this is simply a change in perspective. It’s easy to write it as a single sentence, but it is a complete transformation for anyone that accepts it.
If you choose to put first what Jesus puts first, then as a disciple of Jesus you will be at peace and you will be successful. You will bear much fruit.
What is your chief pursuit in life? Is it to draw others to Jesus by sharing the good news of the Kingdom? Then you are a true disciple of Jesus. You are also a BiVo Minister if you have a secondary vocation or a Full-time Minister if you have no other vocation.
2. Jesus is fully committed to this Ministry
The first reason why I believe you are called to BiVo Ministry should be enough to convince you.
But if you need 2 more, here is the second one. Jesus is committed to making disciples. Jesus declares in Matthew 16:18 that,
8 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
If you take up this privilege of letting Jesus build His church in you and through you as your primary task, then you are a coworker with Jesus.
I know that many of you, are wondering how you will make disciples. Please be at peace. Jesus is so committed to this business, that if you just yield to the impulses of the Holy Spirit, you will find people who want to be disciples of Jesus.
You are the body, Jesus does the work through you. The most important part is that you choose to accept that Jesus call ALL His disciples as disciple makers.
There is Joy in Heaven and in your heart when a new disciple begins the journey.
Yes discipleship is a journey. It starts when a person accepts that the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is true and was for him or her. Once a person accepts that Jesus is thier saviour and the call out to Him as Lord, then discipleship starts.
If you have ever led someone to Jesus, and you have experienced the joy that floods the heart of the new believer and yours, you will agree with me that it’s beyond explanation.
Jesus declares it in Luke 15:10
10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Every disciple of Jesus has it in his or her spiritual DNA to seek and share the good news with the lost. As soon as you find Jesus or Jesus finds you, it becomes very important to you to share the good news with other people like you.
I know that many of you reading this article may have become discouraged about sharing the good news for many reasons. Maybe you have been rejected, persecuted, ridiculed or you just got distracted.
Whatever the case may be, I hope that you will be encouraged to know that Jesus has recruited you not just to share the gospel but to make disciples for Him. You may also be encouraged to know that Jesus is fully committed to this business and He will provide the supernatural resources you need. Your joy and the joy of every disciple will be fuller as you make now disciples.
This is what I believe Jesus has called me to do with this website. To encourage 1 million disciples to see themselves as BiVo Ministers and to become better at doing it.
A good book to read about BiVo Ministry is BiVo by Hugh Halter. He talks more about bivocational pastors and church planter. It is a very encouraging book for BiVo Pastors.
My addition to the discussion is that you don’t have to pastor a church or have an “organized or registered” ministry to be considered as a BiVo Minister. You can start by accepting the call of Jesus in your life.
Will you answer the call to be a disciple maker now?
If your answer is yes, then you would like my online course on Making Disciples for Jesus called The BiVo Minister.
Your Turn
Do you see yourself as a BiVo Minister? If not why not?
How has this article helped you? What thoughts or questions do you have. Please share your story and experience with us.
You are blessed.
Till next time.
