Bivocational Ministry

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EVENT DATE & DETAILS

Note: This workshop takes place on Eastern Time (ET).

Thursday
August 14, 2025

12:00 pm-1:30 pm

Thursday
August 21, 2025

6:00 pm-7:30 pm

Some congregations are considering a shift to calling a bivocational minister because they have economic challenges which limit their capacity to fully compensate a minister. Some ministers and congregations already engaged in the “bivocational model” struggle because they need to adjust their expectations of the minister and/or the way they approach ministry. The bivocational model, though around for some time, has been overlooked due to a preference for what is often called “full-time ministry.”

Participants will:

Learn from reflecting and discussing several stories of success from bivocational ministers and congregations.
Reflect on the expectations congregations have of ministers.
Engage in a learning activity about adjusting or “tinkering” with the way ministry is shared among ministers and lay people.

About the instructor

Rev. Dr. Kris Bentley is an ordained minister with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She has served in congregational ministry in the central Kentucky area for more than twenty years, sometimes in the role of a bivocational pastor. In 2014 she began working at Lexington Theological Seminary (LTS) when LTS was awarded a grant by Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Economic Challenges Facing Future Ministers (ECFFM) Initiative. While at LTS, Kris has guided a research project regarding bivocational ministry, serving as the lead researcher.

Kris is an alum of Lexington Theological Seminary, holding a D.Min. (2020) and M.Div. degree (1997) from LTS, as well as a M.S. in Education (1981) from Indiana University, and a B.A. (1979) from the University of Kentucky. Prior to attending seminary, she worked in higher education administration, serving at Midway College (now Midway University) and the University of Kentucky. Kris and her husband, Perry, live in the Lexington, KY area. They have four adult children and three grandchildren.