Envisioning part-time clergy as a blessing rather than a sign of decline

If you have ever been a part-time pastor, you’ve likely heard someone tell you your job doesn’t exist. There is, the person says with a wry smile, no such thing as part-time ministry. This statement reflects the traditional wisdom about ministry: that it’s always a full-time job, regardless of what the contract may say.

G. Jeffrey MacDonald pushes hard against this narrative. His book invites readers to imagine part-time clergy not only as a viable model for a way forward but as a blessing that revitalizes congregations by energizing lay leaders. His perspective will be especially useful for churches in denominations that see part-time clergy as the first sign of a dying congregation.

The increasing prevalence of part-time clergy is a secret that every mainline Protestant denomination is keeping, MacDonald writes. In many regions of the United States, most clergy are already working part-time—and the number of churches needing to hire someone at less than full-time is growing. There is no clear road map for part-time clergy to follow because most denominations don’t want to acknowledge that they exist.