Another Tentmaker

A few months ago I had a series of wonderful but disturbing “aha” moments regarding the church in America, the needs of the world, and my role in God’s mission. The information was not new to me, but God brought several factors into focus in a way that moved me.

I love the Church of Jesus Christ, but most people would agree that the church in America is broken and needs transformation. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost and to bring healing and hope to the hurting. Jesus calls the church to follow Him in this mission, but we are distracted with other duties and preoccupations. This is true for entire churches as well as individuals.

Much of my time and the time of other leaders is dedicated to facilitating relatively easy and “non-invasive” changes in the systems of local churches – increase giving to missions, send more short term mission trips, preach more about the mission of God, help the poor in the community, etc. However, I am now convinced that pervasive and foundational changes need to be implemented as soon as possible. The type changes I am suggesting may not be universally affirmed, but something has to be done. Changes in the two areas I am suggesting will release a much greater portion of the church’s resources (time, prayer and finances) to be used in addressing the underserved needs in our communities and around the world. Deal with this sad fact – 41% of the people in the world have no access to the Gospel.

I began to follow Jesus in 1970 as part of a spiritual awakening among teenagers across the nation. I made this course-altering commitment weeks before my senior year at Wingfield High School in Jackson, MS. My chief spiritual mentor coached us to do a few things well – study the Bible, pray and share the Good News. The gang of young folks under his leadership kept those disciplines passionately. One year later, I heard God call me to “full time ministry.” My dream of being a rich banker was replaced. I subconsciously assumed, “Instead of receiving a paycheck from a bank, I guess I’ll be paid by a church.” Since my sophomore year in college the only income I have earned has been from churches and non-profit ministries. Recently I realized that few Christians in history or around the world today connect calling to ministry with “paychecks” – at least not like I have.

Approximately 80% of a local church’s finances (and I expect prayer and volunteers) are allocated for needs related to its buildings and paid staff. I’m not sure what I can do about church buildings, but I can do something about the salary issue. In keeping with the pattern of the Apostle Paul and the vast majority of Christian workers over the ages and around the world today, in March I decided to become a tentmaker, a bi-vocational Christian worker (Acts 18:1-4 NIV). I want to model this ministry lifestyle, not just talk about it.

Within one week of this commitment, I was approached and recruited by the founder and director of Awake Consulting and Coaching (www.awakeconsulting.com). This spring the FOI board affirmed my request to begin a relationship with Awake, and I am now working with my first two clients. I have been amazed by the similarities between the coaching I have done with church leaders and the coaching I am providing to business leaders. Some healthy cross-pollination is taking place. Regarding my time and energy, I am fitting my consulting work into my FollowOne schedule. This is easy since much of my consulting work is done via teleconference.

I want to discourage any perception that “James left the ministry” or that “FollowOne is closing.” FollowOne continues to be strong as we strategically engage in God’s mission. The change in my vocational situation is due to God’s call on my life, and it is consistent with FollowOne’s commitment to help churches more effectively, sacrificially and strategically participate in God’s mission.

FollowOne, like most churches and ministries, is feeling a financial pinch. The sour economy, however, is not the driver for my vocational shift. As my income from consulting clients begins and grows, the amount of money paid to me by FollowOne will be reduced.

Pray for me in this new chapter of my life. This is God’s calling for me. That doesn’t make me better or worse than other Christians, but perhaps my witness will help people consider new ways to respond to God’s call.

Pray also for the men and women being called to ministry in America. Consider the fact that God has impacted entire nations through the faithful service of unpaid or tentmaker ministers in cooperation with a very small number of full-time paid Christian workers. There is, of course, a great need for faithful and effective Christian workers to be paid for their services, and some of them need full time support. But thousands of other workers would be just as effective if a portion of their income was from a tentmaker position. This change would release millions of dollars for ministry to the unreached and underserved people in our communities and around the world.

If you have questions or concerns about my new tentmaker status, please contact me. I want to hear from you. Here I stand – for the glory of God, for the soul of the church and for the good of the world.

So what do you think?

Ideas? Questions? Concerns? Scripture? Let’s talk.