Two Callings, One Mission: Co-Vocational Ministry with Justin Bradbury

What if working outside the church isn’t a distraction from ministry, but part of the calling itself?

In this episode of More to the Story, I talk with Dr. Justin Bradbury of the Wesleyan Church and Kingswood University about the growing need for co-vocational ministry, sometimes referred to as bi-vocational ministry.

But co-vocational ministry is about more than a pastor taking a second job to make ends meet. It recognizes that some people are genuinely called to two vocations with one mission: serving in vocational ministry while also living out their calling in the workplace.

We talk about how this model can expand our understanding of pastoral calling, open new possibilities for ministry, and help churches think creatively about leadership in a changing cultural and economic environment.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• What co-vocational ministry means
• The difference between co-vocational and traditional bi-vocational ministry
• Why the church needs to recover a broader understanding of calling
• How Christians can see the workplace as a genuine mission field
• Why someone might be called simultaneously to ministry and another profession
• How churches and seminaries can better prepare leaders for this model

Co-vocational ministry invites us to move beyond the assumption that “real ministry” only happens when someone works full-time for a church. Instead, we can recognize two callings united around one mission: serving Christ wherever he places us.

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Today’s episode is brought to you by Wesley Biblical Seminary. Interested in going deeper in your faith? Check out our certificate programs, B.A., M.A.s, M.Div., and D.Min degrees. You will study with world-class faculty and the most racially diverse student body in the country. www.wbs.edu

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Thanks too to Phil Laeger for my podcast music. You can find out about Phil's music at https://www.laeger.net