Customer Reviews

The Tentmaking Pastor: The Joy of Bivocational Ministry

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This is an excellent book. It's easy to read and offers thoughtful insight to the "joys" and the pitfalls of bivocational ministry. Rev. Bickers has provided an exceptional reference tool for those considering the ministry and for churches who may be considering hiring a bivocational minister. For the lay person, it provides an understanding of the cycles churches can sometimes fall into and a positive way to break that cycle. It has also left me with a better appreciation of my pastor and I've learned bivocational definately does not mean part time!

I picked this book up looking for info on being a tentmaking missionary - which is merely bivocational ministry that happens in a cross-cultural setting. It has been a cornerstone of my resources on the topic, especially since it is (1) practical, (2) explores the unique BENEFITS to bivocational ministry, and not just how to mitigate the weaknesses and (3) the only resource I've found written from the perspective of 20 years of bivocational experience (most are theories on what bivocational ministry might or should be like - Bickers tells it like it is). An excellent (and inexpensive) resource.

I like Bicker's book because it is filled with stories of how he actually served as a bivocational pastor. It will encourage pastors because they will be able to relate to the stories. It will help pastors considering accepting a bivocational church to know what to expect. I also appreciated the fact that Bickers does not mind interacting with readers through his blog and his website.

If you are looking for a mission manual written by a seminary professor, move on and keep looking. This simple book shares anecdotes and pointers from a many who has decades of experience working as a minister and blue-collar factory worker. He knows what it's like, and offers in this book some very good insight for the church member who is considering going into ministry. This book focuses mostly on bivocational work with small congregations in an area where the prospective minister already lives. It does not deal with bivocational church planting in new areas. "The Tentmaking Pastor" was enjoyable to read.

don't waste your time or money on this book. While Bickers has had great success as a bivocational pastor, most of us could have written this better ourselves (if we had the time!). His format is anti-intellectual, denominational specific, poorly organized, and is more of a testimonial than a solid pastoral resource. Bickers gives no suggestions on how to manage time properly as a bivocational pastor, but rather just gives one story after another of his experience. The book is pure experience, which he even admits is "just him." His lack of scholarly, theological training makes this book a waste of money and time- two things bivocational pastors have very little of. A big disappointment. Recommend to avoid.