The Future Is Bivocational

When I was in my 20’s and relatively new to paid ministry, I remember reading about another pastor in the deep south of our state who was employed as the school bus driver, alongside leading his local church. I vividly recall a moment where I thought, ‘Wow; how sad that you finished up at a church that couldn’t afford a ‘real pastor’.

I somehow assumed that the only reason a pastor would choose to work outside of the church was to pay the bills – to survive. Today, I am ‘that guy’, running a small irrigation business while leading a Baptist church, but surprisingly loving life and finding the combination to be both missionally engaging as well as conducive to developing church leadership that is in touch with the challenges of everyday people.

This book advocates for bi-vocational mission and ministry to be taken more seriously in the Australian context, particularly as we enter an increasingly secular landscape. It is a mix of story telling, theological reflection, insights from other bi-vocational practitioners, as well as simple, practical advice for pastors, churches and Bible colleges who wish to explore this as a mode of mission and ministry.

Endorsements
“In The Future is Bivocational, Andrew Hamilton casts a compelling vision for bivocational mission and ministry. He not only provides a strong biblical and missiological rationale for bivocational leadership, but he also shares practical insight on the benefits and challenges of being bivocational. I really love this book. I will recommend it often to pastors and church planters.”
Brad Brisco
Director of Bivocational Church Planting for the North American Mission Board and author of Missional Essentials and Next Door as It Is in Heaven

“Andrew is an experienced and insightful bivocational pastor. He has written a challenging book, calling the church to reconsider its bivocational roots and to explore this dimension as the means to a healthy and vibrant missional future. The Future is Bivocational ought to be read and taken seriously by all pastors who seek effective missional engagement and connection with the world around them.”
Alan Hirsch
Founding Director of Forge Mission Training Network

“This book is the most important book I’ve read on ministry in the last decade. Bivocational ministry is not just a fad. This form of ministry has deep roots in the church’s history and is the most common form of ministry in World Christianity. Bivocational ministry is revolutionising our current practices of ministry. Andrew Hamilton writes out of deep conviction and practical experience. This book shows us how to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the bivocational life. The future is bivocational. Every church leader should read this book. Andrew Hamilton’s book should be on the reading list of all ministry teams and in every ministry training program.”
Graham Joseph Hill
Author of “Holding Up Half the Sky” and State Leader for Baptist Mission Australia WA

About the author
Andrew Hamilton is a pastor and small business owner living in the far northern beaches of Perth, Australia, with his wife Danelle. After a background in Physical Education, he has spent the last 30 years in Christian leadership and mission of various forms. More recently, he and Danelle have led Quinns Baptist Church since 2009 and in 2019, planted Yanchep Community Church in their own suburb. They still pastor in both these churches, but have transitioned leadership to two younger pastors and entered a new phase of life. Since 2008, Andrew has also run his own irrigation and turf business alongside local church leadership. When not at work, Andrew can be found either surfing, roasting his own coffee, or flying a drone and taking pictures of his local beaches.