Seventy-five members of the Southern Baptist Bivocational Ministers Association (SBBMA) gathered for their annual meeting at the Baptist College of Florida in Graceville on April 26. 

Dr. Thomas A. Kinchen, president of the Baptist College of Florida, welcomes Southern Baptist Bivocational Ministers to campus.

This year’s celebration theme, “Doing Whatever it Takes,” is directly related to the bivocational mission statement which reads “The mission of the Association is doing whatever it takes to encourage, promote and serve bivocational and smaller membership churches, ministers, and families in Christ’s kingdom service within local congregations and communities, the Southern Baptist family, and the larger Christian movement.”

Surrounded by the splendor of Heritage Village on the BCF campus, association members were treated to dinner by the Baptist College of Florida and the Florida Baptist Convention Discipleship & Family Department. 

Dr. Thomas A. Kinchen, BCF president, was the guest speaker for the evening session preaching a powerful message from the book of Joshua focusing on churches and people caught up in the “About to...” of doing great work for the Lord. 

Preliminary group meetings were held on Friday and then breakout sessions on Saturday on Expository Preaching, Pastoral Functions, Death, Dying & Bereavement, and Church Business & Finance. 

Attorney and Christian humorist Luther Beauchamp from Chiefland provided the closing remarks with laughter and tears and anticipation of being together again.

“The purpose of the SBBMA is to encourage and support bivocational membership churches and their leadership,” stated Ray Gilder, national coordinator of the SBBMA and fellow bivocational minister. 

Ray Gilder, national coordinator of the Southern Baptist Bivocational Ministers Association, prepares for SBBMA celebration held in Heritage Village at the Baptist College of Florida.

Gilder elaborated on how the organization provides “opportunities for churches and ministers to get personal training and have fellowship,” as well as receiving quarterly newsletters, conference & celebration information, resource assistance, and networking opportunities.

There were 11 different state representatives present for the SBBMA meeting which was established over 27 years ago and formed exclusively to represent the hundreds of bivocational ministers across the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).  By definition, bivocational minister includes any minister (pastor, student pastor, educational minister, or retiree) who receives part of their income from other sources or holds another vocation alongside their pastorate position.  According to the 2006 Cliff Tharp Strategic Technologies Analysis of Churches reporting Sunday School Attendance, 26% of our SBC churches average 25-49, 24% average 0-24, and 15% average 50-74.  Almost 75% of our SBC churches average less than 100 in Sunday School. 

The organizational make-up includes a Resource Network – made up of state convention leaders and denominational agencies devoted to bivocational ministry; the Educators of Bivocational Ministry – educational representatives that meet and provide training and locations for the meetings; and PALS (Partners Assisting the Lord’s Service) – a designation for ministers’ wives that provides encouragement and support in their ministries. 

The Baptist College of Florida is home to one of the bivocational resource centers - The John G. Hall Center for Multi-Tasking Ministry. While the name of the center encompasses bivocational ministry, it serves as a reminder that ministers who wear many hats in vocation and ministry are exemplary multi-taskers.  The Hall Center is named in memory of Rev. John G. Hall who served for over 30 years as pastor of the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Grand Ridge.  While teaching school, coaching and driving school buses, John Hall provided a stellar witness as a bivocational pastor.

The Center at BCF provides fellowship, training, ministry aids, web contacts and numerous other services for the multi-task ministers in the Southeastern region of the United States. 

BCF President Tom Kinchen has been involved in the work of bivocational ministry among Southern Baptists since the initial national meetings almost 30 years ago.  According to Kinchen, “Bivocational or multi-tasking ministry represents some of the finest work that is being done among Southern Baptists.  While these ministers are often outside of the limelight, they are most effective in touching the lives of countless individuals and churches.  As Southern Baptists move into new areas to start churches and continue to serve in traditional areas where some churches are dwindling, the work of bivocational ministers will increase in importance and stature.  We at BCF are proud to be involved in this noble ministry.”

Annual SBBMA gatherings are held in April at strategic locations around the U.S.  Next years’ meeting will be held April 17 – 18 at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.

For information on SBBMA membership and funding, visit http://www.sbbma.org.