The Vocational Church
Vocational Church – What is being described as the “come and see” or “come to us” church is not “attractional” but rather “vocational.” By “vocational” I mean a church that is led by a “vocational” leader/pastor who sees his “job” as a means of income for his family and livelihood. He doesn’t necessarily feel “called” as much as he just enjoys the ministry as a vocation. He feels a strong suitability to the work and approaches it as his career. He is trained to lead a church, to teach his congregation and to provide guidance in the dispersing and partaking of the sacraments. He learns to be a good communicator, counselor, and leader…but it is his vocation…not necessarily the call of God on his life. This church is for the most part passive towards the community and inward focused. There is little or no concern for the lost and hurting unless there are family members of the congregation that are lost and hurting. Numerical growth is not an issue. As one pastor told me, “We are a small church that is not growing and that’s the way I like it.”
The Vocational Church focuses on its congregation. It is most often controlled by a family or a group of deacons or elders. It is mainly interested in having sermons on Sunday and the needs of its members attended to by the “preacher” or “minister.”
In most cases the Vocational Church does not have small groups and does not do community outreach. It seems to be somewhat opposed to having outsiders coming in fear that it would interfere with its quaintness or social order. One conversation I overheard on a flight from Atlanta to Birmingham two ladies were talking and one said, “That church was so big I didn’t know anyone there. At our church I know everyone by name.” Value is put on knowing everyone not on reaching everyone.
The Vocational Church is not attractive to the under-churched and is mostly avoided by people who think church is boring, irrelevant, and clannish.
Theologically the Vocational Church preaches its denomination or affiliation’s doctrine mixed with illustrations from everyday life. Application is not always made to the truth being presented.
Negatives – The overall lack of mission is the underlying weakness of the Vocational Church. Every other negative factor stems from that.
I will talk about the Attractional church later. Let’s not confuse the two….Billy Hornsby
