Part-Time Is Plenty: Thriving without Full-Time Clergy

by G. Jeffrey MacDonald

That congregations with part-time clergy must come out of the shadows and be counted is essential. As discussed above, they need a catchier label for their category, but that’s not all. They also need to own the fact that they’re a different kind of church with distinct experiences to offer. Currently, it’s almost impossible to identify which denominational churches in a given area have part-time clergy. That’s not because they’re rare—they’re not rare at all. It’s because they hide their status as churches that use part-time clergy. Nothing on their websites, bulletins, or social media posts indicates that their clergy are not full-timers. These churches might not think such information is relevant to post, but more likely, they’re ashamed. They might think part-time means the church is financially poor or has less to offer to a consumeristic world than a church with clergy on call 24/7. They’re thinking in worldly, not godly, terms about wealth as being indicative of worth. We must break free from this trap. Just as many long-marginalized people are refusing to be shamed anymore for their disabilities or body types, congregations with part-time clergy need to be proudly acknowledged for who they are.