For some strange reason, co-vocational ministry has caught some of the church by surprise – like this is a brand-new paradigm for ministry that is both necessitated by our current reality but holds promise for the future of the church. The issue is, for those parts of the church for whom budget restraints and shortages of educated clergy are a more recent reality, co-vocationality seems like a novel, “I-wonder-why-we-never-thought-of-this-before” kind of development. We might be willing to admit that the Apostle Paul was a tentmaker, but we’re prone to think that even he found his co-vocational training ‘in-tense.’ Bad dad jokes aside; we are often uninformed of the co-vocational pioneers and exemplars who paved the way for the rest of us at this juncture in our shared history.

One such exemplar was George Liele (pronounced like we would say ‘Lyle’), an African American Baptist preacher born in 1752. Liele was born into slavery in Virginia but came to faith in a white congregation in Georgia. He was able to serve among his people, establishing churches in Georgia and later was emancipated by his owner, Henry Sharp. Liele moved his family to Jamaica when he received permission in 1884 to serve as the first African American in ‘foreign missions.’ Along with this, Liele was considered to be the first formally ordained African American minister in 1773. For our purposes, it is also helpful to note that he served co-vocationally as a businessman and church builder, along with his pastoral duties. 

Image source BU School of Theology

Lessons to Learn

What can be learned from this very brief excursion into the past? At least three lessons, I think.

First, just because our own tradition may not be familiar with co-vocationality doesn’t mean it hasn’t had a long and storied history in other traditions and locations. Liele is only one of a long line of dedicated co-vocational leaders who give their best to the church in times and places that are sometimes much different and more challenging than our own. It would be hard to imagine where the church would be today without this multitude of unsung heroes.

It is also helpful to see that some co-vocational pastors can accomplish a great deal and leave a lasting legacy for others to experience and appreciate. Not being able to give one’s full attention to leading the church doesn’t mean the results inevitably will be less significant or enduring. This is not to say the evaluation of anyone’s ministry is found in its “effectiveness.” Here, again, we might betray a certain bias that wouldn’t pass muster with Jesus. Suffice it to say, co-vocational pastors are accessed by their faithfulness and not their effectiveness, which is no different from those called to uni-vocational types of ministry.

Co-vocational pastors can also be trailblazers in their own contexts. Liele was guided by his anabaptist sensibilities for pacificism, so he insisted those who joined the churches he led would first need to gain permission from their owners. His primary concern was to give his people the opportunity to worship without raising the prospect of revolution through their emancipation. While this position may seem far from racially equitable or just from our current understanding, Liele was able to gradually move the cause of his people forward through the practice of this progressive accommodation. Progress or innovation doesn’t look the same at every time and place.

As our understanding and perspective grow, we are better able to appreciate all who are called to ministry, whether co-vocational or uni-vocational. We all share the same Lord and the same mission.

Learn more about how Briercrest is helping co-vocational ministry leaders at Co-Vocational Canada: Rethinking Sacred Work.