New Models of Staff: Rethinking Ministry Roles for a Sustainable Future
For many congregations today, one of the most pressing and tender questions is also one of the most personal: What do we do when we can no longer afford a full-time minister?
This question surfaces alongside feelings of grief, uncertainty, and even guilt. For decades, pastoral ministry was often sustained through a model that assumed full-time salaries, dedicated offices, and constant availability. But as financial pressures increase and participation patterns shift, many churches are facing a new reality—one that no longer fits the traditional mold.
Still, while that financial model may be evolving, the calling to be a faithful church has not. The challenge is not whether ministry will continue, but how it will take shape in this season.
The Church Sustainability Initiative (CSI) of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina is designed to help congregations address that very challenge. Through guided conversations, coaching, shared learning cohorts, and discernment tools, CSI walks alongside churches as they seek not to replicate the past, but to reimagine the future.
The Case for Creative Staffing
Churches are discovering that sustainability does not always mean maintaining what has always been. In many cases, it means having the courage to ask different questions.
Can ministry be shared between two leaders with complementary strengths?
Could our church partner with another congregation in the area and share a pastor?
Might we call someone who serves in ministry and another profession simultaneously?
These are not just cost-cutting strategies. They are pathways toward healthy, sustainable ministry, grounded in real-world capacity and shaped by missional imagination.
Co-Vocational Ministry
One of the most significant trends in recent years is the rise of co-vocational ministry—pastors who serve in a congregation while also working in another profession. These ministers are not part-time in their calling; they are fully invested in both arenas.
Co-vocational pastors offer a bridge between church and community. Their weekday vocations often provide natural connections to people who may never set foot inside a sanctuary, and their work outside the church can become part of their faithful witness.
This model also eases financial pressure on churches without diminishing the depth of ministry. But it does require intentional conversations about boundaries, expectations, and support structures. Clear role definitions, flexible scheduling, and shared commitments to healthy rhythms are essential to making this model sustainable.
Dual-Role Ministers Within a Church
Another emerging staffing solution is assigning dual ministry roles to a single staff person within a congregation. This approach doesn’t just split tasks—it reimagines them. Churches facing staffing limitations are hiring ministers who span ministry areas traditionally held by separate full-time positions.
Examples include a Minister to Children and Retirees, a Minister to Students and Missions, or a Minister of Worship and Community Engagement. These hybrid roles reflect not just financial reality, but a rethinking of ministry priorities.
One church, recognizing its growing retiree population and its desire to remain connected to young families, created a position that bridges generational ministry—providing intergenerational events, pastoral care for senior adults, and consistent discipleship for children. Another congregation merged youth leadership with missions outreach, allowing one staff member to integrate service learning and local engagement into student ministry.
These kinds of roles require flexibility, clear communication, and a pastoral leader who feels called to span diverse areas. But they can also lead to more holistic ministry and deeper connections across the life of the church.
Rather than dividing staff based on age groups or programs, dual-role positions can encourage a systems-thinking approach—identifying the overlaps and synergies that exist between seemingly separate ministry areas. They also model adaptability for a church body learning how to thrive in new ways.
Job-Sharing in Ministry
Another creative approach involves two individuals sharing one pastoral role. Job-sharing allows churches to benefit from diverse gifts and experiences, while also providing ministers a balanced and collaborative approach to leadership.
In some cases, one person may focus on preaching and worship while the other leads in pastoral care and discipleship. In other settings, both ministers may share all responsibilities, alternating Sundays and co-leading throughout the week.
This model can be especially effective for churches with younger ministers, caregivers, or those pursuing theological education. It also reinforces a collaborative culture, inviting congregations to embrace team-based leadership as a strength rather than a compromise.
Of course, this model requires alignment in vision, theology, and communication. But when shared ministry is embraced with intentionality and trust, it can breathe fresh life into the leadership of a congregation.
Shared Pastors Among Churches
Some congregations are rediscovering an old but enduring model: multiple churches sharing one pastor. In this arrangement, each church maintains its unique identity while partnering to support a single minister who serves both communities.
This approach often works well in rural or small-town settings, where congregations have compatible theology, culture, and values. Rather than each church struggling alone, they choose to move forward together—worshiping in different spaces, but drawing from shared leadership and purpose.
Shared pastor models can foster deep relationships between congregations, enable broader ministry reach, and preserve sacred continuity in places where full-time staffing is no longer viable.
While it may take creative scheduling and intentional support from lay leaders, the result is often a stronger, more connected expression of the church’s presence in a region.
Questions for Discernment
Before stepping into any new staffing model, churches are encouraged to pause and reflect.
What is our congregation’s current capacity—financially, emotionally, and relationally?
What kind of leadership does our mission require in this moment?
What assumptions about pastoral presence might we need to release in order to move forward?
These are not technical questions. They are deeply spiritual ones. They invite a congregation to listen for what God is doing now—not just in the life of their church, but in the broader landscape of ministry.
Walking Together Toward a Sustainable Future
The Church Sustainability Initiative is designed to support churches as they navigate these kinds of decisions.
- Congregations participating in CSI receive access to:
- Conversation guides and reflection tools for leadership teams
- Real-world case studies of congregations implementing new models
- Budget planning templates and role descriptions for hybrid ministry
- Coaching support from experienced leaders and facilitators
- Opportunities to learn from and alongside other churches on similar paths
These are not one-size-fits-all solutions. They are tools for discernment, crafted with humility and care, to help churches make faithful decisions in complex times.
In every conversation, CSI holds a central conviction: you are not alone. There are others walking this path. There are creative models that can sustain the ministry you love. And there is hope for your congregation—hope rooted not in nostalgia, but in the faithful, courageous work of reimagining what ministry can be.
Ready to Explore?
To explore how the Church Sustainability Initiative can support your congregation, visit www.cbfnc.org/churchsustainability. There, you’ll find access to our Pathway Discovery Guide, upcoming learning cohorts, and more.
Let us walk with you. Your story is not over. In fact, it might just be beginning again.
Need help implementing these models?
If your church is discerning how to move forward with a co-vocational pastor, shared staff model, or dual-role ministry position, please reach out to our Ministerial Transition team at www.cbfnc.org/transitions. We’re here to help you navigate these pathways with clarity, care, and companionship.
Learn More & Take the Next Step
Do you want to see if the Church Sustainability Initiative is right for your congregation? Take the Church Sustainability Pathway Discovery Guide for better insight here.
To learn more about how CBFNC can support your congregation, visit cbfnc.org/churchsustainability.
– By Andy Hale
CBFNC associate executive coordinator
This is one article in a seven-article series on church sustainability. Access the other six below:
Read Church Sustainability Series: Ethical Partnerships and Sustainable Congregations here.
Read Church Sustainability Series: Avoiding Pitfalls and the Mythological Comeback Kid here.
Read Church Sustainability Series: Finding Hope in a Changing Church here.
Read Church Sustainability Series: Redefining Success, Maintaining & Failure here.
Read Church Sustainability Series: Sustaining Care here.
Read Church Sustainability Series: Reimagining Sacred Spaces here.
