As the Executive Director of the Alaska Baptist Resource Network, my husband receives many inquiries about pastoral positions, full-time and bivocational, in Alaska. The lure of ministering in the Last Frontier excites the heart of many a pastor, especially if he enjoys hunting, fishing, and a wilderness adventure.

 

New pastors often arrive in Alaska looking for a wilderness adventure, but soon discover a spiritually challenging wilderness of lost souls.

 

The majority of Alaskan churches are small, usually under 100 people. Except for a few churches in the larger cities, most pastors are bivocational.

 

Recently, I watched a video where a pastor was teaching about the qualities of a good leader. He stated that he had been disappointed in the SBC with the attitude of bivocational pastors. In his opinion, all bivocational pastors have a chip on their shoulder and love to stand together complaining about the full-time pastors.

 

Frankly, I was horrified to hear that statement. And then this pastor went on to state that he feels he needs to give those bivocational pastors a quick kick in the pants and tell them to get to work and worry about their own churches.

 

Many bivocational pastors in Alaska, driven by a strong calling to their churches and ministry, work tirelessly at their churches and secular jobs. Their love for their people is evident in their dedication. They deserve our respect and appreciation, not a ‘kick in the pants’.

 

The truth is, we’ve already reached the easy places in Alaska. The larger cities have numerous churches. Sadly, many remote villages and towns have no evangelical presence. Few people want to live in the bush, far from conveniences, and accessible only by plane or boat. We need bivocational pastors willing to go to the hard places.

 

Let me share the story of a bivocational pastor in Alaska named Rodney, who pastored in Alaska for more than twenty years. After completing seminary, Rodney followed God’s call and moved to Alaska. He began working at the local Post Office, where his spot at the front counter became his community pulpit. People loved going to Rodney’s counter because they knew he would speak words of encouragement and pray for them.

 

Eventually, friends approached Rodney about the need for a church in a community on the edge of town. This community was in a rough area that was known for drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and consisted of many broken families. Rodney and his wife felt God’s leading, and they started a church in this challenging community. Rodney persevered through tough times, financial hardship, and the loss of two church buildings due to fire.

 

Then one day, Rodney died in an accident while he was plowing snow in his driveway. An everyday activity in the Alaskan winter, but one that ended tragically in this instance.

 

Rodney was a humble man. He followed God’s call and always gave all the praise to God. However, in his death, the realization of what this loving pastor had accomplished in a community full of darkness came to light. Two things stood out to me during this time.

 

First, Rodney’s workplace had served as his pulpit in the community. His front counter at the Post Office overflowed with flowers, cards, and remembrances from his customers. This humble man touched many people’s lives by sharing Jesus in his workplace.

 

Secondly, the simple fact that Rodney stayed and invested his life in the community where God had called him made all the difference.  Rodney’s small church overflowed with people at his memorial service. The sanctuary was filled to standing room only, and the overflow sat outside the doors in the fellowship hall.

 

A couple of years before his death, an article about Rodney appeared in the Southwestern News. This quote from Rodney reveals his heart as a bivocational pastor.

 

“Statistically, my pastorate may never be perceived as a successful pastorate, but I have remained true to what God called me to, and so [even if] it’s only going to be a success in God’s eyes, that’s where I have to leave that. Success will be measured as we continue to see lives changed through the work of Jesus.

(Covington, Adam. “A Long and Hard Road: Following God’s Call to the Land of the Midnight Sun.” Southwestern News Summer 2015: 44-49. Print)

 

Alaska has many bivocational pastors like Rodney. Men called by God and ready to shine light in the darkness. Pastors who measure success through God’s eyes, and by lives changed.

 

Alaska is in dire need of more bivocational pastors, ready to minister in the hard places. The urgency of this call cannot be overstated. Will you answer?