February 12, 2025 • 12 mins
Hey, Friend,
Did you know that the majority of ministers (55%) in the United States came to ministry as a second career?
They are known as Generalists, having degrees, expertise and experience in another discipline before transitioning to ministry. They bring a broad range of knowledge across multiple disciplines that make them valuable assets to a ministry staff.
Ministers with education, expertise and experience in ministry are known as Specialists and their deep knowledge is also extremely valuable to a ministry staff.
Both are needed on the team. Check out today’s episode.
I pray this blesses you,
Becky
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
So, in addition to my full-time job as a minister, I provide group coaching for women in
(00:06):
ministry and it blows my mind as we're going around the Zoom room, introducing ourselves
every time.
The women who have college degrees is something other than ministry.
Either feel the need to apologize for it or to explain why they don't have a degree in
(00:27):
ministry.
I have worked with ministers with degrees in accounting, art, communication, counseling, education,
physical therapy, social work, and theater, but at some point they had a clear calling
to ministry.
And I'm the same.
My degrees are in speech-language pathology and I will confess that I too used to feel
(00:48):
the need to either apologize or to explain that I'm not a trained minister.
But I don't do that anymore because I now believe that it doesn't take away from my
value to the team, it adds to it.
And it is only recently that I have begun to wrap words around the difference between
(01:08):
a minister who has formal training in ministry and one who does not.
Want to know more?
Let's dive in to today's episode.
Hey, friend.
Are you a people-pleasing conflict-avoiding leader?
Is your secret relationship with fear affecting your leadership decisions?
(01:29):
Do you want to learn how to build credibility and confidence or to navigate difficult conversations?
Do you long to manage your time without sacrificing your family or self-care?
Welcome to leadership becomes her.
I'm Becky Burroughs, your host and a minister in life and leadership coach with over 50 years
(01:49):
experience in leadership.
I firmly believe God has given you everything you need to lead well.
You have the toolbox.
You just need to learn how to use the tools.
So get comfy or start a mindless task.
You know how to pause or rewind if you need to.
Let's get started.
(02:14):
I'm going to begin by defining two terms and at least one of them will be very familiar
to you.
And that is a specialist.
A specialist is someone whose education, training, expertise and experience is in the thing
they're doing.
We all know what it means to go to a doctor who is a specialist.
(02:36):
But even in ministry, someone who has at least one or more degrees in ministry and who works
in a church would be considered a specialist in ministry.
There are years in ministry, the different churches they have worked in and the different ministry
roles they have held has only added to their specialty, which is why when you or I come into
(03:00):
their presence, we are tempted to feel less than because we do not share their specialty.
And ministry needs specialists, especially for certain roles.
For example, it is becoming increasingly more common for preachers to not only have
a bachelor's, but an MDiv and a D-Min in ministry.
(03:21):
And that kind of specialized education is extremely valuable when you work in a church.
I used to think the majority of ministers were specialists, but a study by the Barna Group
in 2019 found that 55% of ministers have entered ministry as a second career.
(03:42):
Now this means that the majority of ministers have degrees, training, expertise and
experience in another discipline.
They may even have a broad range of knowledge and skills across multiple disciplines.
They are known as generalists.
They're often good at problem solving because they've been exposed to a wide range of experiences
(04:07):
and they could be valuable assets in leadership positions and teams that need critical thinking
and versatility.
So even though it feels like you're in the minority on your staff because others have degrees
in ministry, you're actually in the majority in this country.
But I've got to say, I want to acknowledge the unique path each of you have taken to
(04:30):
ministry and where you are on the journey.
For those of you listening who are generalists having studied something else and building
your expertise and your experience in another field, it takes a tremendous amount of courage
to leave what you know, what you have been trained to do in order to transition to ministry.
(04:50):
And to those of you in your specialty field, every time you transition to a different position
in your church or to a different church altogether, it also takes courage to leave what you know
because no two churches do it the same.
It also takes humility to learn a new culture which is what matters to us at this church
(05:13):
and a new unfamiliar climate which is what it feels like to work here.
And when you were called to ministry, it also required a strong faith for you to be obedient
to that call.
There are some unique challenges to entering ministry as a young person or to enter ministry
older as a second career.
(05:35):
And I will touch on those briefly in next week's episode when I'm going to share six things
to consider in your role in ministry as a new or a second career.
But the most important thing I want you to take away from today is the tremendous value
that you bring to the ministry team and to your church, not in spite of, but because of
(05:58):
your previous experiences.
If you're young and in your first role as a professional minister, you are on the road
to becoming a specialist.
The more experience you have, the more expertise you develop and it will continue to be added
to your specialty.
And for you, generalists, I want you to know that your diverse backgrounds can provide
(06:20):
a rich foundation for your time in ministry, your education, your expertise, your experience
can go a long way to enhancing your leadership.
For those of you who are specialists, you have degrees in ministry and you're working
at a church.
Well, you know that's the value you bring because this is what all of your training has been
(06:42):
about.
But I want to take just a moment to talk about the value of being a generalist.
You know, when I've been on staff at this church for 18 years, I was hired, I was actually recruited
from a Christian school where I was serving as the high school principal because they wanted
me to be the administration minister at the church.
(07:03):
And I did that for several years.
But, several years into it.
We lost our children's minister.
We were in a budget crunch and we were trying to figure out how can we afford to fill this
role?
I have a background in education.
I have an interest in children's ministry and I said, "What if I were to do it for a while
(07:24):
serving as the administration minister?"
So for six years, I juggled both roles and then we hired a children's minister and I became
the executive minister.
And then several years passed and our church got smaller.
It didn't make sense to have someone designated in the role of executive minister and we had
(07:44):
an opening in outreach ministry and I moved into that role.
And I used to joke about it and say, "You know, I've had all these different roles in the
past 18 years.
I'm either a utility player or they don't know what to do with me."
But I don't do that anymore because I now realize that I'm a generalist.
And I've been able to look back at all my experiences and see how each experience that I had, each professional
(08:11):
job that I held, prepared me in some way for a different role that I held in ministry.
So I want to talk about the value of being a generalist.
Number one, you have a broad skill set.
Your varied experiences have equipped you with a wide range of skills, problem solving,
(08:31):
communication and adaptability.
And these are invaluable in ministry.
Generalists tend to have a wide base of knowledge about many topics.
I've already mentioned my experience of having four different ministry positions in 18
years.
But as I look back on those experiences, I remember that I paid my way through college working
(08:55):
for a grocery store.
Who knew that my training and experience doing that would prepare me for being an outreach
minister and directing our food pantry, which I do now.
My years working in schools prepared me to be a children's minister, which I did for six
years.
My training and experience as a school administrator prepared me to take the role of administration
(09:18):
minister and then executive minister.
My work advocating for children who learn differently prepared me for what I do now, advocating
for people experiencing poverty, and I also advocate for the challenges of women in ministry.
Being a generalist gives you a fresh perspective.
(09:40):
You have an outsider perspective and that is a strength.
Your fresh eyes, your curiosity, sharing your experience may challenge the status quo.
But it also gives you the opportunity to introduce innovative ideas that can lead to growth
and change.
Being a generalist makes you highly relatable.
(10:01):
Your life experiences can make you relatable to church members who may also be experiencing
some kind of transition or challenge in their work.
And being a generalist can make you adaptable.
Generalists have to learn how to quickly adapt to changing situations because you've had
to do it.
(10:22):
And you won't be as hung up on, well this is the way we've always done it.
You may have the most valuable input whenever the team is trying to think of new ways of doing
things.
So I want to encourage those of you who are generalists and even those of you who are
young and new in ministry as a specialist learn to embrace your learning curve.
(10:45):
It may seem like a steep learning curve now.
But just remember that the majority of ministers had been on it.
They had to start out new and learn as a new minister and those of you who have who are
generalists.
You're in the majority, 55% of all ministers are generalists.
So you're in good company.
(11:06):
Secondly, I want to encourage you to seek mentorship, coaching and networking.
Find available resources and utilize them.
Build relationships with experienced ministers both inside and outside of your church.
People who understand your world, people that you can talk confidently with who can encourage
(11:27):
you and support you and give you new ideas.
And finally, celebrate your journey.
You are a generalist.
Celebrate that.
Celebrate the unique gifts that you bring to the table.
I hope this has been helpful to you.
And as I mentioned, in next week's episode, I'm going to suggest six things that you need
(11:48):
to consider in your role in ministry, whether it is your first career and it's new and
you're young and you're fresh out of college or if you're entering ministry as a second career.
Hey, let's do this again next week.
It is my prayer that this podcast inspired you, blessed you or made you think.
(12:12):
If so, please share it with a friend, subscribe and please leave a review.
Hey, I want to connect with you.
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Send me a DM or email me at hello@beckyburroughs.com.
If you are a Christian woman who leads and you are interested in one of my Leadership Boot
(12:32):
camps for Women in Ministry, this is a four week workshop or becoming part of a Kairos
Cohort, your long group coaching.
Send me a DM or an email for more information.
We'll talk soon.
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
(12:52):
(upbeat music)
[Music]
So, in addition to my full-time job as a minister, I provide group coaching for women in
(00:06):
ministry and it blows my mind as we're going around the Zoom room, introducing ourselves
every time.
The women who have college degrees is something other than ministry.
Either feel the need to apologize for it or to explain why they don't have a degree in
(00:27):
ministry.
I have worked with ministers with degrees in accounting, art, communication, counseling, education,
physical therapy, social work, and theater, but at some point they had a clear calling
to ministry.
And I'm the same.
My degrees are in speech-language pathology and I will confess that I too used to feel
(00:48):
the need to either apologize or to explain that I'm not a trained minister.
But I don't do that anymore because I now believe that it doesn't take away from my
value to the team, it adds to it.
And it is only recently that I have begun to wrap words around the difference between
(01:08):
a minister who has formal training in ministry and one who does not.
Want to know more?
Let's dive in to today's episode.
Hey, friend.
Are you a people-pleasing conflict-avoiding leader?
Is your secret relationship with fear affecting your leadership decisions?
(01:29):
Do you want to learn how to build credibility and confidence or to navigate difficult conversations?
Do you long to manage your time without sacrificing your family or self-care?
Welcome to leadership becomes her.
I'm Becky Burroughs, your host and a minister in life and leadership coach with over 50 years
(01:49):
experience in leadership.
I firmly believe God has given you everything you need to lead well.
You have the toolbox.
You just need to learn how to use the tools.
So get comfy or start a mindless task.
You know how to pause or rewind if you need to.
Let's get started.
(02:14):
I'm going to begin by defining two terms and at least one of them will be very familiar
to you.
And that is a specialist.
A specialist is someone whose education, training, expertise and experience is in the thing
they're doing.
We all know what it means to go to a doctor who is a specialist.
(02:36):
But even in ministry, someone who has at least one or more degrees in ministry and who works
in a church would be considered a specialist in ministry.
There are years in ministry, the different churches they have worked in and the different ministry
roles they have held has only added to their specialty, which is why when you or I come into
(03:00):
their presence, we are tempted to feel less than because we do not share their specialty.
And ministry needs specialists, especially for certain roles.
For example, it is becoming increasingly more common for preachers to not only have
a bachelor's, but an MDiv and a D-Min in ministry.
(03:21):
And that kind of specialized education is extremely valuable when you work in a church.
I used to think the majority of ministers were specialists, but a study by the Barna Group
in 2019 found that 55% of ministers have entered ministry as a second career.
(03:42):
Now this means that the majority of ministers have degrees, training, expertise and
experience in another discipline.
They may even have a broad range of knowledge and skills across multiple disciplines.
They are known as generalists.
They're often good at problem solving because they've been exposed to a wide range of experiences
(04:07):
and they could be valuable assets in leadership positions and teams that need critical thinking
and versatility.
So even though it feels like you're in the minority on your staff because others have degrees
in ministry, you're actually in the majority in this country.
But I've got to say, I want to acknowledge the unique path each of you have taken to
(04:30):
ministry and where you are on the journey.
For those of you listening who are generalists having studied something else and building
your expertise and your experience in another field, it takes a tremendous amount of courage
to leave what you know, what you have been trained to do in order to transition to ministry.
(04:50):
And to those of you in your specialty field, every time you transition to a different position
in your church or to a different church altogether, it also takes courage to leave what you know
because no two churches do it the same.
It also takes humility to learn a new culture which is what matters to us at this church
(05:13):
and a new unfamiliar climate which is what it feels like to work here.
And when you were called to ministry, it also required a strong faith for you to be obedient
to that call.
There are some unique challenges to entering ministry as a young person or to enter ministry
older as a second career.
(05:35):
And I will touch on those briefly in next week's episode when I'm going to share six things
to consider in your role in ministry as a new or a second career.
But the most important thing I want you to take away from today is the tremendous value
that you bring to the ministry team and to your church, not in spite of, but because of
(05:58):
your previous experiences.
If you're young and in your first role as a professional minister, you are on the road
to becoming a specialist.
The more experience you have, the more expertise you develop and it will continue to be added
to your specialty.
And for you, generalists, I want you to know that your diverse backgrounds can provide
(06:20):
a rich foundation for your time in ministry, your education, your expertise, your experience
can go a long way to enhancing your leadership.
For those of you who are specialists, you have degrees in ministry and you're working
at a church.
Well, you know that's the value you bring because this is what all of your training has been
(06:42):
about.
But I want to take just a moment to talk about the value of being a generalist.
You know, when I've been on staff at this church for 18 years, I was hired, I was actually recruited
from a Christian school where I was serving as the high school principal because they wanted
me to be the administration minister at the church.
(07:03):
And I did that for several years.
But, several years into it.
We lost our children's minister.
We were in a budget crunch and we were trying to figure out how can we afford to fill this
role?
I have a background in education.
I have an interest in children's ministry and I said, "What if I were to do it for a while
(07:24):
serving as the administration minister?"
So for six years, I juggled both roles and then we hired a children's minister and I became
the executive minister.
And then several years passed and our church got smaller.
It didn't make sense to have someone designated in the role of executive minister and we had
(07:44):
an opening in outreach ministry and I moved into that role.
And I used to joke about it and say, "You know, I've had all these different roles in the
past 18 years.
I'm either a utility player or they don't know what to do with me."
But I don't do that anymore because I now realize that I'm a generalist.
And I've been able to look back at all my experiences and see how each experience that I had, each professional
(08:11):
job that I held, prepared me in some way for a different role that I held in ministry.
So I want to talk about the value of being a generalist.
Number one, you have a broad skill set.
Your varied experiences have equipped you with a wide range of skills, problem solving,
(08:31):
communication and adaptability.
And these are invaluable in ministry.
Generalists tend to have a wide base of knowledge about many topics.
I've already mentioned my experience of having four different ministry positions in 18
years.
But as I look back on those experiences, I remember that I paid my way through college working
(08:55):
for a grocery store.
Who knew that my training and experience doing that would prepare me for being an outreach
minister and directing our food pantry, which I do now.
My years working in schools prepared me to be a children's minister, which I did for six
years.
My training and experience as a school administrator prepared me to take the role of administration
(09:18):
minister and then executive minister.
My work advocating for children who learn differently prepared me for what I do now, advocating
for people experiencing poverty, and I also advocate for the challenges of women in ministry.
Being a generalist gives you a fresh perspective.
(09:40):
You have an outsider perspective and that is a strength.
Your fresh eyes, your curiosity, sharing your experience may challenge the status quo.
But it also gives you the opportunity to introduce innovative ideas that can lead to growth
and change.
Being a generalist makes you highly relatable.
(10:01):
Your life experiences can make you relatable to church members who may also be experiencing
some kind of transition or challenge in their work.
And being a generalist can make you adaptable.
Generalists have to learn how to quickly adapt to changing situations because you've had
to do it.
(10:22):
And you won't be as hung up on, well this is the way we've always done it.
You may have the most valuable input whenever the team is trying to think of new ways of doing
things.
So I want to encourage those of you who are generalists and even those of you who are
young and new in ministry as a specialist learn to embrace your learning curve.
(10:45):
It may seem like a steep learning curve now.
But just remember that the majority of ministers had been on it.
They had to start out new and learn as a new minister and those of you who have who are
generalists.
You're in the majority, 55% of all ministers are generalists.
So you're in good company.
(11:06):
Secondly, I want to encourage you to seek mentorship, coaching and networking.
Find available resources and utilize them.
Build relationships with experienced ministers both inside and outside of your church.
People who understand your world, people that you can talk confidently with who can encourage
(11:27):
you and support you and give you new ideas.
And finally, celebrate your journey.
You are a generalist.
Celebrate that.
Celebrate the unique gifts that you bring to the table.
I hope this has been helpful to you.
And as I mentioned, in next week's episode, I'm going to suggest six things that you need
(11:48):
to consider in your role in ministry, whether it is your first career and it's new and
you're young and you're fresh out of college or if you're entering ministry as a second career.
Hey, let's do this again next week.
It is my prayer that this podcast inspired you, blessed you or made you think.
(12:12):
If so, please share it with a friend, subscribe and please leave a review.
Hey, I want to connect with you.
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Send me a DM or email me at hello@beckyburroughs.com.
If you are a Christian woman who leads and you are interested in one of my Leadership Boot
(12:32):
camps for Women in Ministry, this is a four week workshop or becoming part of a Kairos
Cohort, your long group coaching.
Send me a DM or an email for more information.
We'll talk soon.
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
(12:52):
(upbeat music)
[Music]
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