My trademark and my ordination certificate

How to serve the church in the age of the solopreneur

“How do I do this?”

I spent 48 hours at the Episcopal Church’s General Convention in Louisville, KY, and here’s who I met or heard about:

• A retired priest doing part-time prison chaplaincy (and not being paid for this)

• A seminary student who is also a full-time church journalist

• A full-time parish priest who is also an author (actually, a couple of those)

• A priest following her spouse for a new job, not really sure what she will do

• A lay minister with several spiritual ‘side gigs’, thinking about possible ordination

• A lay minister with several spiritual ‘side gigs’, definitely not thinking about ordination

All of these ministers are asking the same question: ‘How do I do this?’

What is the playbook for serving the church when you’re not a full-time, salaried, leader of a congregation?