# Circuit Preacher



## Notthemama1984 (Dec 1, 2022)

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Came across this and got me thinking. The circuit preacher model really would benefit some areas. If you have two congregations that are too small to provide a full income by themselves, maybe they could pool their resources and provide the full package? I would think that the churches would benefit more from a minister who is able to devote 40+hrs a week on ministerial work vs 40hrs a week in a non pastoral profession and scratch together some hours with what is left over. 

Thoughts?

Reactions: Like 2


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## PaulCLawton (Dec 1, 2022)

Notthemama1984 said:


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My understanding is that this is still the case for some churches in the Scottish Highlands.

Reactions: Like 1


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## NM_Presby (Dec 1, 2022)

I think you are right that this will continue to become more common. I don't think it ever fully went away-- I know of people who have done similar things in rural areas over the past few decades. Hopefully churches will look to this more frequently when they can't support a full-time pastor on their own.

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## Jake (Dec 1, 2022)

Apparently at one point, my church was in a joint call with another ARP church which is 1:15 hrs away by car... but the minister rode between the congregations on horse! I think he alternates 2 weeks at each congregation. Both of our congregations are still around and each have their own minister now. I've heard some rural ARP churches still share ministers.

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## Santos (Dec 1, 2022)

Notthemama1984 said:


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I think that this could really be a great answer for south Texas. (Not a female "preacher", but a circuit preacher.)


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## Polanus1561 (Dec 1, 2022)

Ignorantly asking and with no offense intended, what is stopping such churches from combining for the sake of long term? I assume there is some _unity for them to be able to share a pastor._

Obviously depends a lot on whether they are local baptist churches or denominations etc.
Would a PCA and OPC church plant consider merging for the sake of the local bodies to have a full time local pastor?


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## Santos (Dec 1, 2022)

Polanus1561 said:


> Ignorantly asking and with no offense intended, what is stopping such churches from combining for the sake of long term? I assume there is some _unity for them to be able to share a pastor._
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> Obviously depends a lot on whether they are local baptist churches or denominations etc.
> Would a PCA and OPC church plant consider merging for the sake of the local bodies to have a full time local pastor?


My thought would be the distance on church is from another. Would it not be more beneficial to have the ability to worship in your community?

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## Notthemama1984 (Dec 1, 2022)

Polanus1561 said:


> Ignorantly asking and with no offense intended, what is stopping such churches from combining for the sake of long term? I assume there is some _unity for them to be able to share a pastor._
> 
> Obviously depends a lot on whether they are local baptist churches or denominations etc.
> Would a PCA and OPC church plant consider merging for the sake of the local bodies to have a full time local pastor?


I know that some situations prevent merger due to distance between congregations.


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## Notthemama1984 (Dec 1, 2022)

Santos said:


> I think that this could really be a great answer for south Texas. (Not a female "preacher", but a circuit preacher.)


That is what I was thinking. I live in Houston Metro and thus it doesn't apply here, but the rural areas are going to be lucky to gather more than a handful of families.


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## Edward (Dec 2, 2022)

Modern transportation and communications certainly made the option more viable. Maybe a downsizing of the multisite megachurch modetl.

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