The Presbyterian Church (USA) is becoming a denomination of small churches. These churches of 100 members or less often struggle financially to maintain full time ordained leadership. One solution being increasingly employed by these congregations is the utilization of multi-job pastors, who derive additional income and benefits such as pension and insurance from work outside of the congregation and are willing to accept a part-time call with less benefits and salary for pastoral services. These pastors are called Tentmakers and Commissioned Lay Pastors (CLPs) in the PC (USA). Yet, what seems appropriate and increasingly accepted by congregations has faced resistance by the denominational leadership, presbyteries, some churches, and even amongst pastors. Employing a survey methodology with pastors from John Knox and the Presbytery of Chicago, this thesis seeks to discover pathways that can lead to the reframing of denominational understandings, practices, and ecclesiology that support the formation of pastoral communities, which will include multi-job pastors.
