[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Tentmaking is the concept, worked out in three categories: Professionals, Business people & University students. The trifecta of tentmaking.
Rationales given why we should not use it:
- It requires a definition! This argument is mute as any other word ie. “Kingdom Professional” also requires an explanation and has even less connection to the bible, although an argument can be used for it.
- “No one has heard of it…” which is true, but there are also many who have heard about it. In any event, a quick explanation with reference to Paul is all that is needed.
- It is a complicated word in many other languages. Not much we can do about that.
- It is passé. BAM is the thing now. Actually, this is a reason to use it. BAM is only one piece, a narrow one (< 5%) of tentmaking which takes in vocation or profession as mission and business as mission.
BAM by itself misrepresents the body of Christ and the fullness of the gospel expressed in the whole body and further all professions (including university students) are needed to intersect with all sectors of society b/c the gospel travels through relational networks.
- It is confused and diluted with many people thinking of tentmaking as bi-vocational (divided)–working during work time in order to do ministry during discretionary time primarily as an entry strategy with donor support okay. While another term might help, those who know “tentmaking” would just say, “Oh, you’re talking about tentmaking.”
- It is a real profession- both today and historically. Thus the name causes some confusion. If Paul had been a mason would we have called this ministry model for masonry today?
- What we teach has nothing to do with the tentmaking profession.
Rationale why we should use it:
We should use it because it is biblical. It points to the very essence of the strategy of Paul, that we should be emulating and promoting today.
The term “tentmaking” has been picked up metaphorically from Paul’s profession. But then he’s the great model and the word immediately points back to him who gives the well thought-out understanding of tentmaking. So the point still holds. This also means that we need to work hard at communicating the why’s of tentmaking and the how’s.
Paul is the great model and it is probably due to his strategic decisions that he becomes the greatest evangelist of his time/in history.
Paul is not just a model – he also shares why he chooses to keep his profession. His teaching and reasoning can be applied just as well today as in Paul´s times.
The Chicago think tank heard my rationale, but this group prefers Kingdom Professionals, but the term they actually use is “KP’s”…kind of ironic. As long as we are talking about the same thing using a different term, I am ok with it.
If you had to defend the KP term, it would be much harder….but it is what it is.
© Ari J. Rocklin[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]