Tentmaking
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Tentmaking, in general, refers to the activities of any Christian who, while dedicating herself or himself to the ministry of the Gospel, receives little or no pay for Church work, but performs other ("tentmaking") jobs to provide support. Specifically, tentmaking can also refer to a method of international Christian evangelism in which missionaries support themselves by working full-time in the marketplace with their skills and education, instead of receiving financial support from a Church. The term comes from the fact that the apostle Paul supported himself by making tents while living and preaching in Corinth (Acts 18:3)
Tentmaking, in general, refers to the activities of any Christian who, while dedicating herself or himself to the ministry of the Gospel, receives little or no pay for Church work, but performs other ("tentmaking") jobs to provide support. Specifically, tentmaking can also refer to a method of international Christian evangelism in which missionaries support themselves by working full-time in the marketplace with their skills and education, instead of receiving financial support from a Church. The term comes from the fact that the apostle Paul supported himself by making tents while living and preaching in Corinth (Acts 18:3)
Modern times
More recently, William Carey (1761-1831), considered to be the father of modern evangelical Christian missions, was a tentmaker in India, working as a factory owner and university professor while fulfilling his mission duties. At the time, international mission work was a new and controversial idea in the Church, and tentmaking was the only way for Carey to support his ministry. His example has led thousands of Christian missionaries to support themselves while ministering overseas. Furthermore, tentmaking sometimes provides Christians the chance to serve in countries normally closed to mission work. Governments hostile to Christianity often accept well-qualified teachers, doctors, computer technicians, and engineers into their countries to work, even if these men and women are Christians. These professionals are thus able to serve the country and support themselves while performing missions work. In the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, the term "working clergy" is used to denote men who, whether assigned or not to a parish, must provide for themselves. More often than not, these are married priests who take positions in hospitals or other charitable institutions, although some can be solicitors or school teachers as well. A famous example of a working clergyman was the Orthodox Saint Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky), Bishop of Simferopol and Crimea, who continued to work as a surgeon and medical doctor even after his ordination.
Digital times, blogging
Currently more and more laypersons and ministry professionals are spending time online via their blogs and using them to earn an income, both passive and active, through direct advertising sales, affiliate marketing, or promoting other products and services related to their work outside of ministry proper. They have been referred as "Digital Tentmakers" or "TentBloggers" (tentblogging), those that make money through their blogs.
See also
Worker-Priest
References
Further reading
Tentmakers crowdfunding website Today's Tentmakers: Self-Support: An Alternative Model for Worldwide Witness by J. Christy Wilson. . Tentmaker Group Working Your Way to the Nations by Jonathan Lewis (free download) Tentmaking Resource Directory
Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1371356174 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.