In Thessaloniki, Paul states that he and his companions "worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you" (2 Thessalonians 3:8).
He also hoped that his refusal to accept financial support would build his credibility among non-Christians, thus giving him the chance to win over more of them (See 1 Corinthians 9, particularly verse 12).
Instead, the vocational identity coupled with excellence of work and lifestyle influences colleagues to follow Jesus Christ.
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.
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.