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More than two years ago, the LCMS created a 10-year, $400 million college scholarship endowment campaign for potential teachers, pastors, and other church leaders. Schools have wide discretion in how they disburse the funds.

The denomination had raised $69 million as of June 30 for students in the 10 schools in the Concordia system. The LCMS hopes the endowment will increase the overall number of pastoral candidates and decrease the financial burdens on students.

The LCMS also plans to assign a vice president in each district to oversee recruiting. And working with Concordia Publishing House, it plans to offer new publications for pastors. The LCMS also seeks to expand support programs for new pastors and their spouses.

Klaas says rural and urban congregations alike are experiencing pastoral supply problems. A longtime member of various LCMS boards, Klaas is sympathetic to attempts to stem the tide. But he believes the solution won't come from denominational headquarters.

"It has more to do with relationships," he says. "This happens individually, within the hearts and minds of leaders in the local congregation."

On South Dakota's plains, meanwhile, Bill Heithold continues riding his unexpected circuit.

"God's going to have his will done," the minister says. "He's going to have his people there."

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The official Web site Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has news and information on beliefs.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America site has information on the denomination and news releases.

In April 2000, the ELCA discussed the limited clergy supply. A report found that the number of ordained ministers serving in congregations dropped from 10,125 in 1989 to 9,583 in 1998.

A 1999 article in The Lutheran asked, "Does the ELCA face a clergy shortage?"

A release from the United Methodist New Service in April said that while there has been a drop in seminary-trained candidates ordained as elders—from 820 in 1990 to 621 in 2000—some in the denomination claim an increasing number of local pastors has more than picked up the slack.

Last February, the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ expressed concern over a looming clergy shortage.

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November 12 2001, Vol. 45, No. 14