The Coming Clergy Dearth

What we must do to head off a shortage of pastors and missionaries in this decade.

Are we facing a clergy shortage in the coming decade? Probably. And the need is greater than ever: A new generation of evangelists, church planters, and skilled pastors is needed to sustain the evangelical expansion of the last 30 years. Missions executives worry about replacing those who will soon be retiring from the field. And there is a dearth of well-prepared pastors to shepherd the churches being planted at an astounding rate in the ethnic and minority communities of the U.S.

What will cause the predicted shortage? Impending retirements are part of the answer. Several denominational executives report that 35 to 40 percent of their active ministers will reach retirement age by the year 2000. And clergy attrition rates have increased because of the rising expectations of congregations, obsolescence, fatigue, and frustration.

Why are replacements so hard to find? Although evangelical seminaries have shown remarkably steady growth, many schools are experiencing enrollment plateaus, and graduation rates have not kept up with expansion. Moreover, much of the growth in seminary enrollments has not come in basic pastoral preparation, but in continuing education, specialized master’s degrees, and preparation for biblical and theological scholarship.

What must be done to avert the clergy shortage?

Clergy attrition can be reduced if churches insist on continuing education for pastors. Sabbaticals, study leaves, and access to centers for pastoral renewal can help. Bivocational careers, combining “gainful employment” and ministry service, need to be encouraged. Seminaries must become more hospitable to women, minority persons, and people of color. This may well require decentralizing theological education.

Most important, we must forge a new multilateral partnership among the seminaries, the denominations and their churches, and the independent parachurch organizations. Churches and agencies seem to think that well-qualified candidates spring forth ex nihilo each June. But first there must have been God’s call, and most people hear the call, not in the seminary, but in the fellowship of the church or on a short-term mission experience. Lay leaders and pastors must more actively challenge gifted persons to consider whether God may be calling them.

Pastoral preparation must be the joint task of seminary and church. For both economic and pedagogical reasons, seminaries need to conduct more theological education within the fabric of congregational life. Of course, churches must offer increased financial support for scholarships and seminary operations.

Finally, parents have a special role in providing God’s servants. In years past, parents often dedicated their children to Christian service and encouraged them toward ministry or missions. But now, with surprising frequency, seminary applicants speak of parental opposition. Even the proportion of “PKs” and “MKs” attending seminary has fallen sharply. Perhaps it is parents’ desire to spare their children the real pain of ministry. Perhaps it is the clergy’s loss of status in society. Or it may be our deep commitment to upward mobility that causes many parents to discourage their children from pastoral service. More than ever, prospective seminarians need the prayerful support of their families as they answer God’s call.

Admittedly, Christians of high potential are needed in all the professions, in public service, and in business, but we should “care enough to send the very best” to serve the church and its agencies.

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