What's happening to the preachers?
Friday, March 28, 2008
Lovett Weems and Ann Michel think they know.
They have a new book out from Abingdon, entitled, The Crisis of Younger Clergy, that analyzes the results of the 2006 survey conducted by the Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary on clergy demographics in the United Methodist Church.
In 1985, there were over 3,200 ordained elders in the UMC under the age of 35. Today there are around 850. The book tries to get a handle on this troubling trend and, even more importantly, suggest ways that the church can provide the kind of culture where youth and young adults are able to really hear the Holy Spirit's call to ministry.
I write about Weems and Michel's new book in my new column in the United Methodist Reporter. In addition to that, Robin Russell has a good Q&A article with Weems where he answers questions about the importance of young clergy in the church.
I endorsed this book before it came out, and I have a review of it that will appear in the Reporter in the coming weeks. I think it is timely and important, and it is a great book for anyone who cares about the future of leadership in our church. I could easily see how a Sunday school class or small group might use this book as a way to start a conversation about how to nurture the kind of church environment where calling is affirmed and supported. Check it out!
posted by Andrew C. Thompson at 9:10 PM
4 Comments:
Thanks, Andrew. I've been looking forward to this book since you're heads up last fall.
One of the related issues I've been thinking about lately is of younger clergy retention. My Annual Conference has really stepped up recruitment of seminarians and has taken measures to create a "culture of the call" to have an environment in our churches and ministries more conducive to hearing and responding to a call to ministry.
That is all quite good, but I think we need to think about retention as well. I'll be interested in seeing how the book relates (directly or indirectly) with that issues as well.
Thanks, Andrew. I'll definitely be checking it out.
God knows not all my Free Methodist stories are happy ones, but one of the best things I've ever seen in recruiting young leaders was something called the "Samuel Dinner."
Our Superintendent (functionally the same as a UM bishop) had an annual Samuel Dinner in our conference. Every church pastor was asked to identify a "Samuel" in his/her congregation, someone with gifts and/or calling to ministry leadership. They were invited to a conference-funded luncheon to receive a) formal recognition of a call, b) encouragement from established leaders, and c)free food. I was AMAZED at the turnout! Nearly every church in the conference had at least one Samuel. Unfortunately that Super was replaced by someone far less competent. I see no reason this couldn't work for UM's.
I saw you got quoted as one of the folks endorsing the book! A must-read, for sure!
The question I wonder about is the "So what?" Now that we know we have a crisis, and are floundering with how we're dealing with young clergy currently in the system and issues of recruitment, will this book wake us up or make us feel worse? I'm hopeful that it is a shot in the arm!
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