Where Have All the Pastors Gone?

One of my best friends celebrated her 20th ordination anniversary this summer and remarked how very few of her seminary classmates were still in ministry. Where have they gone and why did they leave? The seminary pastor seems to be an endangered species. More mainline denominations are licensing lay pastors who are leading congregations in areas where it is difficult to attract a pastor. My experience has been that many of these pastors are as "real" if not better than their more highly educated counterparts.

We spend a lot of time thinking about reaching out to new members, those who may have some experience with "church" and those who have never been. While that is important, it is also important to consider that there seem to be fewer good pastors to go around. What are we doing to support good pastors in a career that is challenging (to put it mildly) and to have the guts to tell others who believe they are good ministers that their gifts may lie elsewhere.

In this time of declining attendance in mainline congregations, increasing attention to the televangelists and their gospel of prosperity, it is time for the church to pay attention to the decline of ordained clergy and to support and nurture those who are challenging their congregations to dream new dreams. For the church to continue to be relevant, we must identify and cultivate strong pastoral leadership. Or we must put "great pastors" on the endangered species list.