The pastor shortage Part 2

 Yesterday, I addressed the problem of a shortage of pastors and offered some suggestions that might help. I want to continue that conversation today.

I have a lot of respect for denominational leaders. Like pastors, they have a lot of people wanting to advise and influence them. In many denominations, they spend much of their time trying to satisfy the different interests within their denomination. I have spent my ministry in the ABC-USA, the most diverse of any denomination. I know my denominational leaders walk a tightrope trying to keep all the special interest groups satisfied. While I have great respect for the diversity found in our denomination, I can sometimes get frustrated when our leadership doesn't take a stand I think they should take. At the same time, I understand why they don't. Having said all that, there is much they could probably do to help address the clergy shortage that exists within our denomination, but I have little hope they will. That brings me to our judicatories.

When I retired as an Regional Resource Minister in our region I was serving 133 churches. One of the things I tried to do was serve as an advocate for the pastor. When pastors were unfairly terminated by a church I fought for a fair severance package of at least six month salary and benefits. I didn't always win, but I usually got something for the pastor. Usually, it didn't hurt my relationship with the church, and when it did, it was normally with a very unhealthy church so I didn't really care. They had greater issues than being angry with me. I encouraged churches to be very generous with their salary and benefit packages reminding them what it will cost if they have to seek new pastoral leadership. I argued for sabbaticals after seven years for their pastors. 

I challenged every church to give their pastors four weeks vacation every year. Most wanted to offer two weeks when the pastor started, but I would remind them of how little it actually cost them to give their pastor the extra two weeks. Most of those churches paid $150.00-200.00 for a supply pastor, so that extra two weeks would cost them at the most $400.00. I then explained how much those two weeks would mean to the pastor and his or her family, and that would only cost the church $400.00. I worked very hard to make sure that the pastors and their families knew I supported them and would do anything I could to make their ministry more enjoyable. Pastors need to know their judicatory leaders support them, and, from emails I've received over the years, many do not.

I'm also convinced the best continuing education for pastors will come through their judicatories. They know their pastors and what they need. They know their churches and their needs. Parachurch ministries, and even denominations, do not know the churches and pastors as well as the judicatories. More of these training events need to be scheduled at the judicatory level. When I was serving on regional staff we offered a three-year continuing education opportunity we called "Church Alive" which was designed to bring renewal to our churches. I think we had mixed success, but at least in some churches we did see some renewal come as a result of that program.

In short, I believe that our judicatories can do much to help our pastors, and by extension, our churches, enjoy fruitful ministry. That enjoyment will result in fewer pastors wanting to leave the ministry which leads to many positive things in our churches.