At a gathering of pastors, the discussion turned to the leadership pipeline crisis. Specifically mentioned was the crisis of finding church staff but also the lack of church planters for new congregations or multisite campuses.
The convenor suggested they list some of the aspects of this crisis. They began by talking about the positions they have a hard time filling.
When someone said “all of them,” everyone laughed.
Worship and music leaders were the first ones mentioned, and this was echoed by just about everyone. This included instrumentalists. They could find people with guitars who perhaps could also sing, but few would play a piano, much less an organ.
Keyboards would work for some if the church had one good enough or if the musician would bring his or her own.
They also said few music leaders understood the theology behind the songs they used. If Bethel Music, Hillsong Worship, Elevation Worship or Passion Music did not write and sing it, they said they likely would not know it.
Discipleship pastors who understand the process of disciple-making are few. They may understand something about small groups, but in the long term these staff people turn small groups into programs instead of a spiritual journey.
It is a challenge to find age-group staff, even those who commit to part-time work, for all age groups from preschoolers through senior adults. It is difficult to find a student minister young enough to understand the students but mature enough to do more than just sponsor paintball and other activities.
One who can help middle and high school students develop a healthy disciple-making journey is a challenge.
Church planters who could launch a denominationally focused church are almost impossible to find. It appears many were trained in a parachurch or nondenominational approach. This is one thing that has led senior pastors of very large churches to focus on a multisite approach. They could mentor these campus pastors.
Compensation for staff is also an issue. Few churches can afford the staff they need. The cost of fringe benefits has escalated tremendously in the past several decades. Many churches depend on the staff’s spouse to have the needed benefits package with their jobs.
Full-time staff often ask for compensation packages well above their experience and education, wanting to match what secular positions offer them.
Calling out the called
This led to a discussion about the spiritual call of people to Christian ministry. What are churches doing these days to find people God is calling into ministry? In what ways can an association assist with this?
The pastors admitted they were doing very little in their churches to call out those whom God was calling into ministry.
One recounted that in the church where he grew up, there was a regular gathering of and training for people who felt a call to ministry. He remembered there were always more than a dozen people in that group in his church of around 450 attendees.
The people in these groups were high school or college students, plus a few midcareer people feeling God was calling them to consider a vocational change.
Others recalled that college campus ministry programs had influenced them. Someone recalled hearing recently that a fewer number of college students saw the local church as the place they wanted to carry out their call to ministry. They were thinking about other avenues of service, perhaps even in the marketplace and not in a church setting.
Solutions?
Just like many conversations, the identification of the problem without offers of viable solutions dominated the time. In a later session several ideas arose, including:
- Preaching and teaching on the spiritual call to Christian ministry as a life focus.
- Mentoring people who feel called to Christian ministry along with participation in an exploratory community.
- Offering internships and residencies from 10 weeks to two years for people called to Christian ministry.
- Sponsoring conferences in the association where church leaders bring people who are considering a call to Christian ministry or people they think ought to consider such a call.
How are churches in your association calling out the called?
