Memories

Yesterday and today are the call services at our seminaries. Without question this is the high point of the seminary students' existence. From the moment you set foot on campus all activities are done with this moment in mind. (Perhaps not all, but at least every moment in the classroom has this goal in mind.)

The chapels on our two seminary campuses are filled with family members. The District Presidents in our church body are there. And there is a level of 'holy anxiety' that is palpable as candidates and their families await their call into the pastoral office.

My placement in 2000 was quite nerve-wracking as I did not have a clue where I would be placed and that my then-girlfriend now wife Amanda was waiting for a phone call that would have had a huge impact on our future.

One thing that is reality is that not all of our candidates will be placed. Some are not quite ready academically and will be placed after taking one more class in summer school. And some may defer their placement to do some institutional work. But some are not placed because there is no place for them to go. This is very upsetting and puzzling after the news has been given for many years that there is a clergy shortfall, even a clergy crisis. If there are vacant congregations, here are pastors for those positions.

But things are seldom what they appear. Perhaps we ought to consider that we do not have a clergy shortage in our church body but a congregation-shortage. Some churches are quite satisfied with being served by a retired pastor on a part-time basis. (And the retired pastor is quite satisfied with the extra income he receives.)

It is reality that having a pastor is an expensive proposition- salary, the health and retirement package, housing allowance- it really adds up and there is no reason we should think that the health benefits will ever decrease in cost. And more and more pastors are carrying tremendous amounts of tuition debt. Now some congregations are not willing to challenge themselves to make the financial commitment needed to have a full-time pastor. And some pastors are not willing to even consider the worker-priest option.

But the reality might actually be that there are not enough viable congregations to place all the candidates who desire to serve.

May the Lord bless all our candidates- placed and yet-to-be-placed!