October 7, 2002
EDITORIAL:
Take up the challenge of guiding youth into ministry
___"Who's gonna fill their shoes?" a country music classic inquires of the successors to Grand Ol' Opry legends. The same could be asked of our church's pulpits.
___A special section in this week's paper focuses on how and why Baptist youth and young adults are called into vocational ministry, particularly the pastorate. Ministerial calling is one of the most pressing issues for the future of the church.
___The lead story notes almost 30 percent of Southern Baptist ministers are older than 55, while only 10 percent are younger than 35. At that pace, Baptist churches will face a severe pastor shortage in the next 10 to 15 years. If such an opening were on the horizon in virtually any other vocation or profession, parents, friends and guidance counselors would be advising young people to prepare to take advantage of the coming possibilities. Not so with the church.
___Now, the traditional Baptist response would be to say that ministry is a divine calling, and humans should not interfere. While it is true that only God can call someone to ministry, history notes God usually uses human voices to help articulate that calling.
___A survey of Texas Baptist pastors conducted by the Baptist General Convention of Texas showed that only 18.7 percent were most influenced in their "call" by personal devotions (and the survey didn't ask about secondary factors). However, more than 80 percent of the pastors were most influenced by other people who helped them understand how God was calling them into the ministry. The largest group (39.8 percent) primarily were influenced by their pastors. Next came those who were influenced by a family member (15.2 percent) and then pastors whose call was shaped by a youth leader or other church staff member (9.4 percent).
___Texas Baptists need to take up the challenge of helping young people hear and consider the call to church ministry. (Only one-third of seminary students plan to serve in congregations.)
___Of course, this challenge runs contrary to trends in both society and the church.
___A generation and more ago, pastors enjoyed esteem and recognition in the community. This is not why they heard the call to ministry, but it reinforced that call. They were appreciated for commitment to God expressed in their care for others. They were respected for their education, often the highest level attained in the community. They were commended for the moral force of their involvement in civic affairs. Similarly, they more often were viewed by their congregations as leaders whose training, experience and divine mandate commanded respect and appreciation.
___The luster of the pastorate has worn off. Some of this has been caused by highly publicized scandals. However, much more has been worn away by a secular view, even within the church, that sees the minister as one more hired hand. Perhaps, as more and more people have achieved educational attainment, the pastor has ceased to stand out--only one more working Joe, just doing a job. Moreover, many churches have adopted a secular mindset that sees the pastor as a CEO or, worse yet, a coach. Never mind if the team won't perform; if things don't go well, fire the pastor/coach.
___So, why would a person--pastor, parent, youth minister or worship leader--encourage a loved young person to go into the ministry? Humanly speaking, no good answer comes to mind. Many other professions offer better compensation for much less training and experience. Few professions require workers to be on-call around the clock. And most jobs that involve similar levels of stress also compensate with much greater pay and more time away.
___The answer is divine, not human. God is our creator, and Jesus is Lord of the church. But in each generation, God has called human servants to lead, nurture and encourage the church. Despite all the liabilities, no young person could receive a higher calling than to serve the church in vocational ministry.
___We need to encourage our best and brightest--youth, but also young adults open to new careers--to pray and seek God's counsel about entering the ministry. Certainly, God should call them, and we would not want a single person to enter the ministry only to please a parent, pastor or friend. But if we seek God's leadership as we discerningly encourage these rising generations, we can help them explore divine possibilities. Of course, when we listen to the world's values, we would prefer for them to enjoy the prestige of a physician, the income of an attorney or the prominence of an entertainer--and we need strong Christians in all professions. However, the health and vitality of the church in coming generations depend upon wonderful young people filling the ranks of the servants God has called to congregational ministry.
___Pastors, parents and church staff members must take the lead. They have unique opportunities to influence youth and young adults. They can make a significant impact. Elsewhere in this paper, you will read about Fred Swank, the late pastor of Sagamore Hill Baptist Church, and George Mason, current pastor of
Wilshire Baptist Church. They stand far apart on the Baptist theo-political spectrum, yet they stand together in their love for the Lord, his church and young people. The ranks of ministers have been supplemented bountifully by their gifts of discernment and encouragement. We need hundreds more like them.
___Finally, churches must make a difference. On the front end, they again need to be places where young people can "try" ministry--preaching, leading music, teaching, serving--to get a taste of the possibilities. And for the long term, they need to be places where ministry is revered and affirmed, places where young people would want to spend a lifetime serving God and others.
Send this story to a friend
___ --Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com
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