letters

Christian Century, May 16, 2001

Not getting younger

AS A 39-YEAR-OLD United Church of Christ minister in my 16th year of ordained ministry, I can offer several reasons why ministry often lacks appeal to capable young persons ("Fit for ministry?," "Where are the younger clergy?," "Call waiting," April 11).

Traditional denominational churches are aging, and in many urban and rural settings they are dying. My first pastorate was in a wonderful, loving, historic "First Church" in a midwestern city. The members' average age was 61. I was 24. It was great to discover that love and listening can bridge any generation gap. I do my best to plan a trip to this congregation every two years to renew friendships with some saints who are now close to 80. But let's be honest, how many 24-year-olds desire a vocation where most of those they work with are their grandparents' age? For the past 16 years, I have been the youngest person on the governing board of the church. From age 24 to 37 I was the youngest person in regular attendance at regional UCC meetings.

Traditional denominational churches are often seen as irrelevant for spirituality and personal growth. I have spoken with hundreds of young adults who are on a seeker's path of spirituality and meditation. Often it does not occur to them to seek anything spiritual from the church. Church is boring. The last time organ tunes were top 50 pop hits was when Bach was still playing them. Most traditional churches did not welcome the jazz era or the rock 'n' roll generations of music into the sanctuary. Meanwhile, a recent Hartford study of more than 14,000 congregations discovered that the fastest growing congregations share one primary characteristic--the use of the electric guitar in worship. Why are traditional churches so afraid to face the music?

The church is viewed as being behind the times. In the 1960s many churches provided leadership and support for the civil rights movement. More progressive churches provided a safe haven for the antiwar protest movement. The church was on the cutting edge of social change. Where are the traditional denominational churches in the streets speaking to the cries of this age?

Ministry is perceived as a socially irrelevant, low-paying, highly demanding, privacy-deprived job. When divinity students learn I am a minister, they often react with a sense of pity. When I ask students enrolled in divinity school if they are planning to become ministers, the most common response is cold indifference mixed with a feeling of personal insult. No, they plan to work for a social agency or political group that makes a difference. No, they are going on for a Ph.D. in religious studies. No, they want to be a college chaplain. No, they are going to earn another professional degree after seminary. No, they are not interested in working for $30,000 a year and not having a private life or weekends off.

Still, I must add that I have found that being a minister is a great way to make a difference in the lives of people and in society. I will never be rich, but my life has been enriched in countless ways by the people of all ages I have known and loved as a young minister.

Paul Ashby United Church of Christ of La Mesa, La Mesa, Calif.

I think it would be interesting to see if the rate of clergy taking early retirement (before 65) is growing. My perception is that it is. My colleagues talk about burnout, and the younger folks get the message. Clergy already in ministry are losing the call to ministry. It has become a job and a profession, not a passion and a call. How do we move from an age of being "institutional leaders" to being passionate disciples of Jesus Christ who call all people to serve Jesus, not just those we need for institutional roles?

David Loar Akron, Ohio

I was ordained at the age of 28. Even when I was well into my 30s people commented that I didn't "look old enough to be a minister." It wasn't until my beard turned gray that those comments stopped. Now, at 43, I have 16 years of experience in ordained ministry in addition to some time in part-time jobs and running a part-time business. I have preached nearly 800 times since my student days, while most of the people entering seminary begin preaching when they are older than I am now.

It seems that congregations assume a level of experience commensurate with age even when pastors are freshly ordained. I suspect congregations want an older pastor because they equate age with experience in the parish. This could be a liability or an asset for someone in my situation. A person who doesn't know me could assume that I have only been in the ordained ministry for a few years and thus have little experience (liability), or be surprised that someone my age could have as much experience under my belt as I do (asset). As the trend of clergy retirements continues, it will be interesting to see how the dynamics change.

Craig L. Cowing Monmouth, Maine

Some of us younger clergy (I am 26) have struggled to be where God has called despite numerous challenges. I heard God's voice redirecting me from the life of a medical doctor to vocational ministry during my second year of college. As I applied to seminaries during my junior and senior years of college the reality struck that I would be the odd one out. I would be 22. After admitting me, one seminary admission staff said that I might have difficulty fitting due to my age. I chose a seminary based on its diversity of ages and ethnicities. Fortunately, about 20 percent of the entering class was in the 20-something bracket. We supported one another in order to make it through classes and programs obviously designed for older students. We learned the language of those older than we were--to understand the meaning of Kennedy's assassination, for example, when the first national period of mourning we could remember was the Challenger explosion.