They Ain't Sayin'
I am sure someone knows ... but "They Ain't Sayin'".
I am sure someone knows what percentage of students enrolled in each of our Wesleyan colleges are Wesleyans. I am sure someone knows that actual number of Wesleyan students that we have at each college. I am sure that someone knows how many students are preparing at each of our colleges for ministry in a Wesleyan church. I am sure that someone knows the total number of pastoral ministry students are in the "pipeline" of our colleges and flame training. I am sure someone knows how many of our churches are struggling for want of a better equipped pastor for their church. I am sure someone knows how many churches we could plant in each district if we had qualified and willing pastors to plant them. I am sure that someone knows how many of our baby boomer pastors are going to be retiring in the next five to ten years. I am sure someone knows how difficult it will be to fill that many positions. I am sure that somone knows how very difficult it is for our district supts. to find quality pastors to fill our existing churches. I am sure someone knows what we as a denominatin are going to do when in just a few years an incredible "shortfall" of pastors hits us. I am sure someone knows what will happen to our denomination as we rapidly replace our Wesleyan pastors with pastors from many different denominations. I am sure that someone knows what that already growing impact will be on the future of our denomination.
BUT ... "They Ain't Sayin'" THEY SIMPLY ... AIN'T SAYIN'
BUT .... I FOR ONE .... REALLY .... REALLY .... WISH ... "THEY" WOULD.
I am sure someone knows what percentage of students enrolled in each of our Wesleyan colleges are Wesleyans. I am sure someone knows that actual number of Wesleyan students that we have at each college. I am sure that someone knows how many students are preparing at each of our colleges for ministry in a Wesleyan church. I am sure that someone knows the total number of pastoral ministry students are in the "pipeline" of our colleges and flame training. I am sure someone knows how many of our churches are struggling for want of a better equipped pastor for their church. I am sure someone knows how many churches we could plant in each district if we had qualified and willing pastors to plant them. I am sure that someone knows how many of our baby boomer pastors are going to be retiring in the next five to ten years. I am sure someone knows how difficult it will be to fill that many positions. I am sure that somone knows how very difficult it is for our district supts. to find quality pastors to fill our existing churches. I am sure someone knows what we as a denominatin are going to do when in just a few years an incredible "shortfall" of pastors hits us. I am sure someone knows what will happen to our denomination as we rapidly replace our Wesleyan pastors with pastors from many different denominations. I am sure that someone knows what that already growing impact will be on the future of our denomination.
BUT ... "They Ain't Sayin'" THEY SIMPLY ... AIN'T SAYIN'
BUT .... I FOR ONE .... REALLY .... REALLY .... WISH ... "THEY" WOULD.
posted by Richard Lauby at
11:05:00 AM
4 Comments:
All these stats are available from E&M Department--Kerry Kind. I can get them for IWU (I can only guess now--I think we have about 250 Wesleyan students preparing for ministry (out of 475 total) but that's only a guess I'd like to see what Kerry Kind gives you... but the 250 is not totally accurate since many of them are women and this purported "crisis in pastors the DSs have is apparently not bad enough for the women to get a church ;-)
By
Keith Drury, at 12:48 PM
It would be interesting as well to see how many of those 250 actually go into parish ministry and not doctoral pursuits or para-church or something completely unrelated. I know that out of my graduating class, many fellow Wesleyan students left for other vocations entirely. I agree with what Keith is pointing towards, lets plug the whole with women!
By
Kevin Wright, at 9:20 PM
Kevin--good thought. Another factor: many students are no "called" to ministery but "interested." It is increasingly like the Intercultural/missions majors--where students are keen to "go on missions trips" but have little interest in being a lifetime missionary. Same with many CM majors--they are keenly "interested" in religious matters, but do not sense a "call" to the ministry. They become well-educated laity in the church and use their religion degree to help them work in areas totally unrelated. This is a considerable change from the past.
SECOND, there is another factor--many "majors" in religion divisions are not "pastor" majors--my college only has two: CM & Youth Ministry--all the other ten or eleven majors are for people "interested" -- Bible, Worship, Intercultural, R&P, etc. So when we say "475 majors" here we mean majors in hte DIVISION of religion... as for PASTOR-MAJORS we'd only be able to count 250--in the two majors CM & YM...
By
Keith Drury, at 7:31 AM
Most of that information (the number stuff of course, minus the hypothetical "reliable pastor issues) can be found simply by e-mailing as already mentioned Kerry Kind. I graduated from Bethany and we always knew even as students how many were Wesleyan, preparing for ministry, from what areas of the world, etc. Keep on keeping on. You are not alone.
- Justin J. Nierer
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Anonymous, at 1:50 PM
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