Reviewed Book: Oswald, Roy M. Finding Leaders for Tomorrow\u27s Churches: The Growing Crisis in Clergy Recruitment. Washington, DC: Alban Inst, 1993

Denef, Lawrence W.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 21Issue 1 Women and Men in Theological Education:Exploring the Present, Creating the FutureArticle 285-1-1995Finding Leaders for Tomorrow's Churches: TheGrowing Crisis in Clergy RecruitmentLawrence W. DenefFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationDenef, Lawrence W. (1995) "Finding Leaders for Tomorrow's Churches: The Growing Crisis in Clergy Recruitment," Consensus: Vol.21 : Iss. 1 , Article 28.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol21/iss1/28160 ConsensusFinding Leaders for Tomorrow’s Churches: The Grow-ing Crisis in Clergy RecruitmentRoy M. OswaldWashington, DC: The Alban Institute, Inc., 1993122pp. $13.95 U.S.At a recent meeting of the bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Churchin Canada time was spent discussing vacancies and supply. Currently thereare over forty vacant parishes in the ELCIC. Only fifteen persons will grad-uate this spring. Prospects for next year are not much different. Clergyrecruitment has become a critical issue.In a letter to church leaders, the national ELCIC bishop, Telmor G.Sartison, shared his concern and pointed to the need for lifting up candi-dates in the parish. is the first line of contacf\ he said. ‘‘^The experiencethere is formative in the development of people for ordained ministry. Arecongregations conscious of need and possibilities? Are they aware of thatformative role?’’’’Current trends in most denominations indicate not only a decline in thenumber of clergy candidates, but a decline in the quality of those interestedin ministry as well as a decline in the number of congregations that canafford a full-time pastor. In Finding Leaders for Tomorrow's Churches:The Growing Crisis in Clergy Recruitment., Roy M. Oswald addresses theproblems in a provocative, thoroughly documented manner, and maps outpossible ways for churches to become proactive in ‘'^seeking the people theyneed instead of simply accepting those who self selecT\The demographic profile of the North American seminarian has changedmore in the last twenty years than in the prior two hundred years. “!T7eC/iwrc/P’, says Oswald, ‘'‘‘is no longer attracting ‘the brightest and the best’.'''’The most significant decline is in language skills. In graduate record ex-ams between 1981 and 1988 “‘thirty-three percent of women, but only 19percent of the men had verbal scores of six hundred or higher (out of eighthundredf\ Todays candidates are also “less thoroughly grounded in theirreligious traditions'^ than their predecessors, with fewer “preacher’s kids"following the career path of their clergy parents. Only one in five is un-der the age of thirty. There is a heavy influx of second-career persons,and “there has been a fivefold increase in women preparing for ordination".More candidates than ever are married, separated, divorced or widowed,and most are financially stressed Most people graduate from seminary“fifteen to twenty thousand dollars in debt".The church’s problems are formidable. But Bishop Sartison’s focus onthe local congregation as “the first line of contact" is supported by Roy Os-wald. The arena for ministerial recruitment has largely shifted from highschool and college to the local congregation and pastor, says Oswald. Thelocal congregation is especially qualified to inspire and support potentialcandidates. Still, more than inspiration and support are called for. “Dis-cernment" is crucial. Aspirants need to be helped to become clear aboutthe nature of the call.Book Reviews 161However, the congregation can’t do it alone. And this is where FindingLeaders for Tomorrow’s Churches makes its greatest contribution. '‘^Withgrowing awareness that this new ‘mission frontier’ is in the local parish, itis time for all of us concerned about recruitment and screening to figureout how the values and wisdom of local congregations can be factored intothe process.” That will take new, more inclusive strategies and initiativesinvolving national judicatories and seminaries in support of congregations.Oswald proposes them in a chapter entitled Responding Across Boundaries.The ideas are multiple and varied: from Regional Consultants, Seminary-University Networks, Vocation Days, College Chaplains and Religion De-partments, to Parish Identifiers, College and High School Internships andTrained Clergy Selectors. Are congregations aware of their formative roles?Give them this book.Everyone interested in leadership for today’s church will find some-thing in it; candidates for ministry, parents whose children could be leaders,parishes who are seeking pastors, pastors who recognize themselves as rolemodels, seminary professors who are preparing students for ordination or,synod councils who are involved in screening and supporting candidates. Itis short and punchy, filled with facts, insights and practical ideas.But reading it is not enough. Like any “idea. ..” book, its value lies inits stimulus to action. After all, recruitment is a task, not a topic.Lawrence W. DenefEvangelical Lutheran Church in CanadaWinnipeg, ManitobaDynamics of MarriageJack DominianMystic Connecticut: Twenty-Third Publications, 1993167 pp. $9.95 U.S.This book is written with sincere concern for the woman and man in-volved in the intimacy of marriage. The reader is informed very clearly;|i about the melding of procreation and spousal love.jThe first concern that I had in reading this book was the qualificationsIjjof the author, and I was informed that he is a practicing psychiatrist andi! founder and director of the Marriage Research Center at the Middlesex\Hospital in England. Jack Dominian has more than thirty years experienceIas a lecturer on marriage.IIDominian states that his desire is to inform us in a down to earth man-Iner about marriage from a theological stance. This is accomplished withIconcern for the institution of marriage as a viable and loving relationship.Marriage is explained from the first glimmer of attraction through thepassion of courtship, into the intimacy of the pitfalls and pleasures of en-suing years.

Finding Leaders for Tomorrow\u27s Churches: The Growing Crisis in Clergy Recruitment

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 21
Issue 1 Women and Men in Theological Education:
Exploring the Present, Creating the Future
Article 28
5-1-1995
Finding Leaders for Tomorrow's Churches: The
Growing Crisis in Clergy Recruitment
Lawrence W. Denef
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Denef, Lawrence W. (1995) "Finding Leaders for Tomorrow's Churches: The Growing Crisis in Clergy Recruitment," Consensus: Vol.
21 : Iss. 1 , Article 28.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol21/iss1/28
160 Consensus
Finding Leaders for Tomorrow’s Churches: The Grow-
ing Crisis in Clergy Recruitment
Roy M. Oswald
Washington, DC: The Alban Institute, Inc., 1993
122pp. $13.95 U.S.
At a recent meeting of the bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in Canada time was spent discussing vacancies and supply. Currently there
are over forty vacant parishes in the ELCIC. Only fifteen persons will grad-
uate this spring. Prospects for next year are not much different. Clergy
recruitment has become a critical issue.
In a letter to church leaders, the national ELCIC bishop, Telmor G.
Sartison, shared his concern and pointed to the need for lifting up candi-
dates in the parish. is the first line of contacf\ he said. ‘‘^The experience
there is formative in the development of people for ordained ministry. Are
congregations conscious of need and possibilities? Are they aware of that
formative role?’’’’
Current trends in most denominations indicate not only a decline in the
number of clergy candidates, but a decline in the quality of those interested
in ministry as well as a decline in the number of congregations that can
afford a full-time pastor. In Finding Leaders for Tomorrow's Churches:
The Growing Crisis in Clergy Recruitment., Roy M. Oswald addresses the
problems in a provocative, thoroughly documented manner, and maps out
possible ways for churches to become proactive in ‘'^seeking the people they
need instead of simply accepting those who self selecT\
The demographic profile of the North American seminarian has changed
more in the last twenty years than in the prior two hundred years. “!T7e
C/iwrc/P’, says Oswald, ‘'‘‘is no longer attracting ‘the brightest and the best’.'''’
The most significant decline is in language skills. In graduate record ex-
ams between 1981 and 1988 “‘thirty-three percent of women, but only 19
percent of the men had verbal scores of six hundred or higher (out of eight
hundredf\ Todays candidates are also “less thoroughly grounded in their
religious traditions'^ than their predecessors, with fewer “preacher’s kids"
following the career path of their clergy parents. Only one in five is un-
der the age of thirty. There is a heavy influx of second-career persons,
and “there has been a fivefold increase in women preparing for ordination"
.
More candidates than ever are married, separated, divorced or widowed,
and most are financially stressed Most people graduate from seminary
“fifteen to twenty thousand dollars in debt"
.
The church’s problems are formidable. But Bishop Sartison’s focus on
the local congregation as “the first line of contact" is supported by Roy Os-
wald. The arena for ministerial recruitment has largely shifted from high
school and college to the local congregation and pastor, says Oswald. The
local congregation is especially qualified to inspire and support potential
candidates. Still, more than inspiration and support are called for. “Dis-
cernment" is crucial. Aspirants need to be helped to become clear about
the nature of the call.
Book Reviews 161
However, the congregation can’t do it alone. And this is where Finding
Leaders for Tomorrow’s Churches makes its greatest contribution. '‘^With
growing awareness that this new ‘mission frontier’ is in the local parish, it
is time for all of us concerned about recruitment and screening to figure
out how the values and wisdom of local congregations can be factored into
the process.” That will take new, more inclusive strategies and initiatives
involving national judicatories and seminaries in support of congregations.
Oswald proposes them in a chapter entitled Responding Across Boundaries.
The ideas are multiple and varied: from Regional Consultants, Seminary-
University Networks, Vocation Days, College Chaplains and Religion De-
partments, to Parish Identifiers, College and High School Internships and
Trained Clergy Selectors. Are congregations aware of their formative roles?
Give them this book.
Everyone interested in leadership for today’s church will find some-
thing in it; candidates for ministry, parents whose children could be leaders,
parishes who are seeking pastors, pastors who recognize themselves as role
models, seminary professors who are preparing students for ordination or,
synod councils who are involved in screening and supporting candidates. It
is short and punchy, filled with facts, insights and practical ideas.
But reading it is not enough. Like any “idea. .
.
” book, its value lies in
its stimulus to action. After all, recruitment is a task, not a topic.
Lawrence W. Denef
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Dynamics of Marriage
Jack Dominian
Mystic Connecticut: Twenty-Third Publications, 1993
167 pp. $9.95 U.S.
This book is written with sincere concern for the woman and man in-
volved in the intimacy of marriage. The reader is informed very clearly
;|i about the melding of procreation and spousal love.
j
The first concern that I had in reading this book was the qualifications
Ijj
of the author, and I was informed that he is a practicing psychiatrist and
i! founder and director of the Marriage Research Center at the Middlesex
\
Hospital in England. Jack Dominian has more than thirty years experience
I
as a lecturer on marriage.
II
Dominian states that his desire is to inform us in a down to earth man-
I
ner about marriage from a theological stance. This is accomplished with
I
concern for the institution of marriage as a viable and loving relationship.
Marriage is explained from the first glimmer of attraction through the
passion of courtship, into the intimacy of the pitfalls and pleasures of en-
suing years.


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Finding Leaders for Tomorrow\u27s Churches: The Growing Crisis in Clergy Recruitment

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