Why Is There a Clergy Shortage?

Why Is There a Clergy Shortage?

In the past 50 years (1974-2024) of your congregation:

Add up all the complete (12 months) years your congregation employed a full-time woman pastor:

If your congregation employed more than one ordained woman pastor full time at the same time, count both, for full years of service only.

If your congregation employed a woman pastor at less than full-time, divide the number of years served by half (for half-time equivalent) thirds (for 1/3 time equivalent) or fourths (for 1/4 time equivalent/ Sundays only), etc.

Add up all the complete years your congregation employed an LGBTQIA+ pastor full time:

Add up all the complete years your congregation employed a full-time Clergyperson of Color:

Add up all the complete years your congregation employed a full-time pastor with one or more disabilities:

Add up all the complete years your congregation employed a pastor full-time whose first language was something other than English:

Add these numbers together and subtract from 50.

For years and years, God sent plenty of faithful servants, but they were turned away and rejected. Many who were called to serve a congregation were pushed out a short time later.

And now there are so few left.