Encouraging Words....with just a little Spin

Encouraging words in this issue of the United Methodist Reporter. That's right, I read the Reporter. Former President of St. Paul School of Theology, Lovett Weems was interviewed concerning the importance of young adult clergy. And, guess what? He gets it!

Why are young clergy important?

"Energy, vision and vitality. More adept at reaching emerging generations. Closer to the culture."

What motivates younger people to a call to ministry?

"A call to serve, to be a part of something larger than themselves. It's not primarily organizational or institutional. It's a mission focus. IT'S NOT WELL DEFINED."

Explain the "lifesaver mentality".

"They're a bit uncomfortable with that. They can't do it themselves."

What about the gap?

"Sometimes there will be a two generation gap between the congregation and the clergy. You're young, you should be able to reach young people. But there's no expectation that the church should change."

What about appointments and itineracy?

"[Younger clergy] tend to be made last. The options available for those appointments are very limited at that time. There is a paying-our-dues mentality, but we can't afford that if less than 5 percent of our clergy are under 35. Less than 5 percent believe [itineracy] works well. [Its] an issue causing younger clergy to choose other traditions. It is feeling so out of control of one's destiny and how it impacts spouse and family and spouses' employment. The system is looked at skeptically by younger clergy."

What about the sense of unfairness in accountability?

"They are paying the price for inefective older clergy, so there are more and more restrictions that get put on them. They feel the primary factor in advancement tends to be years of service."

Wow, thank you. Love it, Lovett. He's nailed it. Just this week, I got a letter from my mentor about an interview with the District Committee of Ordained Ministry that I missed. I missed this meeting, because ALL the meeting times were during my class time. Not one meeting was set for Thursday, when students at Saint Paul have NO CLASS. I was also, apparently, supposed to request from him a letter of recommendation to the committee. His e-mail was the first I had heard of any such requirement. The e-mail went on to say that if I don't make the make up meetings in May, basically, my career is over and I won't even be able to go to any other conferences.

Here's the deal: I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing with the process of candidacy. Am I a pastor, am I a student? What is the conference doing to respect my time as a seminary student? Where's the liturature that tells me clearly and without question what my role in the process is? And, is there really such an emphasis on the system and the institution that missing one meeting, held at a time when no student could attend without missing class, ends my career?

Dr. Weems gets it. We have to do some SERIOUS work to recruit, support, uphold, train, connect and empower young adult clergy.

Here comes the spin. At the top of the page with the interview, there's a picture of our Bishop (who I think gets it, too) at a meeting of young adults. The caption reads: "Bishop Schnase makes it a habit to meet with all the young adult clergy from his conference." Hear the spin.

1. A habit is something you do so often you don't think about it anymore. As far as I know, this is the first such meeting of large group of young adult clergy. There have been other, smaller meetings of certain powerful, or fruitful, young clergy. But, an invitation to "all" the clergy, i think this is the first one.

2. ALL the young adult clergy in the conference? Well, I guess I'm not clergy. Me, or any of my classmates, for that matter. Only commissioned and ordained clergy were invited. In other words, only those who have gotten so far into the system. They actually had to raise the official age of young adults to 37 to get the turn out seen in the picture. Instead of inviting actually ALL the young adult clergy, including lisenced local pastors and student pastors, they raised the age!

I am encouraged and happy and excited to read Dr. Weems keenly accurate assessment of how we treat, and how we should treat, young adult clergy. I am, shall we say, interested in those words "habit" and "all" in the caption of the picture.

I would just like one chance to put my money where my mouth is. I talk a lot about this. And I know, when the time comes, it'll be time to put up or shut up. But, I guess I don't have to worry about that now, 'cause nobody's asking. And, I worry about what putting up and shutting up will look like. Will I have to show weekly signs of fruitfulness by filling out forms of worship numbers? Will I have to wait ten years to get a chance, when I'm not technically a young adult anymore, pay my dues, work my way up? I don't know.

And you know what, even after all this...I have to go to class and Thursday I have to go to work. I have people to take care of in the hospital, I have a Baccalureate service planning meeting. I am called to ministry. I choose to be a part of the United Methodist Church. There's a difference.

Brad