“Why is it taking so long to get a pastor?”
Written by Pastor Dan Kuckuck, Assistant to the Bishop for Leadership and Congregation Transitions
I hear this question often after the Ministry Site Profile (MSP) is complete, and when it has been a few months of waiting with no names having been presented.
It is a fair question, after all. Congregations and Call Committees might remember previous call processes in the last 10 or 15 years when, as soon as an MSP was published, multiple names would be presented to the congregation within weeks. I confess that I had thought this would be the case, too, when I accepted this call. But when weeks stretch to months and years, it’s natural to ask the question, “What is taking so long?”
From my side of the equation, there are two primary factors at play:
There are more congregations than pastors. It used to be that we didn’t have enough pastors to meet the needs of congregations, but that pattern has reversed. As of this writing, there are 573 congregations throughout the ELCA who have completed a congregational profile to call a pastor, and still more who are either preparing a profile or are just saying farewell to their previous pastor. For these 573 sites, there are only 375 pastors ready to interview.
Many congregations’ capacity for compensation has decreased. Congregations that have always been able to support a full-time call no longer can because of changes in congregational giving, year to year inflation that leads to an increase in base salary, and the rising cost of health insurance. When costs increase and giving decreases, congregations fall just below the capacity to support a full-time pastor and very few pastors are available to serve part-time.
Given these two factors, the usual dynamics of matching pastors and congregations still exist:
Pastors might be seeking a new call to be closer to aging parents, grandchildren, or a spouse’s job. If your congregation isn’t nearby, your call committee won’t receive this candidate.
Pastors may have strong preferences about the ministry setting: urban or rural, single-point or multi-point, solo or team ministry. There is no standard preference, but it is unique to each person. If your congregation’s ministry setting is not what a pastor is open to, you won’t hear from this candidate.
Some pastors only make themselves available for call because they learn a specific congregation is seeking leadership, and will move only if they receive that call. If you’re not that congregation, you’ll never hear from that pastor.
Pastors want to bring their whole selves and families into their ministries. If they are not sure that they and their families will be supported and welcomed as a person of color, as LGBTQIA+, as having a different primary language, or as having special needs, they will not be open to a particular call.
When all these pieces are factored together, congregations can find themselves waiting much longer than they have in the past and can be vulnerable to frustration and discouragement.
So what can be done? Congregations can begin to put energy into getting ready for the future, now:
Invite people to consider ministry. There are many ways to become a pastor or deacon, whether through traditional seminary, distance learning, or collaborative learning, when a leader is trained to become a pastor while they serve. Your next pastor may be a current young adult or someone who is about to retire, but they may not realize their call until you ask them.
Develop your stewardship ministry. It may not be long before your budget doesn’t balance itself by faith. By talking transparently about the real costs of ministry and each person’s contribution, you empower each member to be a part of sustaining ministry in an intentional way for the future.
Reevaluate your governance. Does your constitution require an overly large number of council members, or an impossible quorum? Begin work now to establish governance that is sustainable, and that your membership wants to participate in.
Congregations can also do a few things right now to accompany their congregation through these challenging times:
Level with each other. Be forthright and honest about the challenges of the call process. When members wonder what is taking so long, invite them into conversation about the realities of the call process.
Increase your options. Many congregations have sought partnerships with others to be able to support a full-time pastor. Others have shifted their approach to ministry by calling a layperson from among them to be a Synod Authorized Minister.
Focus on what lights your fire. The easiest way to burn out is to participate in ministries that you don’t want to do, and that others don’t care if you do. Put your energy into what God is calling you toward and let the Spirit take it from there.
Keep the faith. Don’t set the rise and fall of your faith on whether a pastoral profile arrives in your inbox. Keep praying, keep worshipping, keep participating in Bible study, and keep finding ways to proclaim the gospel in your community. Don’t put your faith on pause.
I often remember that the church has been through much more challenging times than these. Soon after Jesus’s death, his followers were barely in the double-digits, and most of them ran away in fear. And yet, Jesus invited them to receive his peace, and the Holy Spirit drew them together as the church. The Spirit does the same for us now as we walk by faith together.
Let’s keep the conversation going. Tell us about your experiences, and how best we can walk with you in your ministry!