ISSUE ARCHIVE

I had the privilege of being with the national United Methodist camp and retreat leaders who gathered in California recently. One of the things I emphasized was the importance of camping experiences for young persons as a place for hearing and responding to God's call to ordained ministry. The Lewis Center survey of under-35 United Methodist clergy showed that 11 percent of elders and deacons indicated that their acceptance of their call to ordained ministry took place in the context of a camping experience.

There is another opportunity that some camp and judicatory leaders may want to explore related to young clergy. It grows out of other findings from the Lewis Center research reported in The Crisis of Younger Clergy (Abingdon, 2008). In answer to the question: "What one thing could your annual conference do to be more supportive of young clergy," one of the most common responses was providing opportunities for young clergy to gather. The need for a peer support system is a sentiment echoed over and over by today's young clergy. They know they must take responsibility for developing their own support systems, but they also would welcome conference assistance. The demands of ministry, family and child care responsibilities, distance, and lack of authority make it difficult for the young clergy themselves to initiate and carry out such events. The ability to be in community with other young clergy can help young clergy navigate this difficult terrain.

Church camps and retreat centers would make ideal locations for such gatherings. The young clergy themselves could take responsibility for the programming. But they need the annual conference to make possible their coming together by providing the housing and meals for their families to gather for a few days each year. It would be an ideal way for the conference to affirm their young clergy and to permit them to develop those ties that will serve them well throughout their ministries in the conference.

Lovett H. Weems, Jr.

McAllister-Wilson to Speak at March 21 Funding Conference

David McAllister-Wilson, president of Wesley Theological Seminary, will join in the leadership of the Lewis Center's March 21 event on Funding Your Congregation's Vision as a plenary speaker and workshop leader. With years of experience as the seminary's chief giving officer, McAllister-Wilson is one the most respected voices in our church on issues of money and faith. The conference will be held Saturday, March 21, at St. Stephen's United Methodist Church, Burke, Virginia, near Washington, DC. Center Director Lovett H. Weems, Jr., will also be a plenary speaker at this event intended for lay and clergy leaders. In addition to the plenary sessions, participants will be able to select from seven workshops. The cost for the half-day workshop (9 a.m. - 12:50 p.m.) is $30 per person. Click here for program details or to register.

South Central Jurisdiction Episcopal Areas Survey Results Available

Last fall clergy and laity in conferences of the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church were invited by the jurisdiction's College of Bishops to complete a survey regarding factors to be considered in realigning episcopal areas in 2012 to accommodate one less bishop. The results of the survey, compiled by the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, are now available, along with other information provided by the Lewis Center to the bishops for their work as part of the Center's consulting work with the bishops. The report is available at the Lewis Center Web site: http://www.churchleadership.com/research/default.htm.

Church Business Managers Assess Economic Impact on Churches

The National Association of Church Business Administrators conducted a national survey of its members in early 2009. More than 800 responded to questions about how their churches are faring in the recession. Highlights:

• Thirty-two percent said their church was definitely having economy-related financial difficulties, up from 14 percent in an August survey.
• Sixty-three percent said their church saw giving stay the same or climb in 2008 over the previous year.
• Only 24 percent said their church had curtailed mission activities because of the economy. But that's up from 10 percent in the August survey.
• Forty-seven percent said their church had frozen or reduced staff benefits, up from 18 percent in August.
• Twenty percent said they had had staff layoffs, and 26 percent reported postponing a major capital project. Those were up from August as well.

Update is a monthly report to subscribers of Leading Ideas
on the work of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership.