Lewis Fellows
The Lewis Center has postponed the application period for the next cohort of Lewis Fellow until pandemic restrictions on travel and gatherings have eased and…
Browsing: Young Clergy
Articles
Young Clergy Numbers Grow Among Young Clergywomen
For over ten years, the Lewis Center in partnership with the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits has reported annually on Clergy Age Trends in…
Research
The Lewis Center seeks to advance the knowledge and practice of church leadership with targeted research on issues that are vital to the church today. Our…
To the Point: Suggestions for Churches with a Single Pastor
All clergy face many challenges. But single persons in ministry can face a unique set of challenges around maintaining boundaries, privacy, and social connections, particularly…
To the Point: Suggestions for Churches with a Young Pastor
Churches that receive a young pastor need to remember how lucky they are. Many congregations say they want a younger pastor, but few have the…
To the Point: Ways Established Church Leaders Can Work with Young Clergy
It is incumbent upon those who are older to reach out to their younger colleagues. Those who are younger are not nearly as likely to…
To the Point: Why Young Clergy Matter
“Younger clergy aren’t necessarily better. They’re just younger. And that matters.” — Lovett H. Weems, Jr. In recent decades, many North American churches have suffered…
Percentage of Older Clergy Reaches Record High
The Lewis Center for Church Leadership today released the 2013 version of its annual report on Clergy Age Trends in the United Methodist Church. The report…
The Older Clergy Bubble Grows Larger in 2012
The Lewis Center for Church Leadership today released the 2012 version of its annual report on Clergy Age Trends in the United Methodist Church. The report,…
2011 Clergy Age Trends Report Shows More Older and Younger Clergy
The Lewis Center for Church Leadership today released the 2011 version of its annual report Clergy Age Trends in the United Methodist Church. The report,…
Leaders Stay Young
What are the qualities of a good leader? Fortunately, Jesus defined leadership: A dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to…
Supporting Younger Clergy
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…
Helping Youth Discern God’s Call
Two months ago, a group from my church attended the Leadership Institute held at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas. Pastor…
The Crisis of Younger Clergy
The Crisis of Younger Clergy explores the reasons why having a proportionate number of young persons entering ordained ministry is so vital to the future…
Squandering Leadership Potential?
The Washington Post recently published a series of in-depth stories on each of the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates. The feature article on former Baptist…
Congregations Nurturing Future Leaders
In a previous issue of Leading Ideas, Robert K. Martin connects pastoral leadership with gardening. One look at a neighbor’s garden reminds him that the…
The Young Clergy Dilemma in Mainline Denominations
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., reviews Leading Ideas research that shows that fewer young persons are entering ordained ministry in mainline denominations. It is easy for…