Finding A Pastor Is Going to Become More and More Difficult

That because fewer and fewer persons entering ministry are interested in serving in local Churches.  The Associated Baptist Press reports

College students who feel called to work in ministry want to make a difference for God’s kingdom. But a significant number don’t believe the local church is the place to do it, according to guidance directors for ministerial students at some Baptist schools.

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“The reality is that for the entire lifetime of these young people, they have grown up in a culture where there is a lot of church conflict and a lot of denominational conflict,” he said.

Many students know little about their denomination, but they know firsthand about forced termination of church staff, conflict within congregations and a perceived lack of respect for church leaders, said Micheal Summers, director of church services at Wayland Baptist University. “I see a high level of disillusionment with the local church among students.”

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And most distressingly of all

On a practical level, some students also see financial incentives to enter youth ministry rather than the pastorate. They are acquainted with youth ministers who immediately move from college to multi-staff churches where they enjoy financial security greater than pastors who may graduate from seminary and start their ministry in a small congregation, Hancock said.

Or in other words, our children are growing up greedy.  We really do reap what we sow- with our conflict, our mistreatment of ministers, and our tendency to teach our children that money matters most of all.  In the future, finding a Pastor is going to become exceedingly difficult if these trends continue.  And there seems to be no reason to believe that they won’t.