Monday, August 13, 2018

Minister - Called and Equipped

Last week, I read a blog, "How Much Education Does a Pastor Need?" by David Kamphuis, the pastor of Martin Luther Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Youngstown, Ohio.  His post was prompted by Luther Seminary's plan to shift from a four-year M.Div program to a two-year program for those preparing for ordained ministry.

That article stayed with me this week.  I reread it again this morning.  Kamphuis argues that the church can no longer afford to equip its clergy with an academic degree in order to effectively be ministers of word and sacrament.  In other words, the seminary education, which we used to train our clergy leaders for generations, is no longer affordable or practical today.  He writes" There is no longer enough money to sustain the expense of hard-nose theological degrees for pastors.  Ages ago seminary was virtually paid for by the church and what wasn't paid for could be paid off with a well-paying job.  As churches have declined so has support to seminaries and the costs of higher education have ballooned.  M.Div programs now require tens of thousands of dollars, Put simply, few people have the money for that anymore."

I do not disagree that the way clergy are formed must, of necessity, change with the times.  Yes, we must find another way to pay for equipping those who will serve as the next generation of church leaders.  That way must not continue to place the economic burden of a seminary education solely on the shoulders of an individual minister.  It is too heavy a load to carry.  The church must again accept responsibility for sharing that load.  Nor is it helpful to have seminaries become preoccupied with institutional survival and fundraising.  They have more important work to do.  We need the seminaries, for a local setting cannot do all that is required to equip the present and future leaders of the church.

The second observation Kamphuis makes moves from an economic to a cultural critique.  Clergy are no longer valued as professionals in the society.  Once they were on a par with lawyers, doctors, and educators.  Now, we don't know what to do with them.  To quote the author, "Even if we had the money, the world of institutionalized cultural support for Christianity is dead or dying.  We live in a world where, depending on your generation, many have never had an encounter with pastor or priest.  The pastor is, at best, an odd duck in this world and we will probably not receive the same cultural respect we did in days past."

I think of clergy scandals and the erosion of confidence in those called to serve with integrity and truthfulness.  Can we trust our clergy?  I think of lost and wounded souls who have found their path to ministry but never healed or grew in the process.  The society needs a voice in the pulpit and the public square--a voice that calls for truth, justice, and mercy.  Priests and pastors need not be comparable to other professions.  We are our own profession with a season of preparation, codes of ethics, discipline and oversight, and standard practices that center in word and sacrament.  We are ambassadors of Christ's love.  Denominations are indeed changing, but they still serve an important purpose in equipping ministers to serve and in holding them accountable in their calling.  Clergy are part of a network that is larger than an individual calling.

I believe that it is not just the society that has a low assessment of clergy leaders.  Too many churches have never helped their sons and daughters to hear the call to serve as pastors and teachers.  I remember an educator who argued with me at the church door.  He came to worship every week, sang in the choir, and participated in the life of the church in many generous ways.  When I suggested in a homily that the church should encourage its members to listen for Christ's call to ordained ministry--a life of service and leadership in the church--the man became disturbed.  He did not see ministry as a future for his or other children of the church.   He respected my leadership, but he would not encourage others in a similar way.  Perhaps he only saw the hardships, the sacrifice, the conflicts associated with being an authorized leader of the church.  It is not just that the culture has shifted; the church itself has changed and no longer values its clergy.  A card in October for "Clergy Appreciation Month" does not address the issue.

So, the blog raises questions in an old debate:  Is ministry a vocation or a profession?  Is it Christ's call alone that qualifies one for ministry?  Or, is ministry a profession with certain covenantal standards and expectations?   Is ministry about an individual who hears and responds to a call or is it about fulfilling the needs of the Church in a variety of ministry settings?

This is my response:  Yes, ministry is primarily a calling--whisperings in the soul and in the ears: "Have you ever thought about being a minister?"   "Come, follow me."  And yes, it is also a profession for which disciples must be equipped.  A season of intense discernment and study is still required. There must be a separation, a time away from the local setting that has nurtured us, for ministry, of necessity, will cause us to move away from the comfortable confines of home to serve in places that we had not imagined we would go.

The word in the scripture will move us to deeper commitment and encourage us to speak up and to stand up in places we had never expected that we might go.  To be equipped to serve is to be broken open and to find our healing.  To serve at the font and the table is deeper than presiding over ancient rituals.  It is to allow oneself to be an agent in the mystery--to be a participant in God's grace and mercy--that is extended to all the world.  That, too, requires that our spirits and our minds be equipped.

Finally, I believe that those who are called and equipped to serve will also be collegial, that we will reach across our doctrines and theologies to be in relationship and support others who do what we do.  There is already too much isolation and loneliness in ministry.  It is time for those who lead to befriend one another and to hold each other accountable, to speak the truth to one another in love.

I am grateful for the blog and its question, "How Much Education Does a Pastor Need?"  To it I would add my own question:  "What Does a Pastor Need to be Equipped Today?"

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