DURHAM, N.C. (ABP) — Although there are more Protestant ministers than churches, many ministers don't want to work for those congregations, especially smaller ones, according to a study by Duke University.
While nearly every denomination surveyed has more than one minister per congregation — and some more than two — many of those ministers are chaplains, professors or parachurch ministers rather than local-church staff members, states the report from Duke's Pulpit and Pew Research on Pastoral Leadership. The information is based largely on figures from “The Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches.”
Those ministers willing to serve congregations are apparently reluctant to work in smaller churches for financial reasons, the study reported. As a result, a large number of small rural and inner-city churches are without pastors.
The report appears more positive for conservative Protestant groups, which almost all have more than one minister per congregation. Southern Baptists have nearly two per church. Meanwhile, moderate and liberal denominations have fewer than one minister per congregation.
According to a study by the Presbyterian Church, USA, nearly half of their churches running 51-100 are pastorless. That percentage jumps to 76.6 percent in Presbyterian churches running fewer than 50.
About 10 percent of Southern Baptist churches have pastoral vacancies at any given time.
“People are nervous [because of the minister shortage], and it gets worse as you move toward mainline Protestants,” according to Curtis Freeman, professor of theology and director of the Baptist House of Studies at Duke Divinity School.
However, the figures on the conservative groups are misleading, Freeman said. The numbers are inflated because conservative groups are more likely to ordain leaders that other denominations do not, such as youth directors, song leaders and ministers who serve ethnic missions, Freeman said.
Limited financial resources make it harder for small congregations to attract and keep ministers, observers note.
Smaller congregations are less likely to provide salary and benefit packages that can support a full-time pastor, said Bob Ray, who works with bivocational ministers and smaller churches in the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Ray said some ministers are looking for retirement and insurance benefits that smaller churches typically cannot afford.
Work in smaller churches also is seen as less prestigious in the eyes of some, Ray said. Small-church ministry is viewed as a stepping stone to larger churches with better-paying positions.
“I think some people are not willing to mostly because they have not considered [smaller church ministry],” Ray said. “They study, go to school and look to be pastor of First Baptist Church of a county seat town.”
To compound the issue, the number of smaller churches is increasing as larger congregations decline. Small churches are the future, Ray said, and ministers will need to lead them. He said more people would feel called to smaller churches if congregations and seminaries encouraged believers to consider bivocational ministry and service in smaller venues.
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