Causes of the crisis The decline of men entering active ministry (among women, the numbers have actually increased) has a number of complex contributing factors, depending upon the region, area of ministry and church denomination. Nonetheless, there are some common characteristics that seem to cross theological lines.
1. The decline of the American church, in general. Every year in America, around 3000 churches close, with only 1500 new churches opening. This decline is particularly keen among rural churches, and small inner city churches that simply can’t afford to keep the doors open.
2. The loss of prestige for ministers. The exaggeration of scandals by TV preachers and pedophile priests by the media, along with a general mocking of the Church and clergy by a hostile Hollywood has caused there to be a lack of respect for the ministry in the general community.
3. Graying of the workforce. More ministers are reaching retirement age than every before, and more are retiring early because of health and family concerns. In some areas of the nation, this reflects a trend seen throughout the demographic, where the general population is also becoming older.
4. An increased attrition rate. More preachers are dropping out rather than deal with the stress of being on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The toll on the wife and children of a minister is perhaps the greatest of any profession, and the average preacher finds himself spending more time on sorting out IRS regulations, building and facility management, transient congregations, volunteer staffing issues and poor congregational commitment than ever before. One young pastor recently said, “they didn’t teach this in Bible college!”
5. Less emphasis on the sacrifice, servanthood and calling. Preaching about sacrifice and the divine call of God to serve selflessly has never been preached less than in American churches, today. As a result, too many enter ministry with unrealistic expectations of success, and an unwillingness to face the suffering that has always been a characteristic of Christian ministry. Some enter ministry seeking the limelight, but find out instead that it is hard, demanding work.
Continued in the next BLOG: Areas of greatest impact
Important Links to Visit
Pastor Deckard
About Me
.jpg)
- R. Deckard
- Des Moines, Iowa, United States
- Pastor Rex Deckard was born in Bloomington, Indiana. He received his BS degree from Indiana University, his Masters degree from Trevecca College, and did post graduate work at the University of Tennessee. He is a licensed K-12 School Administrator and a certified teacher. Pastor Deckard has been involved in a variety of ministry roles: planting churches, home missionary work, curriculum development for Word Aflame publications, teaching overseas in Papua New Guinea, and leadership development. His writing has been featured in numerous magazines, both secular and Christian. He has pastored churches in Tennesee, Indiana and Iowa. He is the Coordinator of Apostolic Training Institute, a distance learning initiative of the Home Missions Division, and is a member of the Iowa District Board of the United Pentecostal Church. He is the pastor at Calvary Apostolic Church, 2611 Easton Boulevard in Des Moines, Iowa. Family and Interests The Deckard family consists of wife Brenda (both a musician, songwriter and nurse), daughter Emilile (student at Des Moines Area Community College) and son Rex Adam (student at Iowa Christian Academy).