Study: Clergy changes parallel membership decline
A UMNS Report
By Vicki Brown*
July 31, 2007
The Rev. Mary Ann Moman
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The number of elders in The United Methodist Church dropped 2.25 percent
from 2000 to 2005, even as the number of local pastors and deacons
increased, according to a new study by the United Methodist Board of
Higher Education and Ministry.
An analysis of church membership numbers and clergy data shows 754
fewer elders, while the number of deacons increased 28 percent from 964
to 1,237, and the number of local pastors rose 31 percent from 5,088 to
6,660.
"The study shows the dramatic changes that have taken place in The
United Methodist Church in its clergy leadership," said the Rev. Mary
Ann Moman, an executive with the Division of Ordained Ministry of the
Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
The study is based on an analysis of annual conference membership
numbers provided by the United Methodist Council on Finance and
Administration. The analysis was provided by Michelle Fugate, the
board's director of research and data management.
Back to circuits?
"The continuing decline in the number of elders and the increase in
the numbers of local pastors is a clear sign of the change in clergy
demographics of our annual conferences," said Moman.
The numbers, she said, suggest that the denomination may need to
consider returning to a circuit system - in which a group of clergy
share responsibility to serve a group of churches - even though many
small churches want their own pastor.
"Local pastors have filled a critical need for leadership in many of
our small-membership churches," she said. "It may be time for the church
to look at teams of pastors assigned to circuits. This could mean a
local pastor would be assigned to a particular church, but there would
also be an elder and possibly a deacon on a circuit ministry team. The
elder would be responsible for training, support, supervision and would
have sacramental responsibility for the membership churches."
“The continuing decline in the number of
elders and the increase in the numbers of local pastors is a clear sign
of the change in clergy demographics of our annual conferences.”
–The Rev. Mary Ann Moman
With more congregations being served by local pastors who do not have
Master of Divinity degrees, Moman said the church must ask whether it
still holds the degree as the standard. "Do we believe that level of
education is necessary?" she asked.
Fugate found that while the number of churches and membership
declined, the number of clergy actually increased during the same time
period, with the increase largely due to full-time and part-time local
pastors. Membership in U.S. churches dipped just below
8 million in 2005, while the number of churches decreased 3.5 percent from 2000 to 2005.
Total annual conference clergy membership increased from 44,118 in
2000 to 45,148 in 2005, or 2.3 percent. Nearly 15 percent of all annual
conference members in 2005 were full-time or part-time local pastors. Of
the 1,572 new local pastors, nearly half were in the Southeastern
Jurisdiction and 22 percent were in the South Central Jurisdiction.
If local pastors are excluded, the number of clergy who are annual
conference members actually declined from 39,030 to 38,488, or 1
percent.
Other repercussions
Fugate also looked at the number of districts. The number has
decreased in all jurisdictions, from 518 districts in 2000 to 488 in
2005. That means there are 32 fewer district superintendents.
"That has implications for the church, too, since fewer districts
mean district superintendents supervise more churches," Moman said.
The increase in the number of deacons has implications as well.
"Again, we might look at circuit deacons who could serve a group of
churches and their communities," Moman said.
"A lack of an appropriate support structure for deacons has caused
many problems in the appointment system," Moman said. "The present
system hasn't helped the church get deacons to the places where they are
needed most. The statistics show that most deacons' primary appointment
is to a congregation. It is much more difficult to negotiate a ministry
setting outside of the congregation."
She said part of the difficulty is gaining approval within the
denominational structure. "If the bishops and district superintendents
were more involved in this process, we might find many more creative
ways to appoint deacons," Moman said.
"After Katrina, The United Methodist Church could have deployed
deacons to New Orleans and surrounding areas to set up community Sunday
schools, provide medical care, offer legal support and provide safe
child care. We have deacons who are trained in all of these areas."
Moman said the analysis should prove useful as the Study of Ministry
Commission prepares its recommendations for the 2008 General Conference,
the denomination's top lawmaking body.
To read the full report, go to: http://www.gbhem.org/ResourceLibrary/ChangeChurchClergy.pdf
*Brown is an associate editor and writer in the Office of
Interpretation, United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
News media contact: Linda Green, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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Resources
Changes in Church and Clergy Membership Report
Division of Ordained Ministry
Study of Ministry Commission |