Young African-American pastors form coalition
6/5/2003 News media contact: Linda Green · (615) 742-5470 · Nashville, Tenn A UMNS Report By Linda Green*
By Linda Green*
A new coalition has been formed to provide mentoring support
to young African-American clergy and head off a potential shortage of
black pastors in the United Methodist Church.
African-American
pastors who are starting out in ministry often feel alone and isolated.
Many become frustrated because they have no one to mentor them through
the obstacles of ministry, to lead them through the quagmire of local
church business and denominational politics, or to listen to their
concerns.
"There is no place in this system where people who
fit our dynamic can go and share," said the Rev. Troy Benton, associate
pastor of Hope United Methodist Church in Southfield, Mich. "The
coalition represents the potential for the life or death of pastoral
ministry among African Americans in the United Methodist Church, and we
have not had one system or group that specifically speaks to our needs."
Formally
launched in March, the National Coalition of Young Adult
African-American pastors seeks "to be a support vehicle for young adult
African-American clergy in a structure that is not exactly advantageous
and that does not see their full talent," said Benton, the coalition's
vision leader.
The coalition's mission is to promote Christian
conferencing among black pastors under age 41, and to respond to the
Great Commission of making disciples of Christ by providing mentoring
support for those clergy. In addition to training and mentoring for new
pastors, the group hopes to produce "life coaches" for future clergy.
"The
National Coalition of Young Adult African American Pastors could end up
being a profound blessing to the church," said the Rev. Vance Ross,
chairman of the design team for the Convocation for Pastors of African
American Churches and pastor of First United Methodist Church in
Hyattsville, Md. "The denomination is lacking in major numbers young
adults in its membership and that problem is becoming an epidemic in the
African American, African and Caribbean sector."
Benton
affirmed that the coalition is an attempt to respond to the "plight of
African-American leadership in the United Methodist Church." In the next
five to 10 years, 20 percent to 30 percent of African American clergy
in the denomination will retire from active ministry. In addition, the
number of African Americans entering seminary is steadily decreasing, he
said.
"We know this from trying to recruit people from our
churches to enter ministry," Benton said. "There is this gap of
leadership that will hit the black church. Wanting to be the people who
live out the call faithfully to serve and be servants, we talked about
how it could be done in light of the particular economic, social,
political and religious realities that face us as young adult
African-American clergy." The denomination has a little more than 500
young adult African-American pastors, he said.
Citing research,
Benton said the largest age group of African-American clergy is between
49 and 53, and those pastors will retire in the next 10 years. The
following average mean group is about 29 years old. "This means that if
we do not get the ball rolling right now, in 10 to 12 years, we will not
be anywhere to be found." The coalition is also forming relationships
with other African-American Christian traditions.
Ross said an
organization such as the coalition is essential if the church is going
to attract and maintain young people for a changing world. And, he
asked, what better way to attract them than by having those of their age
group teaching and leading in the pulpit?
"Our viability before
young people will assume that we take seriously the leaders who are of
that age. Seeing them gathered and knowing that they are appreciated and
valued and have a place in the denomination means that the church in
general, and older clergy and laity in particular, will listen to what
they say and have to act on what they discuss," Ross said.
Founded
under the banner of the biennial Convocation for Pastors of African
American Churches, the coalition is an independent organization, with no
official ties to any group in the denomination. The coalition will use
leadership networks and groups, as well as national and regional events,
to assist clergy in reaching their maximum potential. The group, with
young adult membership from across the country, is funded through dues
and registration fees, along with contributions from annual conferences.
The group was launched with support from three annual
conferences and churches across the United States. It is partnering with
the Pacific Northwest Conference in the planning of a new church start
and is receiving financial support through the Detroit Conference.
Before
the organization's launch, a group of young African-American pastors
gathered to discuss the "journey" of being young adults and clergy
members in the United Methodist Church. The conversations focused on the
appointment process, long-term pastorates and leadership opportunities
for extended ministries among various groups.
"It appears as
though there have been opportunities for advanced movement in an
increased fashion for people of European-American descent as opposed to
people of African American descent," Benton said.
Members of the
coalition, all leaders in their annual conferences, shared that their
first or second appointments in the denomination were often
disappointing assignments compared with those of their European-American
colleagues, who received new church starts, immediately became
associate pastors of large congregations, or were appointed as youth
pastors, he said. "Our churches (African American) really don't have a
number of youth pastor slots.
The coalition will serve as a
clearinghouse in responding to calls for positions, congregations or
ministries seeking effective people, Benton said. "We want to be a
resource for the United Methodist Church (and) be a vehicle to assist
the denomination in pushing towards excellence in African-American young
adult leadership."
The group also wants a voice in the church's
visioning process. Benton explained that the coalition's emphasis on
"continual transformation thinking" represents a change in emphasis from
disciplining and maintenance to regarding evangelism as the church's
primary task. The church, he said, must address the question: "How do we
make things more relevant for the seeker who is yet to even come?"
More
information on the National Coalition of Young Adult African-American
Pastors is available by contacting Benton at ncoumpaaap@hotmail.com or
(248) 547-3278.
# # #
*Green is United Methodist News Service's Nashville, Tenn., news director.
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