Some seminary students lack potential as
pastors
One of the most painful relationships is when a congregation
hires a pastor who cant cut the ecclesiastical mustard. It has happened thousands of times. A church gets a pastor
who cant seem to figure out the intricacies of life and
certainly doesnt know how to untangle the needs and expectations
of an entire congregation. At first, congregation and pastor seem
to snuggle. Then they get into a serious relationship that eventually
will be destroyed by frustration. Before long, both pastor and
parish are looking for new alliances. Ken McFayden, executive director of the North Central Career
Development Center in New Brighton, a northern suburb of St. Paul,
Minn., says many of the problems experienced today by pastors
and congregations might be avoided if everyone involved paid more
attention to the relationship. McFayden, who counsels with hundreds of candidates for admission
into seminaries and pastors who are having difficulty with parish
relationships, says the problems often begin years before the
potential pastor ever gets to a congregation. A person self-selects, McFayden said. A guy
might join a congregation and then gets very involved. The congregation
becomes a big part of his life. And then he thinks this would
be a pretty good life. And he decides to enter the seminary and
study for the ministry. And of course, the congregation is thrilled
that one of their own is going to the seminary. And the seminaries have a crucial role to play,
McFayden said. Of course, they are driven by mission and
they must meet the needs of the students and of the church. But
many of their students come to the seminary with no idea they
want to serve in a parish. But that is the expectation of the
church. The student might just want to grow or to spread life
open. Eighty percent of the men and women who enter seminary are
mentally and emotionally healthy, McFayden said. But 15 to 20
percent have some questions about their own leadership ability.
Nevertheless, most theological students are encouraged to focus
on parish ministry. Today, religious leaders understand that parish ministry is
not the only way to serve the Lord. A multitude of other legitimate
ministries are open to the earnest theologian. Therefore, rather than push every theological student into
the same mold, seminary leaders want their charges to find their
own path. We want them to discover not just who they are but also,
who has God called them to become, McFayden said. Therefore, rather than taking all direction from peers and
professors, the successful student will work hard to discover
his or her unique direction to take in establishing a personal
ministry. The trick is for each student to work on self discovery
all the way through seminary training. McFayden says church leaders have been worrying since the 1800s
that we are not getting the best and brightest people
to enter seminary. He doesnt believe thats true, but if it is, how
much fault should be assigned to parishes where young people first
struggle with the idea that full-time ministry may be a calling? McFayden says every time a pastor sits down with a man or woman
and suggests the ministry as a lifes work, the pastor creates
a scenario that may plague the person forever. Many who enter
ministry when it is not a vocation end up being frustrated, lonely
and isolated. Some people head for the seminary because family members have
always maintained the ministry is what God intended for them.
Some students may have had the doors to other vocations closed
to them or they failed to succeed in other careers. Occasionally,
students will enter seminary because they want the care and nurturing
of the church, and protecting, serving and providing direction
for a congregation may not be their highest priorities. McFayden served as a parish pastor himself before moving on
in his academic life and earning a doctorate. He understands the
intensity of parish ministry and the stress that innocent parishioners
can bring to a relationship with clergy. Thats exactly what he wants every candidate for seminary
studies to understand: Rewards as well as many moments of stress
are plentiful in parish ministry.
Clark D. Morphew
Posted For October 9, 1999