Several years ago, I was talking with the spouse of a fellow minister. We discussed different ministries within our respective churches and what they might look like in upcoming years. Our back-and-forth led us down the rabbit hole: What is the future of the Church?
It was then she commented, “You know, I believe Michael will be part of the last generation of people to actually retire from what we know as a full-time ministry. I mean, for those going into congregational ministry right now, I dunno, I just don’t think the same financial support will be there.”
She stopped and immediately said, “I don’t say that to discourage you, but it’s just gonna be different for you.” She was right.
Having been in congregational ministry for over a decade in a post-Christendom society, I am all too aware of the declining numbers in the big mainline denominations. While I still catch wind of church plants happening, most churches struggle to keep their doors open each week.
The days of packed pews filled with faithful Baby Boomers are gone. Gen X, Millennials, and now Gen Z aren’t fighting for space in sanctuaries.
They care little about worship wars over what is and isn’t sacred music. Many became and are now being raised by those identifying as “Nons.”
Be it apathy towards anything reeking of institutionalism or empathy spurred on by the churches’ lack of activism, a level of hypocrisy and disconnect has caused many to leave the building, the theology, and the communities behind.
On the eve of 2025, I’ve returned to that conversation. Playing it over and over again in my head. It sparked not so much a list of resolutions but one that asks for revolution.
Is there a fruitful future for the universal church? Or better yet, in the words of the prophet Martin Luther King, Jr., “Where do we go from here?”
To answer this question we are going to have to do some reimaging. Here are a few possibilities.
The new generation of preachers, theologians, leaders, and Christ-followers must let what we know of the church die.
The saying “We don’t go to church because we are the church” should be more than a statement plastered on a coffee mug. It should be the new mantra. Maybe the problem with the modern church is that its people have been “going” to it for too long. Asking them to “be” the church will require a different approach.
Co-pastored churches must become the new norm.
I was dreaming about church leadership positions with some fellow “30-something” year-old pastors not long ago. All were in some form of associate role.
While we had one person say they wanted to be a head pastor, the group agreed and spoke excitedly about the idea of co-pastorships and sharing equal responsibility with one or more church leaders. Before you start to think, “Well, isn’t that what the church does now?” The answer is both yes and no.
While pastoral duties are broken up in modern churches, the intentionality behind co-pastorships is not a practiced norm. There is evidence of churches where this occurs, but these stories are outliers.
Sharing equal responsibility allows pastors to be involved and support different causes and movements. However, if the church’s future embraces co-pastorships, then future clergy will need to do the following in some form.
Ministers must embrace a form of bi-vocationalism.
Ministry is burnout waiting to happen. Most pastors don’t know what a 40-hour workweek looks like.
The old joke about the pastor only working on Sunday is still around. However, pastors and their families often experience the reality of 60+-hour work weeks and limited boundaries.
With or without co-pastorship positions, the ability of small churches to afford a full-time staff member is dwindling. Being able to work in something besides congregational ministry will soon be a necessity for many future church leaders.
Before becoming a Senior, and I might add solo Pastor, I sometimes held two or three jobs in order to work in congregational ministry. For those called to this vocation, I believe the drive is there to make this work, but this is a two-way street. This means there needs to be some support.
Denominations and churches must look for different ways to support clergy.
Whether Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, United Church of Christ, or Universalist Unitarian, churches want degrees that are not cheap. From 2014 to 2015, the average cost of seminary training from an Association of Theological Schools-affiliated institution was approximately $14,700 per year. As you might expect, this number has increased.
That’s roughly $45,000 for a three-year program. The average pay for a pastor in 2024 is $51,000, with denominational affiliation, experience, and location playing a factor.
While I would love to see seminaries charge less in tuition, my attention and call to action are for denominations and churches to find alternative incentives to employ clergy.
Perhaps a part-time position is the only option for a church, so why not provide financial support through other means, such as insurance and retirement options, instead of bottom-dollar salaries? Denominational resources could be used and partnered with local churches’ resources to cover gaps.
Ah, but you ask, “If my pastor is only going to work part-time for the First Baptist Church in Every Town, USA, and we are paying for their insurance, then what will they do when not working at the church?”
Pastors will become community pastors.
I mentioned bi-vocationalism, and being a community pastor ties in with that concept. Even when I’m “off,” I’m never truly off. At least once a day, I find myself sharing with someone what I do and where I serve.
In the past, I did this while working at other jobs. People knew me as the pastor who worked at the t-shirt company or the minister who worked at the local bottle shop.
In that position, I could engage with people in my broader community and explore alternative pulpits. Not being tied to a building or an office has the potential to build deeper relationships with those who would never beckon a church door.
Another benefit of this separation is that it allows clergy to participate in other ventures. My passion for writing has been one way to redirect my creative juices.
As much as I love biscuits and pies, I could see myself working a day or two a week at a local bakery. Having these outlets helps me avoid stagnation.
As you might imagine, there’s way more to this list, but my point is this: For years, the institutional church has asked the next generation of clergy to trust it, and now we are asking the same. Pour into us the way we have poured into you.
This “come to Jesus meeting” for future clergy, churches, and dominations is long overdue. Here’s to hoping hard, uncomfortable, and crucial conversations happen in 2025.
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received his theological education from Campbell University and Wake Forest University School of Divinity. He is an ordained minister affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and enrolled in the doctor of ministry program at McAfee School of Theology. When not spending time with his spouse and daughters, he can be found writing and baking late into the night. He currently resides in New England with his family. His thoughts and reflections are his own.
