What I Am Learning From Young And New Clergy

by Rev. Mark E. Tidsworth, Founder and Team Leader

Simply listening and observing… a person can learn a lot. That’s what I’ve been doing while interacting with younger and newer clergy and church staff over the last ten plus years. The venues for listening and observing have been:

• Innovation Incubator Leadership Development Group for Younger Clergy in the Columbia District of the UMC, 2014-16 (or thereabouts)

• Associate Pastor Cohort from Pinnacle, Ecumenical clergy group with many new to ministry, multiple years

• First Call Theological Education, South Carolina Synod, ELCA… facilitated this cohort maybe 6 or 7 years

• Young Clergy Cohort, UMC in South Carolina, 2021-25

• Many individual coaching clients new to ministry

Based on this sample group, here are five insights about young or simply new-to-ministry clergy.

First, they aren’t caught up in the same conflicts.

Those of us from the Southern Baptist tradition carry the imprint of the fundamentalist takeover of the 1980s-90s. Some who experienced this continue to carry religious trauma, while all who experienced this have been shaped by the intensity of that conflict. Younger Baptist clergy don’t carry that baggage nor experience, graduating from divinity schools from many theological traditions or ones started as a result of that conflict. They aren’t as reactive to the same issues, nor are their ministries influenced so much by that particular conflict.

This is simply one example. Younger or newer-to-ministry clergy aren’t so interested in the same theological or doctrinal concerns. Many of them have never known a time when women preachers and female leaders in their local churches were not allowed. Many of them can’t relate to end-times controversies, seeing the old Left Behind series as purely fictional. Many of them are puzzled by the church’s struggle around various expressions of human sexuality, having grown up in the contexts in which they did. The issues of the day are very different now, including dynamics as simple as their spouses having careers and fully developed identities apart from being a preacher-spouse. The same old conflicts simply don’t mean much to young and new-to-ministry clergy.

Second, churchcraft is still learned through church leadership experience.

Seminary is so helpful toward functioning as clergy. Ordination too gives focus to our vocational journeys. Yet, these experiences simply bring us to the threshold of pastoral ministry, opening the door for stepping into church leadership. Churchcraft, the ability to read church dynamics accurately, to navigate church contexts effectively, to exercise competent church leadership, while caring and shepherding well… is learned through experience. There’s no way to be experienced without gaining experience.

I remember my first pastorate, which was a weekend ministry during seminary. Because I grew up in a missionary/denominational leader family, I thought I knew exactly what to do (unconsciously incompetent). After six months to a year in, my hubris caught up with me, leading to an awareness of conscious incompetence. Only through experiences, wonderfully helped by the grace and patience of more than one congregation, did my churchcraft began to grow. Some young and new-to-ministry clergy haven’t yet had enough experience to realize their need for learning; hubris still intact. In contrast, my experience suggests that most are eager to learn, filled with questions and passionate curiosity.

Third, they are in positions of greater responsibility earlier in their vocational journeys.

Way back before the year 2000 (ancient history now), clergy typically started serving in smaller churches, with fewer demands, allowing for learning and acculturation into vocational ministry. Others became Associate pastors in busy, high demand churches, yet still avoided the responsibility and burden of being senior decision-makers. In no way am I suggesting smaller churches are inferior. Just the opposite… beautiful expressions of the body of Christ. What I am suggesting is often these churches welcomed and cultivated newer clergy, helping form them into competent pastors. Then, when ready, some clergy would move to larger church systems with greater responsibilities.

This vocational development pipeline, so to speak, is still present and active. What’s different is the time spent in the pipeline. Everyone knows about the clergy shortage, regardless of denomination. One outcome of this shortage is that younger and newer clergy are being called to positions with greater responsibilities sooner. Churches who would have called a pastor with 10 years experience are now calling pastors with 3-5 years experience. We observe this change happening in real time, but even more, we receive far more inquiries about leadership coaching now from clergy who feel like they are thrown into the deep end of the pool; expected to function in ways for which they are not prepared. Younger and newer clergy have shorter runways to positions of greater responsibility in our current situation.

Fourth, they are typically more collaborative in their approach to ministry.

Surely more than one social science researcher has done studies that investigate the influences on this change in leadership styles. I can’t tell you exactly what brought us here, but I can tell you that young and newer-to-ministry clergy have a different mindset when it comes to collaboration… typically more collaborative. This shows up in two particular ways, both based on subjective observations.

One, fewer young and new-to-ministry clergy seem to be running the solitary hero script as the background for their approach to leadership. My minister father’s favorite actor was John Wayne, the icon who symbolized the solitary hero myth. Many clergy of my father’s generation lived out of this narrative, believing “if it is to be, it is up to me.” They collaborated with others when necessary, sometimes hesitantly and grudgingly.

Two, younger and new-to-ministry clergy tend to connect with each other more often, and in more significant ways. Technology has helped this along. Young clergy often form text chains where they share resources, ask questions, and simply have fun. Online groups and networks are also abuzz with clergy activity. They tend to assume this how ministry is done, rather than seeing collaboration with one another as different or unusual.

Fifth, their lives are more balanced.

Certainly there are plenty of exceptions. At the same time, the consistent teaching in seminaries and continuing education training emphasizing life balance seems to be paying off. The number of workaholic ministers seems to be declining. Younger and newer-to-ministry clergy seem to engage in other activities more easily and more readily; less constrained by the role. And yes, older and longer serving clergy sometimes complain about these younger generations, perceiving them as lazy and uncommitted. I can see where they are coming from. And, many of them secretly wish they had a life apart from the role of pastor.

There’s more I’m learning from young and newer-to-ministry clergy, yet enough from me. I would love to hear from you regarding your experiences regarding this topic. Feel free to email, text, or even pick up the phone for an old-fashioned call. Regardless of whether new or experienced, I’m regularly grateful for those who respond to God’s calling, giving their life energy toward the forward movement of God’s Church.