Contact: April L.

Bogle
404-727-1492
abogle@thefund.org
or
Tasha Schroeder
404-727-1137
tschroeder@thefund.org

Sept. 12, 2006

PASTORS GATHERING IN CHICAGO TO FOCUS ON

NEED TO DEVELOP “NEXT GENERATION” OF CHURCH LEADERS

• Young candidates sought for profession as ‘Baby Boomer’ pastors retire

• New study shows decline in number of clergy under age 35
• Fund offers best practices for calling new generation of leaders for the church

WHO: Eighty pastors, church staff and lay representatives from more than 30
congregations nationwide will explore strategies to identify and cultivate gifted young
candidates for ministry. The Fund for Theological Education (FTE), a national
ecumenical organization dedicated to improving excellence and diversity in ministry and
theological education, is hosting the forum.

Interviews are available with a cross-section of church representatives and with FTE
President Ann Svennungsen on the latest trends among young people and the
ministerial profession.

WHAT: “Vocation and the Vital Church," FTE’s Calling Congregations conference, will teach
pastors and church members skills for developing young leaders for ministry.

WHEN: Sept. 28-30, 2006

WHERE: Hotel Orrington, Evanston, Ill.

Many Christian denominations report a diminished supply of clergy to serve congregations as large
numbers of “Baby Boomer” pastors prepare to retire.

While concerns about the need for gifted young clergy in religious denominations have been growing
for some time, the need for qualified young ministerial candidates is underscored in a recent study by
the Lewis Center for Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary. It shows a significant, 20-year
decline across mainline denominations, both Protestant and Catholic, in numbers of clergy under age
35. Other reports indicate declining interest among seminary students in answering the call to
ministry—today, only about half of seminary students plan to be ordained and serve a local
congregation.

Will American congregations soon find gifted and qualified young ministers in short supply?
FTE – page two

The Fund for Theological Education, an ecumenical organization, is working to boost the number of
capable young candidates for ministry by offering congregations tools for nurturing vocation and
encouraging new leaders for the ministry. Congregational representatives will gather Sept. 28-30 in
Evanston, Ill., for in-depth exploration of the habits, practices and language of Christian vocation that
help congregations raise up the next generation of leaders for the church.

"More than ever, we need talented young people to consider using their gifts to lead churches," says
Melissa Wiginton, vice president of FTE ministry programs and planning. "Good ministry is important
for the good of society. Churches are important cultural institutions that need well-educated leaders
with character and imagination. Most mainline denominations need to be proactive in drawing young
people into ministry, yet the most gifted youth are seldom encouraged to pursue the higher education
and training needed to serve with excellence in church leadership roles. We’re offering strategies for
congregations to encourage their youth to examine ministry as a calling.”

Social and economic factors have contributed to the declining number of young clergy, says Wiginton.
Ministry was once considered among the most respected professions, but a declining image, coupled
with debt incurred in seminary and pastors’ traditionally low salaries, is having a ripple effect, making
the pursuit of ministry a tough choice for today’s youth.

FTE is a leading ecumenical advocate for excellence and diversity in Christian ministry and
theological scholarship. It supports the next generation of leaders among pastors and scholars,
providing more than $1.2 million annually in fellowships and a network of support to gifted young
people from all denominations and racial/ethnic backgrounds.

Since its 1954 founding by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Atlanta-based organization has
awarded more than 5,800 fellowships in partnership with others committed to quality leadership for
the church.

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For more information on The Fund for Theological Education, visit http://www.thefund.org.