The CRCNA Leadership Landscape, Part IV: The Problem of Less Interest in Ministry

A large cultural challenge that we face is that it seems that people are less interested in ministry as a vocation. This might seem like the challenge most outside of our control to address. How can any one of us impact a huge cultural trend like that?

I think you have a bigger role to play than you might think! The seminary and candidacy committee connect with emerging leaders way down the road in their call, but it’s our pastors, councils and congregation members who are the frontline workers in this process.You are the ones close to the action. Listen to the call stories of some of this year’s candidates:  

“Through the mentorship of Rev. Victor Ko, the Spirit of Jesus called and equipped me to become a Commissioned Pastor and now he is calling me to become Minister of the Word” – Jeremiah Basuric

 “My desire to pastor was nurtured and affirmed through the church and its people, mentors, seminary professors, and my family.” – Caleb Harper

“It was by watching my own father through decades of serving God’s people that I felt a deep sense of meaning and beauty in the pastorate”. – Josiah Huisman

“I can look back on key people who were there for me when I needed them the most, and I feel God’s calling each and every day to be that person for those that need it. All of my years going through children’s ministry, Sunday morning church services, VBS’, and youth group had a profound impact on me even to this day. I have benefitted so much from pastors, youth pastors, and volunteers and I humbly want to be used by God in other people’s lives”.-- Austin Kamaraad

“My pastor took time to meet with me as a student. To talk with me, and to help me discern if what I was feeling was a calling, or if it was something else. He met with me on several occasions, and would help me to discern what preparing for a Pastoral call looked like, even as a middle and high school student”. – Jeremiah Mitchell

“I looked into attending seminary, but given our financial situation, I didn’t know how this was possible. “God, if you are indeed calling me to become a pastor, I need You to remove the financial barrier.” The next day...I told the pastor that I was considering going to seminary. He responded, telling me the church would pay! In addition, within a week, my piano studio doubled in size. Shortly after this, I received a letter from the admissions office at Calvin Theological Seminary indicating that I also received a scholarship. God had responded clearly to my bold prayer.” -- Lorinda VanderWerp

You can see in those stories that you all play an important role in identifying and encouraging leaders. When you spot gifts of pastoring, teaching and leading in someone, don’t be afraid to ask them if they’ve ever considered becoming a pastor. And don’t just look for the big, deep voice or a commanding physical presence. Effective pastoral leadership comes from all kinds of personalities–so look for the pastoral gifts in diverse demographics of people. You may have noticed that only one of the testimonies I just read was from a woman candidate. That’s not because I neglected to look for them. The women candidate’s testimonies just didn’t contain the same stories of encouragement and affirmation from their communities as those of the male candidates. Our denomination honors two positions on women in office. But if you are one who holds the theological conviction that God calls and gifts women for leadership in the church and have experienced the strength and balance that women pastors have brought to the Church–I just want you to know that there are women around you who may desperately need your encouragement to pursue their call.

I also want to draw your attention to the fact that although our 2024 candidates come from several different countries and ethnicities, we have a noticeable lack of African American leaders coming through the candidacy pathways. In my conversations with leaders in this demographic, I have heard of challenging and triggering experiences they have suffered in recent years. And I sense that now, more than ever before, they need our support, encouragement and intentional empowerment.

And as we encourage those with gifts for ministry, let’s also give them leadership opportunities. Many of our candidates didn’t realize their call to be a pastor until they’d led a Bible study for a few years–or taught catechism class, or led outreaches. Someone trusted them with a leadership role–maybe even stepped out of the way to make room for them to lead, then walked alongside them as they learned. These are some small efforts that could make a huge impact on the emerging leaders that God has planted in our churches.

 This last suggestion I’m going to offer might take a larger effort….

I’ve talked so far about how we might adjust our processes, but I want to take the opportunity to also address some of the deeper issues that I believe are discouraging leadership development in the CRC. I have had the privilege of talking with many candidates in the various regions and classes all over the US and Canada for the last 3 years. And I just want to share some observations I’ve had from this broad vantage point.

Can I have permission to be blunt for the next few minutes? I was raised by a Dutch mother so I might exhibit a little “Dutch directness” but know that it’s coming from a heart of love (and let me make a quick disclaimer that the following thoughts are my own, not necessarily the committee’s).

It would be helpful to emerging leaders if we would be more intentional about speaking and modeling our values.

I believe that we still maintain a high view of Scripture and value theological education, but we don’t always talk like we do. We’ve developed some habits of speech over the years that don’t convey this value very well, and they impact those coming through the candidacy pathways. I know some of you have heard me say this before…but there are two contradictory refrains that candidates hear often…first, they hear the candidacy and educational pathways referred to as “hoops to jump through”, as if the learning, formation and vetting that occurs in these programs is a completely unnecessary exercise. That gives emerging leaders the impression that theological education is an unreasonable burden, maybe even some kind of cruel punishment. One candidate even told me recently that his classis seems to be “anti-education”. On the opposite end of the spectrum, they also hear comments seminary doesn’t prepare people well enough for ministry, as if the whole responsibility of forming someone for ministry rests entirely upon the seminary during those short years that someone is in their programs. I think we all realize that it would be impossible for the seminary to completely prepare a candidate within the 3-4 years they attend. Some of the important pieces of their formation happen through the partnership of our classes, mentors and churches. It takes a village to prepare a candidate!