I am one of those candidates in the waiting room. I am available to go wherever God wants me to go. I am not tied down to a wife who has her own career and cannot relocate or to children who cannot change schools.
First of all, I question Brother Koll's research indicating that only 25% of the candidates are actually available. How was this number obtained? Whereas some candidates may limit themselves to a certain geographical area, they are still certainly available for a call. And is Brother Koll saying that after two years, some candidates still have some requirements that need to be met. If that is the case, then perhaps the Candidacy Committee needs to do a better job of encouraging them and/or holding them accountable to get their work finished. As for the rest who supposedly are not available for a call, why were they declared a candidate if they don't want to candidate for a call?
Second, I also question Brother Koll's third point regarding our denomination's growing diversity. Brother Koll suggests that because we have rural, city, and suburban churches and local ministries that vary greatly, congregations are casting a wider net in their search for a pastor. Is Brother Koll saying that some churches are so specialized and/or unique that no candidate is equipped to serve them? Either those churches are arrogant or Calvin Seminary is not adequately preparing its students to serve as pastors. Are those possibilities being addressed?
Finally, every month the denomination puts out a list of vacant churches. Every month the number of vacant churches hovers around 100. Some of those churches have been on the vacancy list for over two years. Are they not looking for a pastor? Actually, that indeed is the case. Many vacant churches are content to hire a retired pastor to serve as interim for months at a time, some even for more than a year. These retired pastors are taking jobs away from candidates. Some vacant churches won't even look at calling a candidate. In some cases, that may be wise. But in most cases, I wonder why won't they? Some vacant churches have "Specialized Interim Pastors" from outside the denomination. Are there not enough CRC pastors who can function in this role? Some vacant churches are ethnic churches and I agree with Brother Koll's assessment of those churches. Not very many candidates can serve an ethnic church unless they are from that ethnic community or have had language training as Brother Van Oyen suggests as a good solution.
Considering all these factors, out of a list of 100 vacant churches, only 30 to 40 will look at a candidate or are appropriate for a candidate. So there are 42 new candidates this year, 19 that have been extended from last year, and 20 that have been extended from the year before. It seems to me that there are more than enough candidates that can serve these 30 to 40 churches.
Good insights, Alejandro. But you missed the question that Brother Koll is addressing: Why are so many of our candidates still waiting? To say that the "average" CRC candidate shouldn't fear because a church is waiting for you somewhere, misses the point. It's not the churches who are waiting; it's the candidates (many of them for more than two years).
I think that what I described above is that the CRC is no longer in a situation that is "normal" or "average." For the first time in many years, the CRC is saturated with candidates waiting for a call from churches that are not actively looking to call them. Yes, churches are taking their time, etc. as you correctly indicate. And I agree that there is neither a single cause nor a single solution.
But if so many candidates are in the waiting room because they are not fully prepared to accept a call (as you indicate), then perhaps seminary is not adequately preparing them as it should. I ask again, has that possibility been addressed? And how has Brother Koll and the Candidacy Committee addressed the question of why so many candidates are in the waiting room (besides blogging about it)? Brother Koll's blog seems to be (for me anyway) more defensive than pro-active. I'm not sure that he and the Candidacy Committee realy know what it is like to be in the waiting room for two years.
I agree with you totally. Please don't misunderstand me. I am in no way saying that the church (or the denomination or seminary, for that matter) "owes" the candidate a job. I understand with all my heart that the calling must wait on the Lord.
But I do think that the denomination and the churches (especially the church that holds the candidates membership) need to support, encourage, and hold the candidate accountable during the waiting process. When a candidate waits for two years, he may have a family to support and only a part-time job. He has seminary loans to pay back. He begins to lose his sense of vocation. It's a trying time.
When I was declared a candidate, I was told that it was the Candidacy Committees job to oversee the candidates until they received a call. And yet, I only heard from them twice - once to ask if I wanted to extend my candidacy after the first year and once to ask if I wanted to extend my candidacy after the second year. Nor did I ever hear from the church that held my membership. Nor did I ever hear from anyone connected from the seminary. It seems as if most candidates are completely on their own. A little more support and encouragement would be nice. As I said, it's a trying time.
I also think that the Candidacy Committee, the seminary, and the denomination could do a better job promoting the candidates. I agree that this is not a union or professional organization, but there needs to be better communication between these three entities and the local church.
Brother Van Oyen mentioned the story of a candidate who had been in the waiting room for three years and applied for the chaplaincy. Brother Van Oyen gave him assistance and pursuaded his church to call that candidate to a position. Brother Van Oyen should be commended. Our denomination, our seminary, our Candidacy Committee, and even our local churches need more concerned, supportive persons like him. And being in the waiting room would be much more welcome to our candidates.
The conclusions listed above are nothing new. I've said the same thing over 20 years ago. And yet the CRC still expects the pastors to be the primary influence in the lives of our youth and young adults. It's time for parents and other adults to take an interest in the lives of our youth and young adults and to be a living example to them. What's taking us so long?
Ministry to youth and young adults is a topic that has already been talked about openly within the denomination. In fact, a number of years ago, a study committee presented its report to Synod concerning the churches' ministry to youth and young adults. Synod adopted some very good recommendations at that time.
I commend Classis Hamilton for their concern for the youth and young adults of the church. I, too, take my hat off to Classis Hamilton for being vulnerable and having a true desire to listen to the young adults of today. But why are we still in the talking and listening stage? Shouldn't we be implementing the recommendations made by Synod years ago? If churches, classes, and Synod are only now ready to receive what is being said and to begin the refining process, were we not listening years ago? What's taking us so long? Too much talk and not enough action?
Agreed - so let's get moving. Let's stop talking about the problems and start talking more about solutions. Let's talk more about how we can implement the guidelines that were made by Synod several years ago. Let's be pioneers in our ecclesiology, especially how it relates to our youth and young adults.
I am still grateful that the best thing any church has ever done for me as a young, single adult was to give me a job to do. I was elected a deacon at age 26 (practically unheard of) and I was chairman of the deacons and chairman of the missions committee within two years after that. That church was both authentic and relevant. We need more of that - church members showing confidence in the ability of the next generation to lead, chuch members leading by example, church members training the next generation to be missional servants.
Posted in: Waiting Pastors, Counting Sheep and Counting Shepherds
I am one of those candidates in the waiting room. I am available to go wherever God wants me to go. I am not tied down to a wife who has her own career and cannot relocate or to children who cannot change schools.
First of all, I question Brother Koll's research indicating that only 25% of the candidates are actually available. How was this number obtained? Whereas some candidates may limit themselves to a certain geographical area, they are still certainly available for a call. And is Brother Koll saying that after two years, some candidates still have some requirements that need to be met. If that is the case, then perhaps the Candidacy Committee needs to do a better job of encouraging them and/or holding them accountable to get their work finished. As for the rest who supposedly are not available for a call, why were they declared a candidate if they don't want to candidate for a call?
Second, I also question Brother Koll's third point regarding our denomination's growing diversity. Brother Koll suggests that because we have rural, city, and suburban churches and local ministries that vary greatly, congregations are casting a wider net in their search for a pastor. Is Brother Koll saying that some churches are so specialized and/or unique that no candidate is equipped to serve them? Either those churches are arrogant or Calvin Seminary is not adequately preparing its students to serve as pastors. Are those possibilities being addressed?
Finally, every month the denomination puts out a list of vacant churches. Every month the number of vacant churches hovers around 100. Some of those churches have been on the vacancy list for over two years. Are they not looking for a pastor? Actually, that indeed is the case. Many vacant churches are content to hire a retired pastor to serve as interim for months at a time, some even for more than a year. These retired pastors are taking jobs away from candidates. Some vacant churches won't even look at calling a candidate. In some cases, that may be wise. But in most cases, I wonder why won't they? Some vacant churches have "Specialized Interim Pastors" from outside the denomination. Are there not enough CRC pastors who can function in this role? Some vacant churches are ethnic churches and I agree with Brother Koll's assessment of those churches. Not very many candidates can serve an ethnic church unless they are from that ethnic community or have had language training as Brother Van Oyen suggests as a good solution.
Considering all these factors, out of a list of 100 vacant churches, only 30 to 40 will look at a candidate or are appropriate for a candidate. So there are 42 new candidates this year, 19 that have been extended from last year, and 20 that have been extended from the year before. It seems to me that there are more than enough candidates that can serve these 30 to 40 churches.
Posted in: Waiting Pastors, Counting Sheep and Counting Shepherds
Good insights, Alejandro. But you missed the question that Brother Koll is addressing: Why are so many of our candidates still waiting? To say that the "average" CRC candidate shouldn't fear because a church is waiting for you somewhere, misses the point. It's not the churches who are waiting; it's the candidates (many of them for more than two years).
Posted in: Waiting Pastors, Counting Sheep and Counting Shepherds
Alejandro:
I think that what I described above is that the CRC is no longer in a situation that is "normal" or "average." For the first time in many years, the CRC is saturated with candidates waiting for a call from churches that are not actively looking to call them. Yes, churches are taking their time, etc. as you correctly indicate. And I agree that there is neither a single cause nor a single solution.
But if so many candidates are in the waiting room because they are not fully prepared to accept a call (as you indicate), then perhaps seminary is not adequately preparing them as it should. I ask again, has that possibility been addressed? And how has Brother Koll and the Candidacy Committee addressed the question of why so many candidates are in the waiting room (besides blogging about it)? Brother Koll's blog seems to be (for me anyway) more defensive than pro-active. I'm not sure that he and the Candidacy Committee realy know what it is like to be in the waiting room for two years.
Posted in: Waiting Pastors, Counting Sheep and Counting Shepherds
Brother Zylstra:
I agree with you totally. Please don't misunderstand me. I am in no way saying that the church (or the denomination or seminary, for that matter) "owes" the candidate a job. I understand with all my heart that the calling must wait on the Lord.
But I do think that the denomination and the churches (especially the church that holds the candidates membership) need to support, encourage, and hold the candidate accountable during the waiting process. When a candidate waits for two years, he may have a family to support and only a part-time job. He has seminary loans to pay back. He begins to lose his sense of vocation. It's a trying time.
When I was declared a candidate, I was told that it was the Candidacy Committees job to oversee the candidates until they received a call. And yet, I only heard from them twice - once to ask if I wanted to extend my candidacy after the first year and once to ask if I wanted to extend my candidacy after the second year. Nor did I ever hear from the church that held my membership. Nor did I ever hear from anyone connected from the seminary. It seems as if most candidates are completely on their own. A little more support and encouragement would be nice. As I said, it's a trying time.
I also think that the Candidacy Committee, the seminary, and the denomination could do a better job promoting the candidates. I agree that this is not a union or professional organization, but there needs to be better communication between these three entities and the local church.
Brother Van Oyen mentioned the story of a candidate who had been in the waiting room for three years and applied for the chaplaincy. Brother Van Oyen gave him assistance and pursuaded his church to call that candidate to a position. Brother Van Oyen should be commended. Our denomination, our seminary, our Candidacy Committee, and even our local churches need more concerned, supportive persons like him. And being in the waiting room would be much more welcome to our candidates.
Posted in: Classis Takes Step in Right Direction
The conclusions listed above are nothing new. I've said the same thing over 20 years ago. And yet the CRC still expects the pastors to be the primary influence in the lives of our youth and young adults. It's time for parents and other adults to take an interest in the lives of our youth and young adults and to be a living example to them. What's taking us so long?
Posted in: Classis Takes Step in Right Direction
Ministry to youth and young adults is a topic that has already been talked about openly within the denomination. In fact, a number of years ago, a study committee presented its report to Synod concerning the churches' ministry to youth and young adults. Synod adopted some very good recommendations at that time.
I commend Classis Hamilton for their concern for the youth and young adults of the church. I, too, take my hat off to Classis Hamilton for being vulnerable and having a true desire to listen to the young adults of today. But why are we still in the talking and listening stage? Shouldn't we be implementing the recommendations made by Synod years ago? If churches, classes, and Synod are only now ready to receive what is being said and to begin the refining process, were we not listening years ago? What's taking us so long? Too much talk and not enough action?
Posted in: Classis Takes Step in Right Direction
Agreed - so let's get moving. Let's stop talking about the problems and start talking more about solutions. Let's talk more about how we can implement the guidelines that were made by Synod several years ago. Let's be pioneers in our ecclesiology, especially how it relates to our youth and young adults.
I am still grateful that the best thing any church has ever done for me as a young, single adult was to give me a job to do. I was elected a deacon at age 26 (practically unheard of) and I was chairman of the deacons and chairman of the missions committee within two years after that. That church was both authentic and relevant. We need more of that - church members showing confidence in the ability of the next generation to lead, chuch members leading by example, church members training the next generation to be missional servants.