Read on Twitter
The United Methodist Church is producing a whole host of young people who are excited to be in ministry. Many of them who have grown significantly in college ministry and have a heart for college students and young adults in their 20's. (1/?)
This just happens to be a demographic that many of our congregations are connecting to most poorly, and it is a tremendous gift that God is raising up people to do this important work.
Excited, they enter the candidacy process and submit to all of the requirements, including itinerancy. Then, we appoint them to small, often declining churches, where the financial burden is borne primarily by people over 70.
They continue to follow their vows and minister to the people who are in their flock, discipling those under their care, and keeping satisfied those who pay the bills.
But they are rarely *really* given permission or the resources (time & money) to invest in the people that they feel most called to connect to and that the church desperately needs to minister to.
It's one of the worst negative feedback loops that we've got in the connection, and we've got to find some ways to break through it. The need is there. We have people with the gifts and the desires. But we haven't found a way to invest in it over the long haul.
This is in no way to diminish the faithful work that happens in pastoral care and discipleship in so many of our churches. But things are currently out of balance. And we've got to do something about it. (end) #RamblingsOfADCOMRegistrar
