Is There an Ideal Age for Clergy?
Lovett H. Weems Jr. looks at shifting age patterns among United Methodist clergy through the lens of history and newly available clergy age data for…
Browsing: Clergy Age
Articles
Does an Aging Population Explain High Clergy Ages?
For most traditions, the disproportionate aging of clergy is a crucial challenge. Lovett H. Weems Jr. highlights some of the findings in the National Congregations…
Number of Young Elders in the United Methodist Church Reaches a Record Low Number in 2023
Lovett H. Weems Jr. highlights the decline in numbers of young clergy in the Lewis Center’s annual Clergy Age Trends Report. A dramatic decline in…
Clergy Age Trends in the United Methodist Church: 1985-2023
Download the 2023 Clergy Age Trends Report. Highlights of the 2023 Report Young Elders Reach New Record Low Number The recent decline in the…
Still Fewer Young United Methodist Elders in 2022
Lovett H. Weems Jr. reports that the declining number of young elders in the United Methodist Church has accelerated while the number of young deacons…
Addressing the Root Causes of the Crisis of Younger Clergy
Few doubt that struggles over the United Methodist Church’s stance on homosexuality and uncertainty about the future of the denomination are factors in the recent,…
Episode 68: “Finding Solutions to the Young Clergy Crisis” featuring Bishop Janice Huie
What strategies support and encourage young people entering ministry? In this episode Bishop Janice Huie shares the importance of listening deeply to young people, embracing a holistic approach, and sustaining our commitment to younger clergy in face of new challenges.
Young Elder Numbers Return to Near Historic Low in UMC
Lovett H. Weems Jr. reports that the number of young elders in the United Methodist Church has dropped precipitously in the past two years. The…
Clergy Age Trends In The United Methodist Church: 1985-2020
Download the 2020 Clergy Age Trends Report. Highlights of the 2020 Report Decline in the Number of Young Elders Continues Since reaching the record low…
The Challenging Climate for U.S. Congregations
The average congregation is getting smaller with a median size of around 60 attenders, reports Scott Thumma, director of the Hartford Institute for Religious Research.…
Clergy Age Trends Give Cause for Concern
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., highlights some of the findings in the Lewis Center’s annual Clergy Age Trends report. Of note is a major downturn in…
Clergy Age Trends In The United Methodist Church: 1985-2019
Download the 2019 Clergy Age Trends Report. Highlights of the 2019 Report Dramatic Decline in the Number of Young Elders Not only did the number…
6 Trends Revealed in 2018 Clergy Age Report
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., highlights some of the significant findings in the Lewis Center’s annual Clergy Age Trends Report. Of note is the modest downturn…
5 Reasons the Church Still Needs Young Clergy
For many years the Lewis Center has monitored the presence of younger clergy in the church. Why do these trends still matter? Lovett H. Weems,…
Clergy Age Trends In The United Methodist Church: 1985-2018
Download the complete 2018 Clergy Age Trends Report. Highlights of the 2018 Report Number of Young Elders Holds Steady at Somewhat Lower Level After three…
2017 Clergy Age Report
Download the 2017 Clergy Age Trends Report. For over ten years, the Lewis Center in partnership with Wespath Benefits has reported annually on the changing…
Clergy Age Trends In The United Methodist Church: 1985-2017
Download the complete 2017 Clergy Age Trends Report. Highlights of the 2017 Report Number of Young Elders Shows Downturn in 2017 After three consecutive years…
Clergy Age Trends in the United Methodist Church in 2016
Lovett H. Weems, Jr., reports that despite a modest but steady increase in the number of young clergy in the United Methodist Church over the…
Clergy Age Trends in the United Methodist Church: 1985-2016
Highlights of the 2016 Report Decade-Long Modest but Steady Increase in Young Elders Continues In 2005, the United Methodist Church reported the smallest percentage of…
To the Point: Suggestions for Churches with a Clergywoman
Celebrate your new pastor. Know that your new pastor continues a tradition of women in ministry going back to biblical times. Do all that you…
Young Clergy Numbers Grow Among Young Clergywomen
For over ten years, the Lewis Center in partnership with the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits has reported annually on Clergy Age Trends in…
Research
The Lewis Center seeks to advance the knowledge and practice of church leadership with targeted research on issues that are vital to the church today. Our…
To the Point: Why Women Are Clergy
The many Christian denominations that ordain women as clergy do so for sound biblical, historical, and theological reasons — even though there are traditions that…
To the Point: Suggestions for Churches with a Single Pastor
All clergy face many challenges. But single persons in ministry can face a unique set of challenges around maintaining boundaries, privacy, and social connections, particularly…
To the Point: Suggestions for Churches with a Young Pastor
Churches that receive a young pastor need to remember how lucky they are. Many congregations say they want a younger pastor, but few have the…
To the Point: Ways Established Church Leaders Can Work with Young Clergy
It is incumbent upon those who are older to reach out to their younger colleagues. Those who are younger are not nearly as likely to…
To the Point: Why Young Clergy Matter
“Younger clergy aren’t necessarily better. They’re just younger. And that matters.” — Lovett H. Weems, Jr. In recent decades, many North American churches have suffered…
Percentage of Older Clergy Reaches Record High
The Lewis Center for Church Leadership today released the 2013 version of its annual report on Clergy Age Trends in the United Methodist Church. The report…
The Older Clergy Bubble Grows Larger in 2012
The Lewis Center for Church Leadership today released the 2012 version of its annual report on Clergy Age Trends in the United Methodist Church. The report,…
2011 Clergy Age Trends Report Shows More Older and Younger Clergy
The Lewis Center for Church Leadership today released the 2011 version of its annual report Clergy Age Trends in the United Methodist Church. The report,…