By Lovett H. Weems Jr. For seventeen years, the Lewis Center for Church Leadership has issued annual reports on clergy age trends in the United Methodist Church. The reports emerged originally from a perceived absence of young clergy compared to previous eras. Working in partnership with Wespath Benefits and Investments, the denominational pension agency, the…
By Lovett H. Weems Jr. A significant concern within many faith communities in recent years has been the increasing age of clergy in the United States. Such increases in clergy age have been cited since the 1980s. Several reasons are suggested. One is the entrance of second-career clergy. The factor most often identified as the…
WASHINGTON, DC — The Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary has launched an initiative to study the makeup of the religious workforce across Christian traditions in the U.S. Research will focus on the changing staffing patterns of congregations and shifts in the employment of ordained clergy and nonordained professionals within local churches,…