SHORTAGE OF REFORMED PASTORS EXPECTED

In Europe there is a steady decline of men entering the ministry in every single denomination and country. Despite a year long campaign to attract new students only six have enrolled for their first year of study at the Theological University of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands
(Liberated) in Kampen, The Netherlands. Kampen II launched a campaign in 2001 with the goal of recruiting 25 students.

The (Liberated) Reformed Churches have 302 ministers serving 126,456 members. Some 55 congregations have vacant pastorates. A large number of pastors will begin retiring in 2010. As a result the shortage is expected to rise dramatically.

In an interview with the "Nederlands Dagblad" Kampen's Greek professor J.A. Meijer underlines the fact that real numbers are even worse than they appear to be at first sight. Two of the six new students are women. And the faculty knows from experience that only half of the men who enroll will become ministers. The Reformed Churches can realistically expect only three freshmen to enter the ministry. Since 12 students enrolled in 2001, the two classes combined will probably produce no more than nine pastors.

Over the past 12 months Kampen II has made serious efforts to publicize the school and find potential candidates. Last spring 25 interested candidates visited Kampen for an information day. The school also received many responses from men who had already completed university education and were interested in full-time ministry.

Meijer continued "After all that effort we did not expect this response." Professor Meijer further notes that potential theology students are aware of what is going on in the church. Many pastors are on forced leave and "That has not escaped the notice of these students."

In an interview with "Christian Renewal" the Liberated Reformed Synod's new moderator, Dr. Erik de Boer, points to the dramatic rise in the number of pastors who leave the ministry or who are forced to leave their congregations. He estimates that up to 30 percent of the denomination's pastors have been in some sort of difficulty over the past few years. In his own classis two of the eight pastors have been released from their congregations.

"Twenty five years ago congregations were willing to accept the weaknesses of their pastors. They viewed them as God's servant, with all his strengths and weaknesses. Congregations today demand much more from a pastor and are less willing to be patient with him. If the minister does not live up to the expectations of a part of the congregation, a body of resistance may develop. A shift in the church council may tip the balance against a minister," according to de Boer.

Dr. John P. Elliott, Executive Editor, Christian Observer