Disciples have lofty expectations for the next two decades: Start 1,000 new congregations. Revitalize 1,000 existing congregations. More than double the number of ministers called annually to keep up with retirements and expansion. The aggressive growth plan sends a clear message to the denomination: Produce leaders-now! The problem is, how?

"What's scary is that when you factor in the call for new ministers, the existing shortage and retirements, and new church starts, we are going to need (more than 200) new ministers each year by 2020," said Paul Jones, chaplain at Transylvania University in Lexington, Ky. "Right now, we are ordaining fewer than 100 systemwide annually. We need a national strategy, and it must be put in place 10 years ago. Every day we wait, we're behind the curve."

Get them when they're young

The search for leaders begins with today's kids, observers say-kids found not only in our youth groups but also in our nurseries. Toddlers entertained by jingling keys soon will have keys to neighborhood churches. Getting them involved early will be vital to helping them discern a call to ministry-or other leadership.

"The key to inviting more young people to consider God's call into ministry is to give them a taste, as early as possible, of what it means to be in ministry," said Randy Kuss, former Youth Ministries Director in Disciples Home Missions. "The more places we can find for them to get involved, the more they'll feel it's their church and not just Mom and Dad's church."

Currently, the church is losing even those youth who have been active in youth groups, because the sense of connection doesn't last, Kuss said.

"Teens involved in great youth programs (graduate and) are told, 'go be an adult now,' and they walk out into the rest of church," Kuss said. "The music doesn't reach them, relationships are hard to build, and they think, 'well this stinks.' If kids can be part of shaping a church's direction, they can come out of youth programs into a church they helped build".

While incorporating young leaders early is sometimes difficult, there is hope. Through a variety of programs and initiatives-some of them begun 10 years ago-Disciples are beginning to identify, develop and call new leaders.

A pair of Kentucky programs are good examples of what Disciples can and are doing.

Transy & T.E.A.M. (Totally Excited About Ministry), a youth program developed by Transylvania's Jones, targets high school students who might have an interest in ministry.

"The most important thing Transy & T.E.A.M. does is get high school students in conversations with other students thinking about ministry," Jones said. "It identifies, nurtures and recruits leaders for the church."

Originally funded by the Division of Higher Education, Transy & T.E.A.M. started with 18 students in 1993. Seven years later, 45 students have participated in the 2000 class, outside funding has been pledged, and the Fund for Theological Education has cited Transy & T.E.A.M. as a model program for recruiting high school students for ministry.

The program is beginning to show its first modest results. This year, one member of the original class is scheduled to graduate from seminary. That might not seem like much, but Jones points out the program is a long-term process. Numbers will begin to grow. And similar programs around the country are beginning to adopt this model for young people in other geographic regions.

"The cycle takes at least eight to 10 years," Jones said. "It starts with a high school senior, then there are four years of college and three years of seminary. The yield is not high, but a majority of participants will go on to Disciples schools and stay in the (leadership) pipeline."

Meanwhile, students who sense a call to ministry can get an inside look at seminary life and pastoral life at Kentucky's Lexington Theological Seminary. Last fall, the seminary hosted 18 college students who had been identified by their pastors as persons considering a call to ministry. During the three-day conference, participants discussed what it means to be called to Christian ministry, saw the seminary in operation, met ordained clergy from a variety of ministries, rubbed elbows with current seminary students and interacted with other students considering a call. While seminary faculty, regional staff, and students led presentations and seminars, prospective candidates led a Saturday morning worship service. This program has met with modest success. So far, one student from the initial workshop has enrolled at the seminary. Several more report interest in ordained ministry.

Different roads

While Transy & T.E.A.M. and the seminary's orientation program target young Disciples, some future ministers wait years before they sense or respond to a call. Demographics at seminaries reflect the wave of second-career ministers. Studies show only four in 10 seminarians are younger than 30. The remaining students range into their 60s. More than half considered theological school before or during college, although only 20 percent have undergraduate degrees in religion.

"Older students may have heard the call early but received little encouragement from their church or family," said Stan Hagadone of Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. "They pursue other career goals and later realize that (ministry) is where they need to be. The sad thing is they've lost years of ministry; so has the church." Still, second-career ministers do bring a good deal of life experience-an advantage that often means the on-the-job learning curve may not be as steep as for younger ministers.

Age is not the most important factor, according to those recruiting ministers.
"We want people who are having a life-changing experience with God through Jesus," said Church Extension's Judy Turner, "who have a passion for sharing that experience and helping others share that passion, who help people become disciples-with a lower case d-first."

Turner is serving in a new position funded by Disciples general units Disciples Home Missions and Church Extension. Her portfolio includes helping the church find and develop the leaders it needs. And she is thinking outside the traditional seminary-track box.

"We want people who see communities around them as mission fields," she said. "We want people who have biblical and theological groundings, but not necessarily ministers who have gone through the hoops we (traditionally have) expected of pastors."

Turner is not alone. Others advocate allowing new ministers to get on-the-job training through licensed ministry.

"We must affirm lay leadership again and see licensed ministry not as a feared program but as a valid way into ordained ministry," says Pablo Jimenez, Disciples National Hispanic pastor. "If we are to secure this leadership, we need to begin thinking about ordination of licensed ministers after they meet certain (basic) educational requirements."

Disciples in the District of Columbia Capital Area actively have sought to train lay and licensed leaders, according to Melvin Ray Schultz. "Lay Institute … has proven to be an extremely successful response to the need for educated church leadership," he wrote.

According to Schultz, four 90-minute classes are offered quarterly on Saturdays. Topics include Old Testament, Disciples history and polity, and practical ministries. Local pastors participate in the program, offering instruction in areas such as conflict management, counseling, administration and advocacy ministries.

"We have uncovered and made use of a multitude of regionally available skills and talents. Well over 150 individuals have participated in the first two sessions of the institute." Enrollment is open for Lay Institute III, Schultz said.

At least 10 graduates are now licensed ministers. In one instance, Schultz reported, "primary leadership was provided over a five-year span to a start-up congregation in southern Maryland. Eight (students) elected to go to seminary … two more are considering seminary this fall."

Three major strengths of the program, according to Schultz, are that it doesn't underestimate laity, it takes full advantage of the skills of local clergy and it makes adult education a primary focus.

Diamonds in the rough

What qualities and skills are needed to be a successful pastor in the 21st century?

Important leadership traits include being a self-starter, being willing to work with little tangible support or financial resources, possessing motivational abilities, people skills, effective communication talents and a vision of the future for both the church and the denomination-and patience.

"They cannot be easily discouraged," said Janet Long, pastor of Washington Avenue Christian Church in Elyria, Ohio, "because you don't see results overnight."

Watching how people react to suffering also may help Disciples identify potential leaders, said Dan Moseley of Indianapolis' Christian Theological Seminary.

"A desire to offer healing is core," Moseley said. "That's theologically consistent with a God who suffers with humanity."

Moseley also suggests that potential ministers "shadow" a pastor-to explore "every part" of what he calls a "deeply moving profession."

Lyons is Communications Director for the Division of Higher Education, in St. Louis.

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