JUDY VALENTE: From the time she was 13 years old, Jennifer Smith knew she wanted to be a Methodist minister.
JENNIFER SMITH (Graduate, Drew University School of Theology, Madison, NJ): I saw that I really had a passion for preaching and for reaching out to others and doing mission trips and things like that. So I really began to zero in and see that I was called to the local church.VALENTE: On this day, the 25-year-old Smith will take a big step toward realizing her dream, graduating summa cum laude from Drew University's School of Theology in Madison, New Jersey. But Smith and others her age are a distinct minority at many seminaries.
Ms. SMITH: You picture "pastor" and you picture this sort of, you know, old man or something like that in the clerical garb. And you might not even think that's an option. I didn't even realize that women could be pastors either until I was in late high school.
VALENTE: The Reverend Lovett Weems of Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., documented the declining numbers of young clergy in mainline Protestant denominations.
The Reverend LOVETT WEEMS (Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington D.C.): Churches that have been in decline for decades are not a compelling magnet to draw energetic, passionate younger persons to commit their lives to a vocation of ministry.VALENTE: Only about five percent of mainline Protestant pastors are under the age of 35 - a dramatic drop from 20 years ago. Church leaders say having young, energetic pastors is essential to the future vibrancy of the church.
The Reverend ANN SVENNUGSEN (Fund for Theological Education, Atlanta, GA): They do bring a life and an energy that is inspiring to a whole congregation. They also, in many cases, lift up the congregation's sense of its own vocation of helping to mentor young pastors.
VALENTE: The Reverend Kurt Levensaler is an Episcopal priest in his early 30s. He says long working hours, starting salaries as low as $20,000 to $30,000 a year, and the stress on a minister's family are among the reasons young people shy away from this vocation. The Reverend KURT LEVENSALER (Christ Church, Alexandria, VA): Ordained ministry requires a high level of commitment across one's life, and in this day and age, in my generation we've almost elevated our personal choice to the level of God, and so that sense of commitment that's required, I think, is one of the obstacles.
VALENTE: Moreover, only about half of those who graduate from seminary actually go on to work in parish ministry. They pursue careers in social services, chaplaincy or teaching. Twenty-six-year-old Joshua Wall won an award at Drew for his New Testament scholarship. But he doesn't think he'd do well as a pastor. He's decided to teach.
JOSHUA WALL (Graduate, Drew University School of Theology, Madison, NJ): I feel like often the church holds onto what it's done in the past because that's what it's always done, even when it doesn't make sense or it doesn't translate into today's society. I work a lot with youth, and so it's hard to explain to youth that, you know, the song's important because it's 800 years old. That's great, but when they are bored to tears by it, and I'm bored as well, it's hard to look at that and understand how they're supposed to relate to it.MAXINE BEACH (Dean, Drew University School of Theology, Madison, NJ): A lot of young 20-year-olds really believe that they can probably
make more of a difference someplace else, that churches have become comfortable. They've become places that are interested in their own survival, and a lot of 20- to 25-year-olds, 30-year-old people do not want to buy into that dynamic. They want a place where they really believe that Jesus can be real and new.VALENTE: Church leaders are banding together across denominational lines to encourage more young people to consider ministry. The Reverend Ann Svennungsen directs the Atlanta-based Fund for Theological Education.
The Reverend SVENNUNGSEN: We support them financially. We support them with a network of mentors and peers. We help them to imagine the goodness of this work.VALENTE: The Lilly Endowment is funding a mentoring program that pairs senior pastors with younger ministers.
and special services, and it's a privilege to be with people at those moments.
VALENTE: Sheila Beckford, who is 35, is graduating from Drew's School of Theology. She felt called to ministry as a young adult, but was afraid to respond, and no one encouraged her.
Mr. WALL: I don't think it's so much that we need to see young people, although that's important. I feel like it's more important that the church communicates to young people and make a point of that and show you are the future. We should invest in you and not bring you along as we go on our journey but equip you to go on yours.
The Reverend OAK: The people that I have had an opportunity to work with have a deep passion for the well-being of the church, and that's what gives me such hope that not only will these trends reverse, but the church will open up and change in ways that will embrace a lot of different people.
