Radical Proposal
Where Nathan gets in trouble for poking a system
Recently, a well-meaning consultant called me because she heard that we had a crop of young leaders at Trinity. “Do you have an emotionally intelligent, potential-for-future-senior-leadership candidate to serve in an attractive congregation? Great entry to a bright future—could even help pay for seminary while in ministry. Should probably be a male. Would be a nice extra if he had a youngish family…” I felt kind of yucky after that chat. If I connected her with a successful candidate she would get paid handsomely from the congregation that is financially well-resourced. Maybe I would have received a Starbucks card? Trinity San Pedro which housed the candidate, provided spaces for the candidate to grow, and wept when the candidate was sent out would receive nothing except the Antioch-joy of sending our best to someone else (Acts 13). RADICAL PROPOSAL: Hiring a headhunter organization to find your next ministry leader is misplaced funding. It is giving money to people who benefit from another’s labors, and it is only for the wealthiest congregation. Little Rural Lutheran Church can’t afford to hire a headhunter, and neither can Urban Ethnic Lutheran Church. One reason (certainly not the only) more-poorly-resourced congregations are having a challenging time finding a candidate is their richer suburban sister congregations have the resources to not only pay a minister, but to pay a headhunter to hunt for a minister. Headhunters are a symptom of a sickness, not a solution to a problem.
Recently, a prominent Lutheran seminary received substantial gifts that allowed the seminary to pay for all or most of the costs associated with the Master of Divinity degree. Even though it was personally costly for me to go to seminary, and now it is free (or close to free), said seminary has far less than half the M.Div. students than when I graduated 20 years ago. They have more money than ministry candidates. Yet, many donors are more impressed with old brick and mortar and hope that if the seminary doesn’t have to worry about money, maybe more candidates will appear. “If you fund it they will come” is not working.
May I make a radical proposal. Radical as in Merriam-Webster’s explanation of the word: “Radical was first an adjective, borrowed in the 14th century from the Late Latin radicalis, itself from Latin radic-, radix, meaning "root." Instead of paying a headhunter for a quick fix, or a seminary for a wished-for bump in enrollment, fund the actual seminarian. Let the money go where the seminarian goes. Support seminaries by generously supporting seminarians. Find those congregations and organizations that have some kind of fertile atmosphere that seem to be identifying and equipping the next generation of ministry vocations. What parishes seem to be making pastors? Have you ever wondered by Saskatchewan produces so many hockey players? Scouts don’t make hockey players, they find them. There are only 1.2 million inhabitants of that vast land. But, they have ample ice time, and zambonis, and ‘bunny hugs’ (Saskatchewanians lovely term for ‘hoodies’) to keep those players and crowds warm. It is not the scouts that fill the NHL teams, the solution is more radical—closer to the root.
Now, I love helping match congregations with potential ministers. Writing recommendations for our interns and seminarians makes me nearly burst my britches. It is deeply gratifying as I reflect on the gift of the good matches of Matt and Sarah at Christ, Emma at Faith, Gage at Mount Carmel, Jordan and Elly at Redeemer, Ben at Community of the Crossing, and the list goes on! And we are not the only ones doing this work. Faith in Hutchinson, Awaken Project on the Mount Carmel Campus, Discipleship House at World Mission Prayer League, and Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute have all recently become parts of the Greenhouse Collective (link tree here). Each of them are fertile seedbeds for the residential discipleship of young adults, and out of that mission, a resource for leaders in Christ church that have spent time in the formational workshop of community.
Want to help identify the next generation of leaders in Christ’s church? May I make a radical proposal? Fund the root.
If you are interested in giving to Trinity Greenhouse, here is a link (just pull down the menu and give to “Greenhouse”).
I agree with you, Nathan, as you’re making ‘Spiritual investments’ into so many lives there at Trinity. You are totally committed to young people whose potential is evident and I love the fact that your wisdom is poured into them. Thank you for sharing these insights.