Update: A District President speaks forthrightly

The large number of 2010 graduates without calls is getting discussed all over the place. Today I was pointed to a very lengthy, and for the most part very worthwhile, discussion of the topic over at the ALBP forums.

The Rt. Rev. David Benke, Bishop and President of the Atlantic District, had much to say - all of it forthright and useful.

I'm posting a couple of quotes here with links to the pages on which the entire comments appear. If you wish to interact with Rt. Rev. Benke and respond to him, you should do so over at ALBP.

+HRC

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Clergy shortage or Paying parish shortage?

"I have spoken to any and everyone including those on this forum for years now in an attempt to lay the problem where the problem really is at the root - we have a shortage of parishes with a viable pastoral compensation package. The SMP program in many cases is producing ordained pastors who can serve in a less-than-full compensation role. The "regular" route seminarians will without question face this same dilemna - full compensation is not guaranteed upon graduation and certification. I'm convinced, in fact, that placements being made in recent years at the end of the process in an attempt to find a spot for everyone have not helped, since the candidate is not going to be receiving a realistic compensation in these little parishes, and is going to be expected personally to turn things around in six months to a year. Too much expectation too soon." Link to page with entire comment and context.

On retirement of Boomers and the proper level of vacancy:

"There are (at least) three chaplains at Luther Manor - one full time, two part-time; Missouri and ELCA. One of the part-time men is 80. I frankly don't see 65 as a meaningful number for many pastors in the 21st century. The vocation doesn't have a retirement date on it. Some may choose to be less active but remain in visitation and preaching assignments that would have been those "#2" position in parishes and can be done by someone who has great seasoning. As times change, not all those who have left their main parish assignment are heading to warmer climes,either, and the northern parishes will have more available part-time assignees. The other caveat is that with volunteers and parish-trained visitors, the larger church that used to have a second or third pastor is doing more with less from the ordained perspective.

"That being said, the 4%-6% parish vacancy rate was the benchmark when parishes were larger and more compensationally able. Even if X amount were "messy" or temporarily unable to extend a call, a six month timeframe was what could be advised for pastors wanting or needing to move. No such timeframe exists now." Link to page with entire comment and context.

Update on Don't go the seminary: The Hard Numbers

Here are the official numbers of vacancies from the Synod.

You'll note that the most recent numbers are pre-Call Day. The raw vacancy number: 934. But we've got to subtract those from that number that are non-calling (342), "temporarily" non-calling (219), and those placed at Call Day (about 130). So there are about 243 actually calling vacancies right now. Or fewer than 7 per district.

I ask again: How many guys are on CRM? There are two in our circuit. . .

And how much "wiggle room" is good for a church body? That is, how many vacancies should we have to allow for pastors to move around as appropriate and healthy? More or less than 4%? Because, 243 is 4% of our 6,000 congregations.

What if US unemployment were 4%? Would you consider that a strong economy? Would you call it a "labor shortage"?

Oh, by the way. You can see here that we actually have 9,010 pastors. Of whom only 5,359 are serving parishes.

So....there are 243 real vacancies, an untold number of men on CRM, and 3,651 pastors who are not serving congregations. Now, of course that number includes synodocrats and retirees. But are 93.4% of them synodocrats and retirees? Because 243 is only 6.6% of 3,651.

There is no clergy shortage. There is a clergy glut.

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Lectionary resource

Here is a great resource for students of the historic Western lectionary - it includes some great 16th century woodcuts geared to the Gospel lessons.

This is a Roman resource, so you'll have to consult your copy of Luther Reed's The Lutheran Liturgy for those places in which the Lutheran lectionary differs from Rome. These differences, more often than not, are because the Lutherans are maintaining the northern European lessons which differed slightly from what was current in Rome, mostly in the order of certain Gospel lessons.

What? Don't have a copy of Reed? It's one you just have to have. Go to bookfinder.com and pick up a used copy. There are a couple going right now for $14 shipped. That's a deal. Rush out now in a buying frenzy.

+HRC

To do list

It'd be nice if the Churches of the Augsburg Confession in this land would return to the organizational life advocated by our Confessions - namely, evangelical bishops who would teach the parish pastors and make ordinances regarding ceremonies and church practice to insure peace in the church, reverence in worship, and common confession.

But while we're waiting for the current bureaucracies of the current synods to finally crumble, faithful Lutheran ministers need to support one another in living up to our Confession. Here's my short list of what we should be working toward and helping each other achieve. It is modest, yet in many places will be quite a climb. I put it down with the new crop of ordinands especially in mind. What would you add, subtract, or edit on this list?

* Communion offered every Lord's Day and on the other feasts of the year.

* A reverent celebration of the Lutheran Divine Service as contained in the jurisdiction's agenda. See Ap. XXIV.1 for a short list of what a "reverent celebration" will include. In today's Lutheranism, I think teaching the Real Presence with a genuflection after each consecration to be an important ceremony to recover.

* The use of one of the jurisdiction's approved lectionaries and calendars - I believe that the lectionary used by Luther and the other Lutheran fathers - corresponding, more or less, to LSB's One Year Lectionary - has the most the recommend it among the options.

* Re-introducing the Common Service, at least as one among other orders used, in places where it has fallen into disuse.

+HRC

Comfort, comfort ye my people

Our fellow editor, Fr. Petersen, who serves in Ft. Wayne has some words for you. And here are the words to which he referred.