Research - The State of Clergy Formation

TiM Programs May Help New Clergy Stay in Ministry

Transition into Ministry programs were created, in part, to address the problem of clergy attrition. How much impact do they have on the recently ordained?

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Clergy Formation—Preparing for Ministry in Today’s World, or Yesterday’s? (Overview)

Clergy Into Action Study findings suggest an overall pattern: clergy formation is still based on traditional models of ordained ministry and cultural assumptions that are increasingly irrelevant.

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Clergy Formation—Preparing for Ministry in Today’s World, or Yesterday’s? (Part 1)

Part 1 of the four-part Clergy Formation series explores patterns of clergy confidence in skill areas such as preaching, pastoral care, communication, supervising others, and community outreach.

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Clergy Formation—Preparing for Ministry in Today’s World, or Yesterday’s? (Part 2)

Part 2 of the four-part Clergy Formation series asks whether today's ordained ministers invest enough time in the areas of ministry that would benefit their congregations the most.

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Clergy Formation—Preparing for Ministry in Today’s World, or Yesterday’s? (Part 3)

Part 3 of the four-part Clergy Formation series identifies leadership skills that pastors and priests need which are not being emphasized in seminary or in post-seminary training programs.

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Clergy Formation—Preparing for Ministry in Today’s World, or Yesterday’s? (Part 4)

Part 4 of the four-part Clergy Formation series suggests that one reason for the lack of change in clergy formation may be churches' continued adherence to a traditional model of ministry.

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How Many Quit? Estimating the Clergy Attrition Rate

You've heard the scary statistics — people saying that 30% to 40% of clergy drop out of the ministry, most within their first five years. But what evidence is there to support these numbers?

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Transition into Ministry Programs Reinforce Clergy Strengths, Overlook Some Areas of Weakness

The Clergy Into Action Study found that TiM programs reinforce strengths like preaching and pastoral care but do little to fill in gaps such as supervision, finance, and administration.

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