Under the Age of 35
Holston Conference has the highest percentage of young elders in the United Methodist Church. But is that high enough?

Bishop James Swanson, like many other Holston leaders, rejoiced when he heard the news.

In March, a report was released showing that, out of 63 United Methodist conferences, Holston has the highest percentage of elders under the age of 35.

That, as they say, is the good news.

The report also showed that the average age of elders across the denomination has increased by five years in the past two decades. In 1985, the average age of ordained elders was 46.8, compared to 51.5 years in 2005.

During the same time period, young elders as a percentage of all elders dropped from 15.05 percent to 4.69 percent.

So although Holston has the highest percentage of young elders - with 10 percent - that's still "five percent less than the denominational average in 1985," according to the report.

The research was conducted by the Lewis Center for Church Leadership at United Methodist-related Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington and the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits in Evanston, Ill.

Swanson responded to these statistics by writing in his blog.

"We are indebted to the founders of Resurrection and Discovery and to those who have continued to carry on this tradition," he wrote, referring to Holston spiritual events that intentionally give young people opportunities to explore their possible calls to ministry.

"If we add to that the growing event for young adults, Divine Rhythm, we may continue to lead in this category for years to come.

Then, Swanson added this note of encouragement and challenge:

"We are leading other annual conferences but ... we need to keep pushing to improve. If we are to lift high the cross and extend the reach of the Kingdom of God, then we need to continue to call forth young women and men into the ministry."

Culture of the call
Although the United Methodist Church seeks to reach new members in their 20s and 30s, the age of clergy is growing in the other direction. The denomination does not attract clergy from the younger population, the report said.

"Efforts to encourage younger persons to respond to God's call to ordained ministry must be a priority for the United Methodist Church," said the Rev. Lovett H. Weems Jr., director of the Lewis Center. "Vital and growing churches are a key to attracting such younger leadership."

Weems says the value in a study examining clergy age trends is needed to know the shape of future leadership of the denomination.

"We are hoping this will give leaders in the church who want to change the trend the information they need to do that," Weems said.

"Just at the time when the organization needs its best leaders in greatest numbers, the base of new and quality leaders tends to be smallest," he noted. "The issue of enlisting younger quality clergy must be seen side by side with the quality and vitality of the church itself."

Holston Conference may have been more successful than other conferences in attracting young clergy because of its long-standing network of activities and attitudes that lead young people to consider and answer the call to full-time ministry, says the Rev. Grady Winegar, conference secretary and administrative registrar to the Board of Ordained Ministry.

"Holston has traditionally had a strong 'culture of the call,'" he said. "It begins with vital congregations of small, medium, or large membership churches, where our youth experience God and are challenged to be in mission with others. Our camping ministry provides life-changing moments for children and youth ... and career-forming experiences for older youth who are trained as camp counselors."

Holston Conference has four camps - Lookout, Buffalo Mountain, Dickenson, and Wesley Woods - and three district camps.

In addition to spiritual-growth events such as Senior High and Junior High Assembly for youth and Divine Rhythm for young adults, Holston is blessed with a wealth of colleges and Wesley Foundations, opening avenues for Holston to reach out to young people, he said.

"Our three distinctive Christian colleges expose our youth to new images of themselves as they interact with the chaplains and dedicated faculty and administrators," Winegar said. "We have five very engaged Wesley Foundations and directors on our university campuses."

The conference colleges include Emory & Henry, Tennessee Wesleyan, and Hiwassee. Wesley Foundations are established at Radford University, University of Virginia College at Wise, East Tennessee State University, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

In the 1950s, Holston pioneered a scholarship that would inspire the denomination to develop the Ministerial Education Fund, providing seminary scholarships to promising students. Today, an increasing number of local churches are endowing scholarships for seminary students, Winegar said, "and several individuals in our churches are including seminary scholarship funds in their estate planning."

There also exists an attitude of acceptance and encouragement for young people in Holston's "culture of the call," Winegar said.

"District superintendents, district committees on ordained ministry, and candidacy mentors in Holston have been very alert and effective on the front line as young people begin to inquire about their vocations." The conference's Board of Ordained Ministry has been "very open" to welcoming candidates who inquire about the possibility of transferring to Holston from other conferences or denominations, he added.

"This is our culture of the call, and we are always seeking ways to improve each of its vital parts," Winegar said.

Reporting by the United Methodist News Service and Annette Spence of The Call

Coming in a future issue:
Part 2 — What can individuals, congregations, the conference, and the general church do to help recruit young clergy?.

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