Comments on: Some Cradle UU Thoughts on Lay Theological Education

By: Steven R

Steven R — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:25:52 +0000

David: since there are UU ministers starting UU Churches - there shouldn’t be any problem with eventual affiliation (there are other hoops to jump through). Of course one problem with this is that these ministers have to have another full time job while doing these set-ups.

By: Ms. Theologian

Ms. Theologian — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:22:37 +0000

So essentially what you need is more lay people starting churches in order to deal with the (perceived) ministerial glut? That sounds like it could be my “Path 5″ as Church Planting.

By: David

David — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:09:55 +0000

…there are too many UU ministers for the number of jobs (at least full-time positions)

Years ago, a young freelance Church of God preacher rented out the community room in my apartment complex for every Sunday morning. He went around the neighborhood, putting up handbills for his new church. Eventually he got himself enough congregants that they rented a storefront; I think they eventually got a church.

In the large US city where I live, several districts with educated, affluent residents are lacking UU congregations. Why doesn’t one of our underemployed ministers move there and start up a church?

Sadly, there are a variety of reasons this doesn’t happen. With rare exceptions, only laypeople start up new UU churches, and darn few of those. If a UU minister did start up a new church, it’s likely that our UU polity would not allow UUA membership. (Obviously, the congregation is not selecting the minister when the minister is selecting the congregation.)

By: Ms. Theologian

Ms. Theologian — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:31:50 +0000

You know I’ve heard that too about the number of ministers needed in the coming decade, but I also heard the same thing a decade ago in divinity school. I’m sure there are some official numbers somewhere. I should ask Philocrites.

By: ogre

ogre — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:46:25 +0000

Q 1(b) There may have been a glut–certainly we had plenty of options in search 6-7 years back.

But what I heard was that last year, things weren’t nearly as “rich” for search committees.

And I think it was at GA that Peter Morales (I believe it was Morales) observed that in the next decade there’s going to be a huge turnover in UU ministers; many of our extant older, white, male ministers (mostly) will be retiring, along with others. And there’s actually concern about there being enough ministers….

Feast, famine; it’s a cyclical thing, I suspect. But it looks like a hungry time coming.