Good News about Young Clergy Leadership!

 By Kim Shockley, Coordinator for Pathways of Spiritual Leadership

The Lewis Center for Church Leadership published an annual report of clergy age trends in the UMC - https://www.churchleadership.com/research/clergy-age-trends-in-the-united-methodist-church-1985-2020/. For the first time, the Susquehanna Conference appeared in the top 10 (page 11) with 10.1% of our clergy being under the age of 35. While this is good news, it is also a great reminder that as many more of our clergy are approaching retirement age, it is the responsibility of every congregation, especially the Staff Parish Relations Committee, to be investing in younger leaders who may be sensing God’s call to ministry! 

During 2021, the Grow Team will be working in partnership with the Young Clergy Initiative grant to offer opportunities for young people to experience leadership development. While COVID has put a hold on several opportunities in 2020, we are actively working to provide safe ways to accomplish our goals. Stay tuned, or contact Kevin Witt (kwitt@susumc.org) or Kim Shockley (kshockley@susumc.org) for more specific information and ways to be involved in creating ways for younger people to experience leadership in their local communities. The Young People’s Ministry Council and our Campus Ministries will also be ongoing partners in this work!