Relationships encourage young clergy hopefuls

A UMNS Report
By Vicki Brown*

Jessica Henry felt called to ordained ministry before she attended EXPLORATION 2006, but the national event solidified her feeling that the call was real. And the support she has gotten from her annual conference since the November 2006 event has been critical, she said.

"I remember the first time I mentioned to my pastor that I was feeling called. He told me I should e-mail the bishop. I thought, 'I'm not e-mailing the bishop, I don't know her,'" the 20-year-old sophomore at Eastern University recalled.
After she signed a commitment card at EXPLORATION 2006 in Jacksonville, Fla., United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry staff sent her name and contact information to her bishop's office and to the chair and registrar of her annual conference's Board of Ordained Ministry.

Henry soon received e-mails from members of the Board of Ordained Ministry of the Central Pennsylvania Conference, offering support, encouragement and expressing joy.

"I think it would have been discouraging if no one had contacted me," she said.
The Rev. Julia Piper, a local pastor in the Central Pennsylvania Conference who said her passion as a pastor is to nurture the call of young people, agrees.

"It's extremely important that they have support. It's important for them to know that they are not alone in discerning and following God's call," she said. Piper, a local pastor who serves two churches, is currently in seminary herself, but volunteers for programs aimed at developing young clergy.

"Our conference has continued to meet in small groups since the EXPLORATION 2006 event. We have had discussions about the difference between the calls of an elder and a deacon and we have had open forums for our participants to share their concerns and questions about the process of seeking ordination," she said. "That allows people from the Board of Ordained Ministry to explain some things to eliminate some of the fear."

Ongoing relationship critical
The Rev. Meg Lassiat, director of student ministries, vocation and enlistment at the board, said EXPLORATION can provide excellent resources as a one-time event, but the ongoing relationship that young adults have with people from their local church communities helps give continual encouragement as they discern how God is calling them to live.

"One of the most important things we've learned is that follow-up at the annual conference and local ministry level is critical to the ongoing engagement of young adults in the discernment and candidacy process," she said. "As we begin preparing for EXPLORATION 2009 in Dallas to be held Nov. 13-15, we hope annual conferences will identify one or two point people who will stay in contact with young adults who are considering God's call in their lives.

"These contact people have the opportunity to build relationships with young adults, address questions and concerns, and make sure they are assimilated smoothly into the candidacy process," Lassiat said.

She encourages each annual conference to name a point person for working to invite and retain young adults in the candidacy process and to e-mail that person's contact information to explore@gbhem.org.

"This will help GBHEM in providing resources and follow-up information as it becomes available," she said.

The North Georgia Conference, which had about 20 people sign commitment cards at EXPLORATION 2006, has tapped those young people as leaders for a discernment event Feb. 1-3, 2008. The Rev. Joe McKenchie, who heads up the event, said that with so few young ministers in The United Methodist Church - one study found just 850 elders were under the age of 35 - developing young clergy is one of the most important things conferences can do.

"Imagine having an individual visit your church and afterward declaring 'I am so eager to grow in my faith!' As a pastor, I would do anything to develop a relationship with that individual," McKenchie said. "In terms of those teens who attended EXPLORATION, we work hard to keep in touch with them and answer all their questions."

He said the conference plans gatherings, meals and events such as "Is God Calling You?" to be held in February at Simpsonwood, Ga. Bishop Lindsey Davis will preach at that event, where 80 young people are expected.

Personal contact
Piper said the EXPLORATION alumni from Central Pennsylvania met together during annual conference and a "God's Calling" event in January, a weekend event that is part of the conference's "Cultivating the Culture of Call" program.

During annual conference, Piper said the students gathered for a luncheon and discussion, then attended the ordination service at annual conference together.

The Rev. Lynn Spence, the chair of the Division of Call and Candidacy in the New York Annual (regional) Conference, said four young people in the annual conference signed commitment cards at EXPLORATION 2006. He contacted them by e-mail immediately to let them know that the Board of Ordained Ministry members applauded their initiative and were open to any questions or comments.

Two of the young people attended a dinner during a training event for camping ministries summer staff, where the group discussed how their summer as a camp counselor might be a part of God's call to ministry.

He said several of the Boards of Ordained Ministry members talked about what it is like to be in set-apart ministry. "We thought the dinner approach worked well," Spence said.

He, too, believes the personal contact with the annual conference is "profoundly important."

"A lot of folks won't act on the call unless they feel some comfort level with the system. If they can put names and faces together, it takes a lot of the anxiety out of it," he said. He said the conference Board of Ordained Ministry is also working with pastors in the students' local churches to make sure there is continued contact.

Spence said, "We want to help them make the connections they need to make and keep them connected."

For more information about discerning or answering God's call to ministry, visit http://www.explorecalling.org/.

*Brown is an associate editor and writer in the Office of Interpretation, United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry.