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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
| Hoosier United Methodists together |
April 2005 |
South Indiana hopes to stave off clergy shortage with DVD recruiting tool
INDIANAPOLIS - Facing an impending shortage to be realized in a few short years in ordained ministry, the South Indiana Conference has invested time, money and energy into a newly released recruiting DVD titled Fire in the Bones.
According to project designers, this video resource can be used in a variety of ways to answers questions from those just beginning to think about their call to ministry in high school or college, to seminarians looking for their first appointment and a conference relationship. The DVD can be used by pastors, youth ministers, university chaplains or district superintendents and others who visit seminaries to tell the story of ordained ministry in the South Indiana Conference.
The need is real. The South Indiana Conference Board of Ministry has been emphasizing the need for recruiting leaders for the future of the conference. According to current conference records, of the 677 ministers serving under appointment in the South Indiana Conference, only 55 or eight percent of them are younger than 40 years of age. In addition, 66 percent of pastors currently serving churches will retire in the next 15 to 20 years.
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The video features 16 pastors representing the diversity of the conference. |
The Rev. Meg Lassiat of Indianapolis, chair of the Recruitment and Retention Task Force, says as the South Indiana Conference develops leadership for the future, it is facing a shortage of pastors who will be able to fill the void left by retiring pastors. "The DVD is one step in an ongoing process for developing a culture of call within our annual conference," she told Together.
Fire in the Bones begins with a short message from Indiana Bishop Mike Coyner, who introduces potential newcomers to the area and invites them to consider Indiana as a place for ministry.
The DVD totals 26-minutes in length and is divided into short vignettes including "Hearing the Call," "A Life of Service," "Why South Indiana?," "RIM" (Residents in Ministry - a mentoring program) and "What's next?"
The video features 16 pastors representing the diversity of the conference in gender, age and ethnicity, including both first- and second-career people called to ministry.
Lassiat coordinated the process, invited clergy to share their stories and worked with Brick Briscoe, videographer and producer, to make connections, edit the tape and present the video to the Conference Board of Ministry and other interested people. The project was funded through the Ministerial Educational Fund of the South Indiana Conference Board of Ministry.
"The Board will continue to emphasize this need for recruiting and training leaders into the future. We asked pastors who serve in a variety of settings to share their stories with the Conference. The themes for the DVD emerged out of their stories," Lassiat said.
For current distribution, those interested in the DVD need to contact Lassiat at 317-253-3237 or by e-mail at mlassiat@msumc.org. The DVD won't be mailed to each church, but the committee will give copies to people who want to receive one. Copies also are available through the South Indiana Conference Media Center by calling 800-919-8160.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008