The Future of the Oneness Pentecostal Movement

[SDG]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

I guess, while at the same time many of them will not get compensated for their duties....like most of us unless you are music directer...winning souls, teaching bible studies, spending hours in prayer and alter working is not considered ministry or at least not a compensatable ministry

We only compensate the orators.

[Scott Hutchinson]

I'm just curious how many younger preachers are there in the ALJC ?

Originally Posted by Brett Prince

I don't think you are going to get what you are hoping for here.

I think I could summarize Ron's basic thoughts on this in a few sentences for you...but that would be unkind.

My thoughts are unkind, Brett?

Care to elaborate since you seem to know what I'm thinking and what I would say?

[SDG]

You've reached critical mass when less than 5% of your ministers are under 30.

How many of these 400 are sons of ministers, sons-in-law ... or family members???

[RevDWW]

Originally Posted by Daniel Alicea

You've reached critical mass when less than 5% of your ministers are under 30.

How many of these 400 are sons of ministers, sons-in-law ... or family members???

Could it be that many do not seek the ministry because the feel they have no pedigree to help them along?

[Scott Hutchinson]

None of my business ,but could high budget fees be the reason many ministers are independent ?

[SDG]

Originally Posted by RevDWW

Could it be that many do not seek the ministry
because the feel they have no pedigree to help them along?

Part of the problem, Dan.

[Felicity]

Lack of real burden, compassion and love for lost humanity? Could that figure into it at all?

The thot just occurred to me. I now you don't have to be ordained or have a ministerial license to really love souls but might that be a catalyst that would propel young men forward to getting involved in full time ministry?

[SDG]

Originally Posted by Felicity

Lack of real burden, compassion and love for lost humanity? Could that figure into it at all?

The thot just occurred to me. I now you don't have to be ordained or have a ministerial license to really love souls but might that be a catalyst that would propel young men forward to getting involved in full time ministry?

Yet when you create a culture that almost deifies and over-emphasizes other aspects of the Kingdom without proper balance ... then you will get this mentality.

[ALVIN]

Originally Posted by shamgar1

The new Forward (a magazine for UPCI preachers) came out this week.

In it, there is an article titled "Where Have All the Young Ministers Gone?". The entire Forward is about mentoring and ministerial transition from one generation to the next.

In this article, the writer mentions that of the 9100 licensed UPCI ministers, under 400 of them are below the age of thirty. Hence the question, "Where have all the young ministers gone?" It is my belief that the UPCI is in danger. Under 400 ministers under the age of thirty? Where have they all gone?
Lest I am accused of being an alarmist, consider the theme of last year's General Conference was "Passing the Mantle". Now we have an entire Forward dedicated to the problem.

Why are there so few young ministers and what can be done to remedy the problem?

A further question would be whether or not this is reflective of the demographic of the UPCI as a whole. What percentage of the adult members of the UPCI are in the 21 - 30 age bracket?

I think that the answer to the original question is quite complex, and without any single simple cause.