Is there really a ministry recruitment crisis?

“Ministry recruitment crisis.” How do those words make you feel? Do they fill you with dread? Panic? Are you tempted to let out a sigh as you mutter that you aren’t surprised?

Back in September, Carrie Sandom, of the Proclamation Trust, told us that there is a fall in the number of men and women coming forward for ministry training. What are we to think? en spoke to key players in the evangelical world, including principals and directors of some of the UK's leading seminaries and colleges.

The decline and its drivers

Fewer candidates, post-Covid fatigue, and shifting priorities – these are just some of the reasons for the crisis, according to college leaders. Joel Morris, Executive Director of Union School of Theology, confirmed that there is a clear slowdown in people stepping forward for ministry training or leadership: “The double blow for colleges is far fewer students can, or want, to spend three or four years in full-time residential education.”