wfn.org | First comprehensive study of entering seminarians paints complex

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Note #6549 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

picture of future religious leaders
6-June-2001
01193

First comprehensive study of entering seminarians paints complex picture of
future religious leaders

by The Auburn Center for the Study of Theological Education

NEW YORK - The first comprehensive study ever of entering U.S. seminarians
paints a highly complex portrait of future religious leaders, in which
students are older than they were in the past and bring both notable
strengths and weaknesses as they prepare for ministry and other religious
vocations.

The survey of 2,512 entering master's-level theological students by the
Auburn Center for the Study of Theological Education confirms that the
profile of U.S. seminarians has radically changed over the decades.

In the past, most seminarians were males who had just graduated from
college. But today, seminarians - many of them women - generally come to
theological school from a congregation rather than an undergraduate campus,
and make their decisions about theological study and ministry relatively
late. Many have not majored in the liberal arts.

The mean age of seminarians is now about 35, the norm for students in the
pool, according to the research, and more than half (58 percent) of all
students are over the age 30. The mean age of seminary students contrasts
sharply with those entering medical school (about 25) and law school (26
years), during the 1990s.

This changing profile has led to a debate about the quality of seminary
students - and that debate informs the Auburn Center study.

Some observers have decried these changes, particularly the increase in
average age, and argue that that the "brightest and best" college graduates
are no longer entering ministry and that some of the older students are
persons who failed in at their first career or occupation. (Others point out
that the problem of quality may at least partially due to broader cultural
and education changes which have de-emphasized the humanities.)

But a second group disagrees, and believes that the quality of theological
students has actually improved because the uniformity of theological
students in the past limited their potential for ministry. Today's more
varied group of theological students, they argue, brings resources,
including maturity and diverse social perspectives, that actually strengthen
the ministry overall.
The Auburn study concludes that both arguments are valid. Older and younger
students have strengths as well as weaknesses. The older students who now
dominate theological education in the United States do bring dimensions of
quality - particularly diversity and commitment to congregational ministry -
that younger students lack. But older students' previous academic work often
has not been strong or has not served as the most helpful preparation for
theological study. In many cases, the religious commitments of older
students, although intense, are not long established.

Younger students, meanwhile, are generally better prepared academically than
older students, but often lack interest in and commitment to ministry,
particularly congregational ministry. Although they more often grew up in
religious communities, they are less involved in church life.

Compounding this profile are the theological schools themselves, which are
generally not selective, and in order to maintain enrollments, many accept
almost all applicants who meet a minimum standard.

This poses a serious challenge, the Auburn study concludes, because it means
that the schools often have to educate students who, by the school's
standards, are not strong. This problem, in turn, poses a danger to
religious communities, because they cannot assume that a professional degree
from an accredited theological school guarantees genuine promise for
ministry.

The study recommends a series of changes it concludes could enhance the
quality of American theological education. These include:

* U.S. theological schools raising their standards for admissions;

* American religious organizations increasing compensation in order to
attract more people to congregational ministry;

* Seminaries recruiting more recent college students but also offering more
support to very able older seminary students;

* Seminaries and denominations collaborating on joint recruitment programs.

But the issue goes beyond raising standards, said Barbara G. Wheeler,
President of Auburn Theological Seminary, Director of the Auburn Center and,
with Dr. Denna Sanchez, co-director of the study. Many U.S. religious
organizations are struggling, she said, and the instability of organized
religion is a basic cause of the difficulty of attracting leaders for
religious organizations.

"People of ability, especially the young, seek social roles that position
them to make a substantial difference," Wheeler said. "The internal weakness
of many religious organizations and their lack of influence in the wider
society limit the amount of impact their leaders can expect to have."

The recommendations for change are high goals, Wheeler said, but they must
be addressed to guarantee a high level of religious leadership in the
future.

"Without minimizing the many obstacles and difficulties," she said, "we
strongly urge schools along with the religious groups they serve to press on
themselves the critical questions: Do we care about the quality of religious
leaders we educate? If so, how can we join forces to set higher standards
and meet them?"

The Auburn Center for the Study of Theological Education is the research
institute of Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City. The Auburn Center
carries out sustained, in-depth study of major issues in theological
education to assist decision-makers in some 2,000 seminaries, rabbinical
schools and related educational institutions throughout the United States.

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