Shortage of Trained Clergy

There is a growing shortage of trained clergy and ministers today. George Martin, in Today's Parish, suggests a practical plan: "Perhaps pastors should imagine that they are going to have three more years in their parish as pastor&md;and that there will be no replacement for them when they leave. If they acted as if this were going to happen, they would put the highest priority on selecting, motivating, and training lay leaders that could carry on as much as possible of the mission of the parish after they left. The results of three sustained years of such an approach would be quite significant. Even revolutionary."