A friend brought me a copy of the May 2011 The [ELCA] Lutheran. In it was an interesting article on "Congregation / Pastor matches: A Work in progress" (pp 20-25). The following quote is for your consideration: "Michael W. Rinehart, bishop of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod, took part in the meeting to assign this year's seminary graduates to regions (see page 25) and synods. He reported in his synod's newsletter that about 203 of the 1,200 to 1,400 vacant ELCA congregations have indicated an interest in a new graduate. About 250 people will graduate from ELCA seminaries in 2011, and 'quite a few of them have restrictions' on where they can go, Reinhart said. The conference ended up with about 209 candidate available for 203 vacancies, "about as close as I can remember it,"'he said " (p. 22).
Well, that does raise the question of the difference between 203 and 250 graduates, or 47 real people (which is 18,8% of the pool of 250 graduating seminarians).
From the article it sounds like a lot of those are disappointed. One seminarian reported that "some of her classmates have already been told they will soon receive profiles of congregations interested in calling a recent seminary graduate. ... Still she admitted that reality suggests that recent graduates may need a 'back up plan' to carry them through times when they are without a call" (p. 23).
Then there was the self-serving statement from Stanley N. Olson, president of Wartburg Theological Seminary, that the "number of retirements is expected to increase soon" (p. 23). Where have we heard that before? [GJ - Stan and I were in class at Yale.]
Of course there is the wringing of hands than new pastors "may owe tens of thousands of dollars in college and seminary loans." So the ELCA is trying to establish an endowment of $200 million to provide full tuition for everyone studying for rostered ministry in the ELCA. What planet are they living on; what are these people smoking? Also, not a word about those grads without a call.
The funniest comment was: "The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod is able to place all of its seminary graduates, about 200 each year, said Glen Thomas, executive director of the LCMS Board for Pastoral Education" (p 25). Maybe the ELCA did not ask the "right" question or maybe Thomas is just lying.
Then there is the blurb on "10 Years Together" (p. 9). May 1 will have marked the 10th anniversary of full communion between the ELCA and the Episcopal Church and the ELCIC and the Anglican Church in Canada. So Hanson and the Canadian Anglican primate, Fred Hiltz will preach at Holy Trinity Lutheran in Buffalo, NY, and ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson and Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori will preach at St. Paul's Anglican in Fort Erie, Ontario. Apostates together; how nice.
