I have a friend who started a retirement account many years ago, one of those something-something-Bs. He thought it best to prepare for the future, not only his but that of his children and their children. He wanted to do all he could to set in place a healthy scenario for himself and his family – he wanted to stage them for ongoing success. 

His investments did very well for a long time, showing a steady increase each year. Seeing this, he was convinced he was on the right track in his investment strategy. 

However, just over twenty years ago, something changed. His resources began to show a slow but steady decline. It wasn’t a massive one-time emptying of the resources he had built over a lifetime but a persistent, drip-drip loss of about one percent per year. The drain on his resources has continued almost every year for the past 23 years. 

Where he had counted on his investment growing over these two decades, he now finds himself with fewer resources than he began with. 

THE BIG PICTURE

Here’s a 5-point synopsis of his situation: 

1. His resources – in real numbers – have declined every year for the last 9 years.
2. His resources – in real numbers – have declined 17 of the last 22 years. 
3. His resources – as a percentage of the firm’s total resources – have declined 20 of the last 22 years.
4. While the total resources of his investment firm have increased by 16.9% over the past 23 years, his resources as a percentage of the firm’s resources have decreased by 8.5% – his company is seeing an overall increase in its resources, but he is seeing a significant decrease in his. 
5. At the end of 2022, he had almost 21% less in his account than he had in the year 2000. 

It’s clear that the future does not look bright for my friend or his family. 

YOUR ADVICE?

If you were to talk with my friend, what would you say to him? How would you advise him?  

I asked this question of friends who work in the financial planning sector. Here’s what they had to say: 

1. Why did it take you so long to wake up to what is happening? Organizations like this close; households like this are left with no future. 
2. Did you assume responsibility for your resources, or did you presume others would treat your resources with the same care they treat their own? 
3. Did you continue to invest, or did you sit on your initial investment, hoping it would grow?  
4. It’s time to change your strategy. What you’re doing isn’t working, however exciting the presentation. 
5. I hope your children and their children aren’t counting on much of an estate. Have you thought of talking with new investment counselors, asking for their insights?

THE REVEAL: THE U40-BANK

My “friend” is the U40 minister. 

Specifically, the credentialed Assemblies of God (AG) minister under the age of 40. 

Sadly, my friend has other friends just like him: peers in other evangelical denominations and in non-denominational churches – our U40B account.

My friend is very important to me. For that matter, my friend is very important to the future of the AG and the Kingdom of God. My friend is very important to the God of the Kingdom. 

But here’s the bad news: The health report and prognosis for my friend and our U40B account is not good.

Consider the following:

1. The total number of U40s in the AG has declined every year for the last 9 years.
2. The total number of U40s in the AG has declined 17 of the last 22 years. 
3. The total number of U40s in the AG as a percentage of all AG credential holders of all ages has declined in 20 of the last 22 years.
4. While the total number of all AG credential holders has increased 16.9% over the past 23 years, the number of U40s as a percentage of all AG credential holders has decreased 8.5%. In the year 2000. U40s were 26.2% of all AG credentialed ministers. In 2022, they were only 17.7% of all credential-holders. 
5. At the end of 2022 – in real numbers – the AG had 21% fewer U40s than in the year 2000: 

2000: 8450 U40s

2022: 6692 U40s

There were 1758 fewer AG U40s in 2022 than there were in the year 2000. 

This represents a net decrease of 80 U40s . . . every year . . . for 22 years. 

And again, this trend shows no signs of changing. 

QUESTIONS REVISITED 

1. Why is it taking so long for us to wake up to what is happening? 

Without a new generation of leaders, ministries and churches close; households of faith are left with no future. No Timothy or Titus to send. 

Our U40B is emptying. We are fading to gray. And we have not yet awakened to the truth.

2. Have we continued to reach out with the call of God on young adults or have we sat on our heritage hoping they would just automatically continue to “sign up” for the ministry?

Could it be that we are abandoning vocational ministry as a divine calling, seeing it now as a career choice, and so, treating it as such, using people as tools, filling positions for a season rather than seeking divinely-appointed ministers of the Gospel who are willing to give their lives and livelihoods to answer God’s call? 

Biblically, our answer is more important than realize. Do the terms “hirelings” and “shepherds” ring a bell?

3. Have we assumed responsibility for developing the credentialed U40 ministers we have now?

Or did we leave them on their own . . . to leave us? 

As a fulltime pastoral coach for a decade, I have talked with many U40s who have definitively answered this question: no one was there to help them – local pastors, denominational leaders – even when they reached out for help. Too busy with the business to make time for the person. 

“I’m an asset to them, not a person. They want me to develop their programs, but they are not willing to develop me. They want my money but have no time for me.” This is ironic in that, second only to the Cross, the prime ministry of Jesus was developing leaders – not leadership development, but developing people as disciples, and leaders.

4. Have we understood it is time to change our strategy? 

Have we understood that what we’re doing isn’t working? 

However sparkling the presentation, the numbers don’t lie. Neither will they just go away. 

Have we not understood it’s much more effective to invest ourselves in keeping the U40s we have than it is to lose them – and then scramble to replace them? It may not be as glitzy or as easy a sell at our denominational meetings, but doing the in-the-trenches work of keeping and developing U40s is the only sure foundation of our strategy to growing our U40 population of ministers. 

5. Given our trajectory – now 23 years engrained – do we think our children and their children will have much of a spiritual estate in the church, given our growing leadership void?  

Have we thought of talking with new “investment counselors,” asking for their insights? 

Preferably U40s themselves. Not just the ones who sit in plush offices, but: 

. . . the co-vocationals who are working 9-5 jobs in retail, construction, substitute teaching, and other fields just to feed their families and pay for the privilege of pastoring their churches; 

. . . the lonely paying a heavy price to pastor small churches in hard places (urban and rural);

. . . the staff pastors who serve – and labor – unknown to denominational leaders; 

. . . the ministers who can’t afford to go to denominational leadership meetings and retreats; 

. . . the ministers who don’t fit the mold of attractional church and leadership models; 

. . . the overlooked.

FINAL WORD

Twenty years ago, while serving as a missionary in Europe, I received a phone call from my district superintendent in the US informing me that I had been unanimously elected to serve in district leadership. My ministry would be developing the smaller churches of our state with a particular emphasis on investing in their pastors, many of them young and co-vocational. It was a dream come true, something I had long wanted to do. However, after two weeks of agonizing prayer and fasting, my wife and I knew God would have our family remain in Belgium, delivering the Gospel to the land our family has come to call “home.” 

But the heartbeat of helping young ministers has never stopped beating in me. Never. 

Ironically, perhaps, my decision to remain in Belgium led to an unexpected five-year missionary term of service as campus pastor and faculty member at the AG’s national Bible College. It was not only an incredible time of ministry and wonderful friendships, but it then led to the very best time in my ministry life, what I have been privileged to do for the past nine years: spend my days and evenings pastoring young ministers across America and around the world.

All at no financial cost to those whom we serve.

“No cost?” you ask. Full disclosure: There is a cost to those we serve, but it in no way involves money. Seeing the need – and the opportunity – we will not burden those who most want coaching and mentorship but can least afford it. Instead, we offer them another way to pay for their coaching. Contact us to learn more.

My wife and I have so strongly felt God’s call to this ministry that we have walked it by faith for nine years. No longer do we have a missions account to draw on; as independent, full-time pastoral coaches, we have trusted Him to meet our financial needs through churches and individuals who believe in this generation of ministers as much as we do. He has always been faithful. 

Not only to us and our needs but, more importantly, to the young ministers and families we have been privileged to serve. Time and time again, God has faithfully led and fed these committed, sacrificing, servant-hearted, trustworthy, on-fire, “get-it-done” ministers of the Gospel. 

In the “gray hair” years of our lives, we are doing all we can to change the strength of the U40-Bank – in the Assemblies of God and other denominations. 

But there is so much more to do.

Exactly what you and I can do – separately or together – is a subject we’ve addressed many times here in our articles, as well as in churches, retreats, and conferences across the country. It’s a subject we’ll continue to address here in the future. We invite you to subscribe to our twice-monthly articles to learn more. You already have access to our nine-year deep archives of blog articles at journeypastoralcoaching.com.

Friends, It’s time we all make a substantial deposit in our U40-Bank. 

“We” begins with “me.” And it continues to be as I reach out to serve one U40, then a second, maybe even a third. As a full-time coach and mentor, I walk with a great group of Journey members, dozens of quality young ministers. You can’t help dozens, but could you begin with one? 

Together, we can see our U40B increase in quantity and quality.

Every window at the U40 Bank is open. The line forms behind . . . you. 

Always feel free to contact us at Journey for resources we recommend.

Saddled with large student debt, just beginning to set up homes and start families, and serving in low paying first and second positions, Millennials are those who most desire but can least afford to pay for pastoral coaching.

We are able to do so thanks to the faithful and generous support of individuals and churches like yours who want to see young leaders not only enter the ministry, but remain in the ministry. 

Now, more than ever, we need your help. 

If you or your church would like to help Millennial ministers across the US and overseas build strong for a lifetime in ministry, please click here to support Journey monthly or with your one-time gift. Thank you.

We also invite you to click and subscribe to our twice-monthly blogs at journeypastoralcoaching.com

“Of all vocations, surely the gospel ministry is the one whose paradigm is most radically formed by the dynamics of godly mentorship.” 

Stephen Baldwin