We Are Not ‘Them’

Over the past few years, I have noticed that there is a very peculiar shift that is currently taking place within the body of Christ. A tendency of transition in the church universal.  The shift that I am speaking of is not one of doctrine, methodology, interpretation or identity (for better or worse, those changes have already begun to happen). The shift that I am speaking of is a generational shifting of the guard within the church.  We are currently residing in a time where many of our generals in the ministry, those who have led and labored for decades at the helm of churches around this country are getting older and those coming behind them are increasingly younger.  More and more, we are seeing Millenials, Xennials, Generation X’ers & the like leading ministries into their next seasons of service. In recent days, it has become more and more normative to see someone at the front of a church or a worship experience with more years in front of them than behind them.  

The Barna Research Group estimated that in 2017, over half of the pastors in the United States were over 55 years old while only 15 percent of pastors were 40 and younger. But in 2019, we see the number of younger pastors climbing rapidly. Whether we like it or not, whether we are ready for it or not, there is a changeover that is taking place in the postmodern church of today.

The paradigm of our parishes changing in this way is not a forgone circumstance.  Everything that is young eventually gets older and clergypersons are not exempt from this phenomena. But, where this transition ideally would be navigated smoothly, in truth, it is met with more controversy than celebration.  While we are seeing youth represented in particular ways in this current season of ministry, that movement is not necessarily met with widespread welcome. In fact, this change is, at times, met with conflict and critique. 

Objectively speaking, this tension is to be expected. New persons, bring new perspectives, visions, ideas & procedures that may occasionally cause our elders to bristle, especially given that they are (more than likely) accustomed to seeing the thing that they have devoted their lives to move in an unfamiliar way. What I contend is that the tension we see today between older pastors & younger pastors goes deeper than what many may realize. 

If I might humbly attempt to speak on behalf of those who have come before me, those who I honor deeply, as our elders look at our generation of leaders, they see genuine reasons for concern.  They look at the landscape and see ministers more consumed with the benefits of ministry than the burdens of it.  Our elders look out and see preachers willing to prostitute their gifts (or what they believe to be their gifts) for engagements so they can entertain people without edifying them.  Those who have worked and sacrificed and committed their lives to the preaching and teaching of the Gospel, look to the generation coming behind them and see the worst representations of our generation: those birthed out of a ministry-view that values status over service, trash over truth & shouting over substance.  And, while we do good to consider where these problematic perspectives originate from (creations don’t create themselves and are often reflections of the creator), the perspective of older generation leaders is valid and should be taken into consideration.  

The problem is that while our elder’s point of view on younger ministers in ministry ought be taken into account, it, frankly, isn’t completely accurate. There are preachers, academics, missionaries, worship leaders, teachers, writers, and pastors who, while in their 30’s & 40’s, are not only doing the real work of the ministry but are doing it with the right Spirit in their hearts. The reason you see the bad examples so much is two-fold.  You see them because they are working hard to be seen & the good ones are too busy working hard.  

Speaking for the generation that I come out of, we want our elders to know that we care about the future of Christian ministry as much as they do. The church matters to us too and we are humbly attempting to do what we understand to be needed in the moment where God has called us to serve.  The method may be different, but, we promise, the message is the same. The things that you see that get on your nerves, get on ours as well. In fact, it irritates us even more, because when you do happen to see us, you automatically presume that we are something that we aren’t. We revere you all and we value your opinions. We need your wisdom, experience & support in order to do this. But, while we respect you & will even ask for your advice, we are disinclined to ask your permission to do what we know God has called us to do.  We don’t have the time to kiss rings (or anything else) to be validated when we serve a God who has given us all of the co-sign we need.  We have hungry to feed, naked to clothe, a Bible to teach, a Gospel to preach, foreigners to bring into fellowship, disciples to develop, communities to change, structures to tear down & an empire to dismantle in the name of Jesus Christ.  We are not in contention or competition with you. Our generation need all that you have to offer.  Please don’t judge who we are because of what they are.  We are younger.  We are different.  We are not perfect but we are ready. We are not ‘them’.