Does the EMC have a recruitment crisis?

It’s possible the EMC has a recruitment crisis. Or will soon, if the Conference Council meeting held June 11, 2022, is any indication.

During the meeting, delegates showed strong support for an EMC Missions expansion into Spain, planting more churches in Canada, and adding more personnel to existing EMC administered fields.

BOM chairman Phil Hamm says, “We want young people o hear the call of God and be affirmed by their congregations and be sent out.” (Rebecca Roman)

In response to the motion to add Spain as an EMC administered field, one delegate commented in support, but asked, “Since EMC has such a difficult time to [staff] the already EMC administered fields, how can we expand?”

Board of Missions (BOM) chairman Phil Hamm answered: “We will do our best as a Board of Missions, but unless the conference is willing to send missionaries, to tap shoulders, to have people called out from their congregations, we’re not going to move forward… We want young people to hear the call of God and be affirmed by their congregations and be sent out.”

In the next ten years, 21 missionary units will reach retirement age (some of these have already attained it and continue to serve). Yet, in the last ten years, 18 missionary units have been accepted by the BOM. According to these numbers, recruitment will not keep pace with existing personnel, let alone allow for expansion. The BOM poll had 93 per cent of delegates “support EMC growing…mission staff” to the level of three missionary units for each EMC administered fields. None of the now four EMC administered fields are currently operating at this level.

According to the Canadian Church Planting Task Force (CPTF) poll, 65 per cent of delegates “believe the CPTF could plant ten more churches by 2030.” Some—35 per cent—saw this as too challenging, “but five would still be great.” No delegates responding wished the EMC to simply “maintain.”

Board of Leadership and Outreach chairman Andy Woodworth mentioned ten churches are currently seeking pastors. “A lot of those times we’re getting very little interest being expressed,” he said, then asked, “Are we doing well at recruiting and equipping and preparing young leaders to come up to replace those who are retiring and moving on?” The BLO’s poll asked delegates their thoughts on why it seems to be challenging to cultivate a new generation of pastoral leaders. Nearly half cited a need for a spiritual renewal in our churches, with the rest split between a perception of pastoring as stressful, a lack of recruitment, and the cost of education as factors.

This is a complex problem that will require a multi-faceted solution. The EMC is not the only organization struggling to find workers—as the “help wanted” signs on many local establishments demonstrate.

What is the solution? While we tend to look for simple answers, this is a complex problem that will require a multi-faceted solution. The EMC is not the only organization struggling to find workers—as the “help wanted” signs on many local establishments demonstrate.

That said, shoulder tapping is one solution that is accessible to every Christ follower here and now. Blanca Infantes (EMC administered missionary in the Guadalajara field) mentioned EMC’s training program Ascend, which places young people on the field for eight months of training, language and culture learning. What young people do you know who could serve in this way?

Do you know someone with pastoral gifts? Encourage them. Let them know about EMC’s Leadership Development Scholarship fund. Support them in practical ways and with prayer as they pursue studies and point them in the direction of godly pastoral mentors.

As Director of Canadian Church Planting Gerald Reimer said, “As God’s ambassadors together, we can live like Jesus to impact the world around us one life at a time.”