Month: July 2025

The Nazarene Pastor Shortage and What One Church is Doing About It

On By Rob PrinceLeave a comment

On Flint Central Church’s recent mission trip to Panama, a high school student preached the Sunday morning message (with a translator) in the Panamanian church. By all accounts, she did great. Two students came home from the mission trip announcing that they were sensing a call into ministry. There are at least two other high schoolers who also have expressed an interest in becoming a pastor. If you are counting at home that is 5 students expressing an interest in ministry.*

Why does Central church have so many young men and women called into the ministry? 

There are probably a variety of reasons. I’ll list a few possible answers: 

1) There is a healthy church culture. The board and pastoral staff are aligned. Students view ministry positively because of the church culture that has developed. 

2) The church emphasizes “Growing Together.” Students have seen in their parents, grandparents or many other adults a faithful witness. There is a mutual love between the older, seasoned Christians and students.

3) The church has had great youth pastors who have inspired our students on what they could become and have modeled faithfulness before them.

4) Opportunities have been given for students to hear from the Lord: Mission trips, NYC, D-Now, retreats and camps. God speaks when students getaway and can listen to God. 

5) God calling people into ministry is mentioned from the pulpit and in youth group from time to time. The students have seen their peers called into ministry and have been open to God speaking to themselves too. Sometimes it’s a snowball effect, one student is called into ministry then another and another and another… it just keeps growing.

6) There have been opportunities for ministers-in-training to serve at Central as volunteers and interns. For example, yesterday’s summer combined adult and student Sunday School class was taught by a recent high school graduate.

7) The church puts its money where its mouth is. This year Central Church gave out over $26,000 to in scholarships to 18 Olivet Nazarene University students. There has been an emphasis on education and the church has helped provide for it.

And most importantly, 

8) Central church is a praying church. They’ve followed Jesus’ instructions: “pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2). The church has prayed and God has answered!

Corporately, the Church of the Nazarene needs to pray too. The Church of the Nazarene is in desperate need for young men and women to be called into the ministry. The current clergy are aging (writer included. Deep Sigh!) and we need more pastors. On our district there are 8 churches in need of a pastor. From what I can tell (I may be wrong) none of those churches have any prospects. No interviews are lined up. No one is knocking on the church doors to become the next pastor. The Eastern Michigan district is not alone. There is a pastor shortage and it’s going to get worse as we old timers die off.  After all these years, Jesus words are still true. The fields are still ready. We need to pray for (and develop) workers more than ever.

*This is not a new phenomenon at Central Church. Here are the 20-somethings from Central Church in ministry (or training): Bryce Potts is a student at Taylor University studying to be a worship pastor. He is interning at Central Church this summer. Two students are in Olivet’s summer PR groups (Tyler Chapin and Grace Bedell). Sarah Hurd is a youth pastor in Illinois. Tyler and Hannah VanSteenburg are pastoring in Madison Heights, Michigan. Of course, Haley (VanSteenburg) Baker is the wife of Central Church’s Mid-High Youth pastor, Tyler. While Justin Hilliard doesn’t have a ministry degree or pastor’s license, trust me, Central Church’s tech director (who grew up at Central church) is in ministry. Even though the Close sisters, Lydia and Sophie, expressed a call to ministry before coming to Central Church, I will include them too. Lydia and husband, Caleb, are pastoring the Refinery Nazarene Church in Brandon, Michigan. Sophie and husband, Ethan, are on staff at Devoted City Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Another 20-something, Allie Degner, starts next week working at the Global Ministry Center of the Church of the Nazarene in the communications department, These are just the pastors and leaders in their 20’s—Flint Central has many other pastors age 30 and above who list Central church as their “home” church (including our own 30 somethings Pastors Sauer—Tyler and sister, Emily). If you are counting at home that’s 13 people from Central church in their 20’s in ministry.

Are American Christians Blind?

On By Rob PrinceLeave a comment

In John 9, a man, blind from birth, was healed by Jesus on the Sabbath. This got the pharisees in a huff (per usual). His parents, no doubt labelled “sinners” for bringing into the world a blind son, wanted no piece of the dispute. They had learned to keep their mouths shut around the pharisees (this is no surprise). But what strikes me odd about this brouhaha is the man’s neighbors (HIS NEIGHBORS!!) did not even know if this was the man who had been begging for years. 

John records it this way:

His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” John 9:8-9

How could one walk by a neighbor day in and day out and not see him? How could they not recognize him? Who was truly blind in the story– the man blind from birth or the people who refused to see?

Are Christians in America turning a blind eye on their neighbors too?  Do we see the suffering in our world? Do we see that injustices being done?  Do we see that law abiding immigrants are being rounded up and imprisoned without due process? Do we notice as they are being dragged out of churches? Are we singing “Turn your eyes upon Jesus” but not turning our eyes toward our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering? Do we sing a little bit louder as to drown out the cries for help?  Do we not see it? Or do we choose not to see it?  (see the Christianity today article about some detained Christians here).

What part of “Love your neighbor” have we missed? Will we be in with the other goats as the Judge tells us, “whatever you did not do to the least of these you did not do for me” (See Matthew 25)? 

No one wants criminals in the country. Everyone agrees they should not be allowed to stay. But what about the church-attending, law-abiding, asylum seeking neighbors?* Do we see them? What about those believers who have left their country of origin because of religious persecution or wanton violence? Do we care? Do we simply choose to listen to the narrative that what is being done is for “law and order”? 

“Law breaking is bad!” someone will shout. “They broke the law.” 

Tell that to Joseph in an Egyptian prison. 
Tell that to Shiphrah and Puah as they defied Pharaoh’s orders.
Tell that to Moses as he defied Pharaoh’s orders too.
Tell that to David as he was on the run from King Saul.
Tell that to Elijah as he was on the run from Queen Jezebel. 
Tell that to Jeremiah as he stood in the stocks. 
Tell that to John the Baptist as he was executed by Herod. 
Tell that to Peter and John when they boldly told the leaders that be, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? (Acts 4:19)
Tell that to Stephen as the rocks were flying. 
Tell that to Paul as he sat in a Roman prison.
Tell that to Jesus as he hung on a Roman cross. 

It seems God fearing people have a long history of refusing to turn a blind eye to unjust laws or oppressed people.

Do we not see our neighbors? 

Are we blind?

*Honestly, “church-attending” isn’t even the issue. This is America. No one is forced to believe.