Here’s to our Graduates

In August a brand new class of ministerial graduates will become eligible to enter the profession. Never in our history has a class had as many advantages, options and doable opportunities as these fine and capable students. There is money available to sponsor and help in the pioneering of ministries in appropriate and potentially productive new areas. There are some great pulpits open in existing successful works looking for young and fresh leaders. Many of our works are actively seeking vibrant new ministers to work in support positions which inevitably, for the qualified, could lead to senior positions. Our existing ministerial cadre is filled with ministers nearing the age of retirement and those with good leadership skills are being actively sought after by not only churches and centers in our denomination but in just about every organization in New Thought. The opportunities available to this and every class of graduates for the next ten years are unprecedented and monumental. The number of graduating ministers is down and the demand for them is up, it is a great time to enter ministry.

Now all they need do is get clear on their call. Ministry is not a profession for the weak or timid. Many of our teachers have used the tired old phrase, “If you can do anything else, do it.” and it’s as accurate today as ever. We are graduating ministers today with the best academic training that we’ve ever done and what we need now is to empower the call. It takes a lot of courage to leave your home, leave your job and leave your friends in order to give yourself unconditionally to a congregation. It takes a lot of dedication to walk through and bring to wholeness your dark side in order to shed light for others and it takes a lot of faith to step out into the unknown to support a vision. But to those who are willing, to those who do the work, to those who take the chance and those who stretch for real authenticity much is given. When I look at successful ministers today, every one of them walked through fire to arrive where they’re at. In one way or another they were called upon to give up everything they thought they had in order to get everything they knew they needed.
I am extremely optimistic about our new ministers. I know they are the right people at the right place in the right time and I applaud and support them in doing their work.