Florida Catholic | National Ministry Summit

National Ministry Summit | April 21

Summit–goers grapple with changing church: multi–parish pastors, more lay ministers,
growing diversity.

DEBRA TOMASELLI | FLORIDA CATHOLIC STAFF

Published: 04.21.08

VALETA ORLANDO | FC
Bishop Thomas Wenski welcomes the attendees to the National Ministry Summit after the opening liturgy on Sunday, April 20.

ORLANDO | A coalition of six Catholic national organizations in 2002 received a $2 million grant from the Lilly Endowment for a four-year study in response to changes in the church that will require new models of pastor leadership. The changes include an increase in the number of Catholics, a more-educated laity, a decrease in the number of priests and vowed religious, an increase in permanent deacons and professional lay ecclesial ministers and growing cultural diversity in the church.

Marti R. Jewell, project director of the Emerging Models of Pastoral Leadership Project, addressed the major findings of the study April 21, the first full day of the National Ministry Summit to review and build upon the findings. An attentive audience of nearly 1200 participants representing all six groups listened, eager to hear the results at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando’s tourist district. “For those of you who like to flip to the last page of a book, and read the end of a story right away, I’ll tell you what the research concluded,” Jewell began. “Parish life as we have known it has changed.”

With 20,000 diocesan priests, 70 percent of whom are older than 55, we are moving toward clusters of parishes under the care of a single pastor, she said. Indeed, nearly half of the parishes in the United States already share their pastor with another parish or mission.

Alan Whitson, a deacon in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, was surprised to learn that many pastors are assigned to dual parishes. “The realization that nationally we’re losing priests underscores the need for the laity to step-up and live the baptismal call to discipleship,” he said. “It is a challenge to all the baptized.”

Collaboration was a key element of the findings. Clergy and laity need to work together, but this also creates human resource issues. The study revealed that laity in leadership roles needed education regarding legal and civil implications of church as employer. It also revealed that less than 40 percent of our parishes provide continuing education, retirement plans or other benefits to its employees.

Multicultural diversity is also shaping our future. “It’s more than just speaking another language,” said Jewell, who said many parishes include people from Hispanic, Asian and African backgrounds. “We need to be learning from one another, and receiving rich gifts from one another.”

Dr. Maggie McCarty, president of education for Parish Service Inc. in Washington, D.C., wasn’t surprised by the study’s conclusion that we need to make our parishes more welcoming, and not just with greeters and handshakes. She said a mega-Christian church moved next door to their parish, drawing some members of their congregation. “Some of our parishioners have gone over and remarked on the sense of welcome they feel as they walk in the door,” said McCarty. “They long to feel the same as they walk into our church.”

As the summit continues, action groups will address each of the finding’s six categories and participants will develop recommendations as the summit continues.

Jewell encouraged the participants to talk to each other. “The answer is in the minds and hearts of those around you,” she said.

Note: The participating groups are the National Association for Lay Ministry, Conference for Pastoral Planning and Council Development, National Association of Church Personnel Administrators, National Association of Diaconate Directors, National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association and National Federation of Priest Councils.

Return to Florida Catholic Online Home Page

National Ministry Summit | April 21

Other Articles