USA TODAY reports that "Filling seminary halls with people in their 20s is hardly new. In the 1950s and early '60s, most students were fresh out of college. But the 1980s and '90s increasingly brought more men and women who had spent two or three decades in business or raising families. For churches, a young-adult face in the pulpit became a rarity.
Today, theological schools are seeing younger students enroll in M.Div. programs. At Denver Seminary, the average age has dropped from 43 in 2000 to 32 in 2010."
Read why this matters for your church - and your children and grandkids ...
Linda
Having taught at Denver Seminary for the last 24 years, I saw that original article and realized someone had made a mistake. The drop was only from 33 to 32 not from 43! It's true, though, that we are seeing noticeably more younger students straight out of college, but we're also seeing noticeably more older students in mid-life career change, so that the overall average hasn't changed that much.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Craig, for setting the record straight!
ReplyDeleteNo matter what the age, there's no doubt that God is issuing a call in these days of great spiritual hunger and need.
Having experienced a very clear call to ministry in my early 40s, I am really resonating with the fact that the doors are opening for men and women, young and old, to follow Him into places where their giftedness can be used!
I love it!