Potential Positive Outcome of Res 4

[CC1]

I started this thread as a counter to the gloom and doom ones such as RKS's anguished mantra that a "healer" is needed for the UPC.

How about considering that with unity in the camp some great things might happen for both groups (those staying and those leaving the UPC)!!!

A great concern among many UPCers has been the demographic of licensed ministers. At present the UPC is an aging movement with the great majority of it's licensed ministers being over the age of 35. I can't remember the percentages given but the percentage of ministers over 50 was also astonishing.

It is clear that for whatever reason the last couple of decades the UPC has not been developing or keeping young preachers.

This "brain drain" has no doubt been affected by both ends of the spectrum. Those who have not become UPC prechers because they felt the org. was too liberal would have never been UPC anyway. However those who may have left or never been UPC because it was too conservative to them may now see hope that the UPC will moderate.

This could cause more young ministers to either join or stay with the UPC.

[PastorD]

Not sure it will cause more to join, but perhaps more will stay that were looking out. So many young guys now get inspiration from the Andy Stanleys- Erwin McManus' of the church world.

It is sad...our older generation is not investing in younger generation. This is why they look out.

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by PastorD

Not sure it will cause more to join, but perhaps more will stay that were looking out. So many young guys now get inspiration from the Andy Stanleys- Erwin McManus' of the church world.

It is sad...our older generation is not investing in younger generation. This is why they look out.

I have encountered this attitude among the "older generation" where they feel that they have arrived at a place where they are the epitome of the apostolic restoration. Anything that is different from their own tastes and style is automatically wrong.

For many of them "God" is really just a pattern of endorphins and other sensations that they associate with the feeling that "all is well." If there is an unusual noise or a flash of color, or worse the introduction of some new technology- they freak out.

I vividly remember one pastor flying into a screaming rage when he saw a computer's screen saver kick in. This was in the days of Windows 3.1 and the screen saver was the moving star pattern. He was standing across the room when the screen saver came on and he was convinced that Satan had invaded the church office. He took it out on a group of kids who happened to be in the room and then tore into his assistant. No apologies were ever offered, he was "right" to be livid and yelling at innocent people because as he confessed, he "had no idea what was going on."

That generation was taught to distrust the younger men they have brought up and it is really rare to see a younger person assuming the mantle of leadership within a church where he was raised. This used to be quite common, but now most of the "elders" will tend to chew up and run off their younger proteges. Most of the "growth" within the UPC has been when these men go out and start a new work for themselves. Sadly, they are not being "called" for the new work. They are just leaving out of frustration over the imbeciles that have hindered any move of God at the home church.

Here's a tip folks: Your movement will die when it is governed by those who "have no idea what's going on."