Where have all the Church workers gone?

Our parish has a few job vacancies. We were hoping to fill them right away, but it’s taking a while. The big problem is that no one is even applying. We’ve reworked the job description and sent it out through different outlets. While it’s frustrating, it’s not surprising; after all, it looks like many churches (and other industries) are looking for help.

But, if we are going, to be honest with ourselves, the amount of lay ecclesial professionals has been on the decline. Each time I go to a diocesan gathering or work with another diocese, I notice the average age of a lay ecclesial professional (both paid and volunteer) is increasing.

I don’t have any hard evidence, but I believe the decline in lay ecclesial professionals is linked to the growing disaffiliation trend. When you have fewer Catholics, you have less qualified individuals to choose from. Also, working for the Church is not easy. It’s fulfilling, but I also think we’ve made it harder on ourselves.

We don’t do a great job of caring for and advocating the role of lay ecclesial ministers. In addition to the increase in disaffiliation, the other reason we’ve seen a decline is that we have to do a better job of investing in the profession of lay ecclesial ministry. And while there is no silver bullet, one thing we can do is:

INCREASE EXPOSURE THROUGH INTERNSHIPS

There are young people in your parish community who would love to work in the local Church; they don’t even know it’s an option. We don’t talk enough about how lay ecclesial ministry is a career path, and not many universities offer it as a track.

Internships not only increase awareness but are an excellent way for parishes to receive affordable help. Whether the intern is a specialist (e.g., youth ministry) or a generalist, the benefits outweigh the costs. Interns will enter the workforce with more experience, which means less time adapting people for the ministry world.

Internships do require an investment, but it does not have to be complicated. Give them a space to work, a person to coach/manage them, and make sure they have purposeful work. Interns can be short-term (e.g., over the summer) or year-round. They can be for credits, or you can offer a small stipend. If you are unsure where to start, reach out to your local schools and universities and see if their institutions have internship programs that would work for your parish.

STRENGTHEN THE VALUE THROUGH FORMATION, COMPENSATION, AND BENEFITS

The reason most people I know left parish ministry is because they no longer felt supported. In some cases, it’s a lack of financial support, but at the end of the day, the people I know who have left tell me they didn’t see themselves growing at the parish.

We have to get serious about compensation and formation for lay ecclesial ministers in the local Church. The Code of Canon Law says that those who dedicate their lives to the sacred ministries of the Church should receive appropriate formation and fair remuneration (CIC 231). Sadly, I don’t think we are doing a great job of providing these needs.

I get that increasing salaries is no easy task, but it is doable. It starts with making this need known to the faithful. We make appeals for retired clergy and seminarians; why not lay ecclesial staff? Raising salaries will increase the quality of the work. It raises the bar on your employees, but it also removes the burden of wondering how long they can financially afford to stay in ministry.

In addition to financial support, lay ecclesial ministers need proper formation. It does not matter if your staff is a volunteer or paid; they should have the opportunity to purchase training materials, attend conferences and go on retreats. The cost for formation does not have to be a lot. Most dioceses provide free or low-cost training, encourage your team to attend, and cover their transportation and meals.

Conferences will provide a valuable experience; even if you cannot cover all travel, give them enough to avoid going into debt to attend. The beauty of conferences is they lead to networking and other great resources. At Marathon Youth Ministry, we offer a variety of training from $385-$500/year; click HERE to learn more.

REDESIGN AND REDEFINE WHAT LAY ECCLESIAL PROFESSIONALS DO

The way I run a youth ministry today is entirely different than it was two decades ago. There has been a shift from programmatic to more relational. Technology has impacted the way we connect, and a pandemic has flipped everything upside down. Not only should the roles of lay ecclesial ministers change, but so should the structure of staff.

The mission field is constantly changing, and a parish staff should reflect that. Not only will clarity around roles bring a healthier team dynamic, but it’ll be easier to recruit people into the field of ministry. When people know what a lay ecclesial minister does, they’ll better understand whether it’s the right path for them.

We should not wait for people to catch up; the Church needs to get more intentional with cultivating the next generation of lay ecclesial ministers. Start investing resources and energy in the young church, and give your employees clarity to continue the Church’s mission.

What other things do you believe must be done to increase the number of lay ecclesial professionals in the local parish?