US Episcopal Church heads for crisis in number of ordinands

A FALL in the numbers training for ordination in the Episcopal Church in the United States, together with churches’ inability to pay for full-time ministry, is causing a crisis in clergy recruitment, figures suggest.

Data released by the Church show that the numbers coming forward for ordination have fallen over the past 12 years. Seminaries are also reporting a decline in enrolment over the past five years.

In 2010, there were 325 newly ordained priests, compared with 225 in 2022. Clergy retirement numbers have remained steady at about 400 a year, and half of the remaining clergy are within ten years of retirement.

Those coming forward for ordination are also older and sometimes only within a few years of retirement.

Figures reported at the Episcopal Church Council in June also showed that the number of parishes seeking a priest far exceeded the number of clergy looking for a post.

The director of the Church’s office of transition ministry, which supports recruitment by dioceses and congregations, the Revd Meghan Froehlich, reported that there were 622 vacancies and just 87 clergy identified as seeking a new post.

In the south-east of the US, just eight clergy were searching among 123 vacancies.

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