College Union

By: Luther Felder

Campus Ministry Seed Corn for Our Future

The following is an interview with Dr. Luther Felder, Assistant General Secretary for Campus Ministry at the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church.

CU: Dr. Felder, you have often said that Campus Ministry is “seed corn” for the United Methodist Church, what exactly do you mean by that?

In a report from Jack Leonard, chairperson of the South Indiana Annual Conference Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry, referred to a story about his early childhood when farming was an important way of life for many American families.

In the story, Jack emphasized the extreme value farm families placed on the seed corn (a portion of corn set aside for planting of the next season’s crop). It was taboo, for the farming community to “eat the seed” because without that seed there would be no crop for harvest the next season. Although this message was for the South Indiana Conference, it could have been addressed to the entire United Methodist Church (UMC).

In the United Methodist Church, campus ministry is that invaluable commodity that must be saved at all cost. It is, indeed, the seed corn for the Church.

CU: Why is this issue so important to the United Methodist Church?

This issue is important to the UMC because many annual conferences are struggling under the weight of declining memberships, unfunded pension liabilities and rising insurance costs. These expenditures are often used as the rationale for cutting the resources needed for program ministries. A familiar by-product of this perilous financial condition is a theology of scarcity, which permeates budgetary decisions. Some annual conferences have attempted to address the scarcity by relegating campus ministry to the local churches, closing long neglected Wesley Foundations and severing ecumenical partnerships, all of which feeds the seed corn.

Dr. Lovett Weems, Executive Director of the Lewis Center at Wesley Theological Seminary states that given the decline in the United Methodist Church “…every United Methodist leader should thank God every night for medical science. Without the advances in medicine and longer life expectancy, The United Methodist Church would have already died.” (Weems, 2006)

The denomination is in peril of being devoid of its leadership base in the next twenty years if we do not take drastic measures to recruit new leaders. One of the most important recruiting arenas in which to address this critical leadership challenge is the college and university campus where the Millennial Generation pervades the campuses across the nation.

CU: Why is this generation important to the church?

The Millennial Generation is the largest in United States’ history. Therefore, it is crucial for the church to identify ways to minister to and recruit from this sizeable population. Moreover, college is a viable venue for vocational discernment. Consequently for the church, this is an incalculable opportunity to improve our denomination’s future need for leadership. “The next two decades will bring the death of a large group of United Methodists nurtured in another era and with an exemplary dedication and commitment.”

If we do not take our university ministries seriously, we may not ever recover from these diminishing times.

CU: Are any annual conferences using a healthy approach to addressing this crisis?

Despite threatening conditions, there are annual conferences that see the importance of collegiate ministry. Pastors, lay leaders, doctors, professors, etc. will serve United Methodist institutions, because these progressive thinking annual conferences have faced down draconian measures in order to protect the “seed corn.” For these conferences, Campus Ministry cannot be left to chance and is viewed as vital part of our future.

CU: What about this leadership scarcity?

Dr. Ernest Smith, in an address to the parent body of the National Black Methodists for Church Renewal said that “it is blasphemous to shunt the expectation from our time to another. It is cowardly and without faith to cry that the situation will adjust itself”

The United Methodist Church requires a highly educated leadership. Therefore, we have a tremendous need for the harvest that academic communities produce. We however must not let the demands of today’s economic crisis undermine the promise of the future. The rapidly growing college population sorely needs a thinking faith and a faithful thinking message our Wesleyan tradition offers. In turn, the cause of Christ sorely needs young people.

Dr. Jerome King Del Pino, General Secretary of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry states that Campus Ministry is the linchpin for sustainable renewal of the United Methodist Church. It is of the utmost importance in helping young people to discern God’s call upon their lives. Statistically, the reality of decline is apparent. Dr. Weems points to these figures:

 

• In 1985 there were 3219 elders under the age of 35, in 2005 - 850.

• In 1985-15.06% of our clergy were under 35 years old, in 2005 – only 4.69%.

• Deacons under 35 years old are 5.41%, and Local pastors represent 5.67%, not much different than the elders’ numbers.

 

 

In many annual conferences these statistics are even more troubling. In 2005 there was only one elder under 30 years old and six were 34 and under out of 201 elders, representing 2.99% of the total number of elders in one Annual Conference. That is 1.7% below the ominous figures already presented in the denomination. In several other conferences these statistics are even worse.

Paul’s letter to the Romans raises this question in a spirit we Christians must take seriously if we are indeed intent on reaching this generation for Christ, and guide some of them into leadership roles within the church. Paul asks:

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent?
Romans10:14-15a , NRSV

Every annual conference is hereby compelled to develop a solid strategic plan for their higher education ministries. How in fact, do you propose to address the growing youth population throughout your conference and minister to them as they transition into college life? This plan has to give clear thought both high school and college ministries and ways to keep persons involved in the United Methodist Church throughout both their youth and young adult years. Then how do you propose to attract them back into local churches after college.

Further, it is of imperative that every United Methodist related campus ministry participate in the comprehensive Campus Ministry Review process the GBHEM has developed, in order to discern the strengths and growth areas each local campus ministry program needs. The program helps to discern the strengths and deficiencies in annual conference support of campus ministry as well. Finally, the program gives conferences an opportunity to celebrate the tremendous work already being done on campuses across and throughout their jurisdiction.

If there is to be adequate seed for the harvest, its care and effective use requires much work.

Weems, L. “Leadership for Reaching Emerging Generations”. Circuit Rider, March/April 2006.

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