ECUSA Teens Need Leaders Worth Imitating

According to early numbers from the National Study for Youth and Religion (www.youthandreligion.org), Episcopal churches aren’t doing a good job discipling youth. For example, while "85% of all U.S. teens definitely believe in God," only "74% of ECUSA teens definitely believe in God."

As depressing as numbers like these are, Trinity’s Associate Professor of Youth Ministry, the Rev. Whis Hays, was not at all surprised. "Studies have shown that teens in small churches have similar issues of underdeveloped faith. Since most Episcopal churches are quite small, the disturbing result of this study was predictable . . ."

What causes statistics like these? The Rev. Jack Gabig (M.Div. ’95), who is currently doing ethnographic research among ECUSA teens, concludes that "we have done an okay job of socializing our kids into religious patterns but have failed to bring them into a meaningful relationship, connect them with the One we worship, or even teach them why."

What do we do about such distressing statistics? Trinity Alumnus Dixon Kinser (MAME ’03), Youth Minister at St. Bartholomew’s, Nashville, thinks that "ECUSA teens need leaders worth imitating. Yes, they need leaders that preach soundly and teach good doctrine, but ultimately they need leaders who are worth imitating, who imitate Jesus." Surely, leaders who are worth imitating can assist churches and families in helping teens connect with God.

Trinity offers ways for the growing of these types of leaders. Kinser describes the Student Ministry Professionals Program, which Trinity offers in conjunction with Rock the World, as a program that "disciples leaders to make disciples. They are forming communities of faith and relational networks of Youth Ministers."

The Rev. Hays elaborates, "The Rock the World/Trinity partnership equips Christian young people themselves to be spiritual leaders. We also train adult leaders to foster this process in local church ministries with young people."

But is youth ministry leadership really the only issue in question? The Rev. Gabig is quick to point out that "trying to lay the blame for such a lack of discipleship on any one factor, person or office in the church or in society, would be just too facile. One way of addressing this, however, would be to encourage better teaching and pastoral care, facilitating deeper community for both individual families and the congregation as a church family . . . to do their God-given job of raising children in the faith (Deut. 6:6-9). In today’s society we are accustomed to outsourcing anything that seems too big for us to handle." This type of leadership needs the pastoral care of deeply committed rectors and lay leaders, just the type of people that Trinity equips.

While we do not know if these statistics are descriptive of the parishes where Trinity youth ministry graduates are serving, or of churches that employ Trinity alumni, there is good reason to doubt that they are. Trinity’s commitment to youth ministry – with its three partnerships with Rock the World, Young Life, and Pittsburgh Youth Network (as well as an informal commitment to help train FOCUS staff) and its rootedness in biblical theology – allows Trinity graduates to be poised to create new statistics. Our prayer is that these statistics will show that young people can be called to Christian leadership today. Moreover, they will identify teens as a demographic who truly can love and serve the One whom they worship.