Why Excellence in Ministry?

Why EIM? Why should we be concerned?

Beyond the fact that nearly half of seminary graduates leave pastoral ministry within 5 years, research from a number of Lilly Endowment-funded and outside studies shows:

• Only 1 in 10 who enter pastoral ministry will retire from ministry.
• Financial stress (often the result of outstanding undergraduate and graduate student loans, coupled with modest pastoral salaries) inhibits effective pastoral leadership and is likely to prompt a decision to seek a higher-paying occupation.
• Financial and relational costs of financial stress to both ministers and congregations are often beyond calculation.

Financial Stress Survey