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
