Following up the last post “Young to be a Minister” here are a couple of images I’ve found on the topic…
Portrait of a Young Minister of Religion by British School
Portrait of a Young Minister by British School
Again interesting images, and show how things can be seen by the outside.
While at an event, that was not related to the church, I was asked what I do for a living. When I explained that I was a minister, one person remarked that I was to young to be a minister, because they are all near the age to draw their pensions.
Well this has got me thinking about age in some roles. I avoided going into the ministry till I was in my late twenties so that I could get some life experience. Also along side this there is the whole debate around the missing generation. Being in the grouping that is been looked at, and knowing many others who are, I would say a disproportionate amount of those who are within the church are active in some role. This is interesting as many express the fact that they are called to the role and ministry which they do, so one conclusion is that they would have stayed any way.
Thus this has me thinking about the public perception of the church membership and those who are called to representative ministry. Does a young(er) minister portray a church as being younger, and on the back of this does the minister need to act young?
revjamespb 