Dear Friend,
All churches, big and small, need pastors.
Pastors are responsible for shepherding, leading, feeding, and guiding their faith communities to spiritual growth and service to further the gospel. As spiritual leaders, they are crucial to the spiritual health of their congregations and of each person in their flocks. They keep watch over us as those who must give an account to God (Hebrews 13:17).
It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? What is the state of pastoral need in Canada? Are we facing a looming critical pastoral shortage? If so, how might the church in Canada respond in wisdom?
These questions have inspired a new research project from the EFC’s Centre for Research on Church and Faith that aims to look closer at pastoral needs (calling, training and retention) in Canada. This research will be done in collaboration with Northwest Seminary’s PROPEL Project, an initiative involving 14 partner organizations that will help theological schools prioritize and respond to the most pressing challenges they face as they prepare the next generation of pastoral leaders.
The Need
A great number of pastors in Canada are at or nearing retirement age. In 2024, the EFC published an article in
Faith Today in which Rick Hiemstra wrote that “evangelical churches in Canada will need around 625 new pastors per year over the next 12 years just to deal with retirements.”
At the same time, enrollment in Canadian seminaries and theological schools shows a significant shift. Increasingly, students are choosing counselling-related studies rather than enrolling in traditional pastoral and congregational leadership programs.
It has been estimated that for every pastor that becomes a senior pastor, there are seven retiring. Churches are losing leaders much faster than seminaries can train replacements.
We believe that this research study is a timely response to the urgent need for pastoral leadership in Canadian churches and makes strategic use our resources and expertise.
Our Resources and Expertise
The EFC is uniquely positioned to access its evangelical affiliate network of 49 denominations, 85 ministry organizations, 33 post-secondary schools, and over 400 congregations. EFC affiliates will be invited to participate as partners in the project. This will help ensure that the research is representative of the church in Canada, and that the findings are in keeping with their needs and relevant for making ministry decisions.
As well, we bring over a decade of research expertise and experience in facilitating collaborative research partnerships oriented toward ministry application and lasting impact. Recent research studies include:
- church youth retention and faith formation during emerging adulthood,
- the needs of small evangelical churches,
- the parental discipleship of children in the home,
- how Canadian women participate in local churches, and
- how social media engagement affects the faith of Canadian youth.
The EFC is deeply committed to seeing the evangelical movement in Canada strengthened in its capacity to proclaim the gospel; our mandate is to call Evangelicals to “greater visible unity in Gospel witness.” We are confident this research project will help equip churches to address the pastoral shortage while strengthening the capacity of the evangelical movement in Canada to proclaim the gospel faithfully.
Researching the landscape of pastoral need in Canada, and examining the barriers and opportunities around pipeline entry and retention, will help key stakeholders get the answers to questions like:
- How many churches need and will be needing pastors in Canada (in light of data on pastoral positions, vacancies, appointment terms, age and expected retirement, etc.)?
- What leads Christians with the God-given talents for leadership, teaching and care to aspire to become pastors? What factors influenced why they do or do not consider pastoral leadership as a vocation?
- What are the strategies for identifying and equipping pastoral candidates?
- What has caused the decrease in students enrolled in pastoral ministry programs?
- What challenges and opportunities impact why pastors stay in or leave pastoral ministry? What factors contribute to pastoral resiliency and longevity in ministry?
Research like this is an important part of what the EFC does for its affiliates and constituents. Will you partner with us in our efforts to support our pastors, the local churches, and the work of our affiliate schools and ministry organizations? Will you invest in future of the church in Canada with a generous donation?
May Christ use our efforts to bless and strengthen His church in Canada.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Guretzki
President & CEO