Experienced Youth Pastors

[Uth_Guy]

I am an experienced youth pastor with both national and international experiences (IMB) in serving the Lord.  Over the past many years, I have noticed that churches are staying away from the older, more experienced youth pastors and prefer the new guys right out of school.  (Many of them go on to adult ministry anyway in a few years.)  Many of us don't ;D

Wouldn't it suit churches desiring quality leadership and guidance for their young people to look to the ones with the experience and working know-how?

Church hiring trends can be confusing   Whaddya think?  

[saltcitybaptist]

I started my lay ministry as a youth pastor many years ago. Why would a church want an younger man as opposed to an experienced man? I have two possibilities.
1. a younger man will relate to the youth better.
2. a younger man will not be a threat to the senior pastor???

[Uth_Guy]

I know that it is a popular myth but I disagree with those that believe only younger YPs can relate to youth. That same argument wouldn't hold up if we said only senior (age) pastors can relate to the greying members of the church or that only a single pastor can relate to the singles in the membership, or even that pastors can not minister to the needs of the children in the church since he is not closer to their age.

When will we realize that we are in this together and good YPs are not using that office to climb to the senior pastor position. I do admit that some YPs can be like that. It's a shame, really, to the whole of church ministries.

In the level of importance of ministries at the local level, many times it goes:
1st adults
2nd: children
Very Distant 3rd: the teens.

I may be biased but good, experienced YPs should be in high demand for a church wanting to see great qualitative, and quanitative, growth. But again, I may be a touch biased on the subject! ;D

[Uth_Guy]

Come on pastors, let's hear your opinions who have youth ministers working in your church. Are they of value or is saltcitybaptist correct in his assessment that you think younger is better with youth and that pastors might be threatened about having a youth pastor on board?

[PastorRickWilson]

Having served as a Christian School Teacher when I first graduated from Bible College, followed by four years as a Youth Pastor then senior pastor for thirteen years here are my two cents:

1. Some Senior Pastors want Youth Pastors they can mold into their image - kind of like cloning. Generally speaking, an older man with more ministry experience is not as open to that kind of agenda by a Senior Pastor.

2. Younger men fresh out of Seminary or Bible College come cheaper than a man with a family. How sad it is to see what some Youth Pastors recieve even in larger churches.

3. Age is not that big an issue - some of the greatest teachers of youth are those who think young, love teens and have a great heart for God.

Am I all wet?
Rick