Why Churches Can’t Find Staff Anymore

Not long ago, churches assumed that if a staff position opened, candidates would appear. Résumés would arrive. Interviews would follow. Eventually, someone would say yes. Today, many church leaders are discovering that assumption no longer holds.

Across the country, churches are voicing the same frustration: “We can’t find a staff person.” The needs vary—children’s ministry, student ministry, worship leadership, assimilation, discipleship—but the struggle is the same.

This is not an isolated problem or a temporary disruption. It is a growing reality that requires honest assessment, fresh thinking, and the courage to reconsider long-held staffing assumptions.

Fewer People Are Being Trained for Local Church Ministry

For decades, churches relied on a steady stream of trained leaders from seminaries and Bible colleges. That stream has slowed to a trickle. Enrollment declines, rising educational costs, and shifting vocational expectations have all reduced the number of men and women preparing for church staff ministry.