Speaking of there being dearth of young people willing to go into the ministry, let me suggest what a major part of the problem is.
First let me say something I think is not the major factor: fear of the #MeToo environment. We have had the issue of susceptibility to accusation by women hovering over us since the 1980s. While there are clergymen who take advantage of their "power" as pastor, male ministers tend to be the nicest men in the lives of women in their congregation and some of those women then tend to develop a special sense of relationship with the pastor. Most men clergy realize this and quietly and gently maintain their distance. We leave the door open to where the church secretary can easily be alert to any possible inappropriate behavior. We do not meet with women alone in any private setting. We've learned and now taught new clergy the ways to care without becoming tempting themselves or inadvertently tempting the women they serve as pastor.
What we have not learned nor taught is how to deal with conference leaders who through incompetence or ambition become Trump-like, willing to lie, willing to bully, willing to abuse their power. Seminarians see how that kind of leaders are operating and refuse to enter into conference relationships where they would be unable hold their leaders accountable. Some new members know how to thrive in that power-oriented environment by accepting subservience to such leadership and become "company men," male or female.
Such a bad work environment repels many aspiring pastors and eventually debilitates those who follow God's call into the ministry in a conference even knowing that they face that unhealthy work setting.
Will God help restore a Church facing such impediments? Yes, eventually, but with no help from conference leadership in those especially bad conferences.
