Crowded Pulpits: Observations and Explanations of the Clergy Oversupply in the Protestant Churches, 1950-1993

Abstract

This paper examines the supply of clergy relative to members and churches in fourteen denominations from 1950-1993. It finds that while in general, membership is declining and the number of churches is remaining relatively stable, the number of clergy continues to increase producing a situation of labor over supply. The paper considers explanations that locate the cause of declining occupational prestige and over supply on the entry of women into the clergy profession. However, it shows that the oversupply problem predated the entry of women into ordained occupations. This pattern supports labor queuing explanations based on the work of Reskin and Roos. Looking at a subset of these denominations in 1983 and 1993, the study also seeks to uncover the consequences of the labor surplus and finds that one result of this over supply has been a dramatic increase in the percentage of clergy working in non-parish ministries. Various explanations of this shift are briefly examined.