The First Pulpit Project is seeking adventurous congregations that aspire to develop a special expertise -- helping newly graduated seminarians get a successful start in their ministerial careers.

A First Pulpit church will call or hire only recent seminary graduates for their first ministries, for a period of no longer than five years. The goal of the First Pulpit Project is that when a minister does move on after “learning the ropes,” the congregation can take great pride in how it has mentored that new minister.

Profile of congregations that have the potential to become First Pulpit churches

May have a history of clergy turnover, which has left the congregation feeling somewhat left behind by ministers who move to “taller steeple” churches.

Has a desire to help a new minister discern and live out his or her call.

May feel the church’s vision has become ambiguous, and wish to become a “niche” church that has a more focused sense of mission.

Must believe it has the capacity to become a teaching congregation and assume a mentoring role to recently graduated seminarians.

Must realize that becoming a successful First Pulpit church is a congregational responsibility, and not of lay leaders or paid staff alone.

Must have financial resources to pay clergy salaries and benefits above the norm, to attract the high potential seminary graduates. First Pulpit churches cannot reflect a culture that money is so scarce that only the status quo can be maintained.

Must be free of recent, excessive, or paralyzing conflict.

Profile of lay leadership of the church

Leaders who embody a sense of adventure and do not reflect an attitude of, “We’ve always done it this way.”

Leaders who realize that becoming a “niche” church will mean a different way of life, and are willing to embrace some amount of change in developing a new expertise.

Leaders who will give a new minister the benefit of the doubt for initiatives that he/she might propose.

Leaders who will familiarize themselves with the literature in regard to clergy transitions,
and who will develop an expertise necessary to create a church that will succeed at this task.

Congregants as individuals

Congregants who will be generous of spirit toward recently graduated seminarians, and will not be overly critical of mistakes that a new minister may make while learning.

Congregants who realize a new focus will mean letting go of some current aspects of church life in order to create a new future.

Congregants who are willing to lessen the importance of their own personal needs in order to create a teaching church.

The process

Congregations complete a brief application form to determine if they meet the profile of a First Pulpit congregation.

The congregation will elect or appoint a First Pulpit team of 6-8 people who are forward-looking, generous, open-minded, flexible, and committed to the future of the church.

A six to nine month period of training and orientation will follow, in which leaders of the First Pulpit project will conduct two weekend sessions with the congregational team, and one session with the congregation as a whole.

The leaders of the First Pulpit Project will notify seminaries across the US of the First Pulpit concept, and assist in identifying outstanding candidates.

The church conducts its search for a newly graduated seminarian.

A “pre-call” orientation is scheduled for the seminary graduate who is called.

Leaders of the First Pulpit Project will provide ongoing consultation by phone and e-mail during all phases of the process.

Lay leaders and ministers are likely to have the opportunity to meet with clergy and lay leaders from other First Pulpit churches. One goal is to develop a new literature about effective First Pulpit methods.

First Pulpit churches will need to invest $4,500 per quarter over a two-year period for the training and orientation programs required to chart this new course successfully.

Project Director:
Michael Durall