Kooima 1

Layce Kooima

Mr. Rudebusch

English Comp IV

20 December 2019

Benefits of Youth Pastors

Churches need youth pastors to help guide teenagers into adulthood yet it has become

very common for many churches in America not to feel the need for a youth pastor. The main

reason why churches don't feel the need for having a youth pastor is that they don’t believe the

benefits of having one outweighs their cost. They see youth pastors as a luxury, one which is

often too costly for them to even try to afford. However, many teens could use the specialized

direction of a youth pastor. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the

leading national public health institute of the United States, “In the past year, 28.5% of teens

were depressed and 15.8% had seriously considered attempting suicide” (qtd. in King). These

numbers are much higher than in the past years in America. There are many programs and

services to assist teenagers when they feel themselves falling into suicidal thoughts, depression,

or uncontrollable anger, yet most programs fail to attack these negative thoughts or feelings at

the root. The root of these negative thoughts and feelings might include fear, insecurity, or

pressure pressed upon teenagers. Youth pastors provide a service that is dedicated to teenagers to

help address these issues. According to Rima and Barbara Shore, Christian writers based in New

York City, “Although anger between radically opposing religion exists, research shows that

religion/spirituality actually decreases the incidence of anger.... Clergy members can provide a

support system for angry teens” (qtd. in Pullen, et al.). The support system youth pastors provide
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to teenagers is essential to their overcoming thoughts or feelings of suicide, depression, or anger.

So, while some churches believe having a youth pastor is an unnecessary expense, churches need

a pastor who is specifically trained and fully focused on teenagers to guide them into adulthood

and to ready them for the future of the church.

Youth pastors cost less than a general pastoral pastor. According to the National Pastoral

Life Center, an organization whose goal is to serve the leadership of the Catholic Church's

pastoral ministry, the average salary of youth pastors

(in 2005) is $31,563 while the average salary of

general pastoral pastors is $34, 048 per year. General

pastoral pastors get paid $2485 more every year (qtd.

in McClory). This is a significant salary difference

between two pastors, yet according to Robert

McClory, a retired professor of journalism from

Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and the author of Faithful Dissenters, “...[youth

pastors] were almost universally positive about their work. Upwards of 94 percent described

their experience as ‘meaningful,’ ‘satisfying,’ ‘giving a sense of accomplishment,’ and

‘challenging.’” Even though youth pastors are getting paid so much less, they are still just as

passionate and driven as general pastoral pastors.

Youth pastors are critical to lowering the levels of teen pregnancy among teenage girls.

Over the decades, teen pregnancy has become more of an issue. Every year, more programs are

being founded for teen girls and many think teen pregnancies are increasing. Yet according to

Sarah Brown, the recently retired CEO of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and
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Unplanned Pregnancy, “....of the past two decades [there] has been [a] truly extraordinary

decline in teen pregnancy (down 42 percent) and teen childbearing (down 49 percent)...”

According to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Among those

teens who haven't had sex, the primary reason they give for...not doing it is that having sex at

this point in their lives is against their religion or morals”​ ​(qtd. in Brown). This shows that the

number of teen pregnancies is steadily decreasing as a result of the influence of religious morals

in the lives of teenagers. Youth pastors are on the front lines, working with teenagers in all areas

of their lives. Instilling these religious morals into teenagers is a large part of the job description

of a youth pastor, and something they are very influential in, so it could be said that they may

play a part in the decrease in teenage pregnancy this evidence shows.

Some churches or people may challenge my view by insisting that youth pastors have no

direct correlation to lowering to levels of teen pregnancy. Yet, I believe the point can be made

that without youth pastors teenagers would not know the religious morals behind pre-marital sex.

These morals are sometimes the only thing stopping many teenagers from taking part in

pre-marital sex.

Youth pastors are helping to increase the number of teenagers choosing to return to

church when they become adults. According to the Christian Century, a Christian magazine

based in Chicago, Illinois, “...teenagers are showing a surprising inclination to return to churches

and other religious institutions....”​ ​This “surprising inclination” is made possible under the

careful eye of churches changing their approach towards teenagers. According to the Christian

Century,
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Teenagers' weekly attendance rates...had dropped to 18 percent from the 23

percent recorded 20 years ago, [they] thought the downward trend would

continue. But, after repeating...earlier surveys and polling 3,600 teenagers last

year, [they] found regular attendance among teens had bumped back up to 22

percent.

So, teenagers are steadily returning to church, this shows that youth pastors are doing their job.

They are guiding teenagers through life and leading them in such a way that teenagers will

continue to return to church.

Youth pastors provide essential guidance to teenagers and young adults who are not

receiving it from their parents or surrounding. To start, I must address the fact that not all

churches value teenagers the same. Some churches believe that teenagers are the future of the

church and that they should be the main priority of the church, while others think that teenagers

are just a part of the church and that they should be treated in the same manner as everyone else

in the congregation. I believe churches need to look at who is going to be leading the church in

the future and see teenagers are going to have to step up and lead soon. This should drive

churches to do anything they can to provide resources, i.e. youth pastors, for teenagers, to instill

religious morals into them and lead them in such a way that they want to return to the church as

adults. After churches accept that they need to provide youth pastors for teenagers, they need to

help the youth pastors to identify the areas in which teenagers are lacking guidance in their lives.

One area in which teenagers today need additional guidance is hit on by Jonathan Vespa,

Jamie Lewis, and Rose Kreider, current writers and researchers for the U.S. Department of

Commerce: Economics and Statistics Administration, “In 2012, 19% of multigenerational

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households were below 100% of poverty compared with 12% of all family households.”

(Pullen). Poverty is only one of the many life situations that strike families in America. When

families face extreme poverty, it calls for extreme measures to be made. One extreme but highly

common measure is to put the oldest child, usually a teenager, to work to help provide for the

family. Being forced to work to provide for their family can put too much unneeded-stress and

can even cause bitterness in the teenager. ​According to Kathryn Puskar and Lisa Bernardo, the

Professor and Director of the Psychiatric CNS Program and the Associate Professor of the Health

and Community Systems for the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing (respectively),

“These factors often lead to risky behaviors that have adverse outcomes on adolescents, such as

depression, anxiety, anger, alcohol, and substance abuse” (Pullen).​ ​The “factors” that Puckar and

others are addressing are high-stress levels and bitterness. High-stress levels and bitterness can

cause many mental problems in teenagers that can lead to permanent damage in their personality.

Youth pastors are specialized trained leaders that can be there 24-7 for teenagers. Youth pastors

are the ones guiding these struggling teenagers through the trying times in their lives and helping

to prevent permanent damage to their personality when it could have been easily avoided through

seeking the counsel of a youth pastor.

Youth pastors are a necessity to churches regardless of how churches value teenagers.

Youth pastors help guide teenagers into adulthood and ready them for the future of the church,

yet many churches think that youth pastors are not worth what they are costing the church.

Teenagers are the future of our society and church, which means that if churches truly care about

the future of their congregation, they need to step up and provide the resources, i.e. youth

pastors, to teenagers. Without youth pastors, teenagers would be turning away from the church
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and falling deep into depression and bitterness. We all know that no good ideas or actions ever

come when teenagers fall into those emotions. So, the most logical and beneficial action for

churches to take when they are asking themselves if a youth pastor is worth the cost is to say yes

and secure the future of their congregation.

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Works Cited

Boyer, Paul. “Two Centuries of Christianity in America: An Overview.” ​Church History​. 70.3

(2001): 544-556. ​Academic Search Premier.​ Web. 22 Nov 2019.

Brown, Sarah. “Can Faith Prevent Teen Pregnancy?” ​Washington Post.​ (2013). ​SIRS Issues

Researcher.​ Web. 22 Nov 2019.

Christian Century. “Canadian teens returning to church.” ​Christian Century.​ 118.15 (2001): 12.

Academic Search Premier.​ Web. 6 Dec 2019.

Dekker, Jim. “RESILIENCE , THEOLOGY, AND THE EDIFICATION OF YOUTH: ARE WE

MISSING A PERSPECTIVE.” ​Journal of Youth Ministry.​ 9.2 (2011): 67-89.

Academic Search Premier.​ Web. 22 Nov 2019.

Eunsung, Kim. “Youth Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Youth Ministry.” ​Journal of Youth

Ministry.​ 10.1 (2011): 153-156. ​Academic Search Premier​. Web. 22 Nov 2019.

Grossman, Cathy Lynn and Stephanie Steinberg. “Teens getting less involved in church groups,

research shows.” ​USA Today.​ (2010). ​Academic Search Premier​. Web. 22 Nov 2019.

King, Keith A and Rebecca A. Vidourek. “Teen Depression and Suicide: Effective Prevention

and Intervention.” ​Prevention Researcher​. (2012). ​SIRS Issues Researcher.​ Web. 22 Nov

2019.

Mason, Cynthia and Lacretia Dye. “ATTENDING to BASIC NEEDS: IMPLEMENTING

REALITY THERAPY IN SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMS to ENHANCE

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT and CAREER DECISION-MAKING SKILLS.”

International Journal of Choice Theory & Reality Therapy​. 37.1 (2017): 46-55.

Academic Search Premier.​ Web. 22 Nov 2019.

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McClory, Robert J. “DOES IT PAY to work.” ​U.S. Catholic​. 71.3 (2006): 12-17. ​Explora Teens.​

Web. 22 Nov 2019.

Pullen, Lisa and Mary Anne Modrcin, Sandra L McGuire, Karen Lane, Melissa Kearnely, Sonya

Engle. “Anger in Adolescent Communities: How Angry Are They?” ​Pediatric Nursing.​

41.3 (2015): 135-140. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Dec 2019.