The Episcopal Church could experience a serious clergy shortage in the next 10 years if it does not start actively recruiting young people to consider the priesthood as a vocation.

According to a recent study by Matthew Price, a researcher for the Church Pension Group, a void left when Baby Boomer priests retire and there are no Gen X’ers (those born between 1961 and 1981) to take their place will create a “significant and widespread priest shortage.”

The number of ordinations to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church has been declining since 1990. In addition, the age of those seeking ordination has increased, with the average age of ordination rising from 32 in 1970 to more than 44 in 2000. This complicates the situation because the newly ordained will reach retirement age at the same time as many active clergy.

To complicate matters, most retirements are expected to occur in small parishes that pay less in compensation and have smaller budgets – the very parishes that are now having the most difficulty attracting and retaining clergy.

A study conducted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America states that one reason small or rural churches cannot attract clergy is limited opportunities for employment for the clergy spouse. Another reason is that such churches are often some distance away from amenities and opportunities offered by larger cities.