Changes

===Clergy today===

===Clergy today===

Of the Methodist clergy nationwide, 79% are men and 89% are white; the average age is 51, with 19 years experience in the ministry.  Over 40% live in the South and nearly one-third in the Midwest; only about one-sixth are found in the Northeast and one-tenth in the West. About half of the UMC pastors live in small towns; a fourth live in small cities and the last quarter live in major cities. About one in five congregations are primarily working-class groups, two-fifths are middle class, and the rest mixed by class.  Over 90% have graduated from college, and over 80% are seminary graduates. About one in four has attended graduate school. Methodist policy is to keep rotating ministers, who spend an average of ten years with one church then are reassigned.<ref>See John C. Green, "United Methodist Church" in ''Pulpit and Politics: Clergy in American Politics at the Advent of the Millennium'' ed. by Corwin E. Smidt. (2004) pp 83-100, [http://www.questia.com/library/book/pulpit-and-politics-clergy-in-american-politics-at-the-advent-of-the-millennium-by-corwin-e-smidt.jsp online edition]</ref>

Of the Methodist clergy nationwide, 79% are men and 89% are white; the average age is 51, with 19 years experience in the ministry.  Over 40% live in the South and nearly one-third in the Midwest; only about one-sixth are found in the Northeast and one-tenth in the West. About half of the UMC pastors live in small towns; a fourth live in small cities and the last quarter live in major cities. About one in five congregations are primarily working-class groups, two-fifths are middle class, and the rest mixed by class.  Over 90% have graduated from college, and over 80% are seminary graduates. About one in four has attended graduate school. Methodist policy is to keep rotating ministers, who spend an average of ten years with one church then are reassigned..<ref>See John C. Green, "United Methodist Church" in ''Pulpit and Politics: Clergy in American Politics at the Advent of the Millennium'' ed. by Corwin E. Smidt. (2004) pp 83-100, [http://www.questia.com/library/book/pulpit-and-politics-clergy-in-american-politics-at-the-advent-of-the-millennium-by-corwin-e-smidt.jsp online edition]</ref>

Theologically the clergy are mostly orthodox. Over 80% believe that "Jesus will return to earth one day," and more than two-thirds believe in the Virgin Birth. 60% say that the devil actually exists and that "there is no other way to salvation but through belief in Jesus Christ." Only a third say that the Bible is the "inerrant Word of God" and that "Adam and Eve were real people." Two-thirds endorsed the historical Methodist focus on individual sanctification. In terms of self-labels, 63% call themselves "mainline"; 51% say they are "evangelical"; and 49% called themselves "ecumenical."

 

Theologically the clergy are mostly orthodox. Over 80% believe that "Jesus will return to earth one day," and more than two-thirds believe in the Virgin Birth. 60% say that the devil actually exists and that "there is no other way to salvation but through belief in Jesus Christ." Only a third say that the Bible is the "inerrant Word of God" and that "Adam and Eve were real people." Two-thirds endorsed the historical Methodist focus on individual sanctification. In terms of self-labels, 63% call themselves "mainline"; 51% say they are "evangelical"; and 49%

called themselves "ecumenical.". (The categories overlapped heavily).

Politically the clergy are mildly liberal on social issues. Democrats slightly outnumbered Republicans by 48% to 41% in 2000, but they voted 46% to 46% for Gore and Bush. Only 30% either took a stand on a political issue from the pulpit or prayed publicly for any  political candidate that year

Politically the clergy are mildly liberal on social issues. Democrats slightly outnumbered Republicans by 48% to 41% in 2000, but they voted 46% to 46% for Gore and Bush. Only 30% either took a stand on a political issue from the pulpit or prayed publicly for any  political candidate that year