You've got it down to two candidates. Two resumes on your desk. You've interviewed both, and you know them well.
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Candidate A has a Master of Divinity degree and $80,000 in student debt. You're offering $45,000 for the role.
Candidate B has five years of marketplace leadership experience, a genuine heart for ministry, but no formal theological training.
Ten years ago, this would have been an easy choice for most church hiring teams.
Today? Not so much.
The ministry training pipeline is shifting under our feet, and pretending it's not happening won't help you or your church make better hiring decisions. Let's talk about what's actually changing—and what it means for your next hire.
Here's the uncomfortable reality: seminary costs have tripled in the last twenty years. Meanwhile, ministry salaries have stayed essentially flat—in many cases barely keeping pace with inflation.
We're asking passionate, called individuals to go $60,000, $80,000, even $100,000 into debt for a job that pays $40,000 to $50,000 annually. The math simply doesn't work anymore.
And here's what makes it worse: the people who can afford this equation—those with family money, spouses with high incomes, or significant personal savings—often aren't the diverse, culturally aware, empathetic leaders our churches most need right now.
Without meaning to, we've created a system that selects for privilege rather than calling.
Something else has been happening outside the church walls. The marketplace has been developing some exceptionally sharp leaders—people with genuine ministry hearts who learned their craft in corporate America.
Some of the most effective ministry minds I know never went to seminary. They cut their teeth on real budgets, managing actual teams, and navigating complex organizational challenges. They understand systems thinking, people development, and organizational health at a level that often exceeds what traditional seminary training provides.
These leaders are looking for meaningful work that matters. They want to use their skills for something bigger than quarterly earnings reports.
But our job descriptions still say "MDiv required" or "seminary degree preferred."
"Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach..." - 1 Timothy 3:1-2 (NIV)
Reflection: Notice what Paul emphasizes here—character qualities and competencies, not credentials or degrees. The focus is on who they are and what they can do, not where they studied.
Before you fire off that email, let me say this plainly: theological training matters. Biblical literacy is crucial, especially for teaching and preaching roles. Seminaries provide incredible value in helping leaders think theologically, understand church history, and engage with Scripture at deeper levels.
But we might be confusing the goal with the method.
The goal is biblically grounded, theologically sound, competent ministry leaders. Seminary has been one excellent path to that goal. But it's not the only path, and given the current economics, it may not even be the most sustainable path for many called leaders.
The most forward-thinking churches aren't waiting for the perfect candidate with the perfect degree. They're adapting their approach to ministry training and development. Here's what they're doing:
They're hiring for three things: character, competency, and coachability—not just credentials.
They're creating internal development tracks that provide theological education and ministry training on the job.
They're partnering with online programs and leadership institutes that offer accessible, affordable theological training.
They're investing in mentorship instead of requiring degrees upfront—bringing people on through internships and residency programs where real learning happens.
And here's what's interesting: their teams are thriving. They're not sacrificing quality—they're actually expanding their talent pool and developing loyal, well-trained leaders who are deeply invested in their specific ministry context.
What happens if we keep doing things the old way? Here's the likely outcome:
Okay, I know—Jesus didn't technically "hire" anyone or have a payroll department. But humor me for a moment and think about his approach to building a team.
Fishermen. Tax collectors. Political zealots. Not one seminary graduate in the bunch. (Granted, there weren't seminaries to graduate from, but you get my point.)
Jesus trained them on the job. He brought them along, showed them how it's done, corrected them when they got it wrong, and sent them out to practice what they'd learned.
Paul was a marketplace guy—highly educated, yes, but he learned ministry through mentorship and practice, not through formal ministry training.
"And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others." - 2 Timothy 2:2 (NIV)
The biblical model is relational mentorship and multiplication. Maybe we're overthinking this.
Here's what I want you to do: Pull up your current job descriptions—or the requirements you have in mind for your next hire.
Ask yourself this question: How many of these requirements are actually biblical necessities versus traditional preferences or denominational expectations?
What would happen if you posted "theological training provided" instead of "MDiv required"?
You might be surprised who applies. You might discover leaders you would have never found otherwise.
The churches that thrive in the next decade will be the ones that hire for heart and develop for competency—not the ones waiting for perfect resumes.
The ministry training pipeline is changing, whether we like it or not. I see it every day in the conversations we have with churches at Chemistry Staffing. The hiring landscape today is dramatically different than it was even five years ago.
The question isn't whether things are changing. The question is: Will you adapt with it, or get left behind?
If you're feeling uncertain about how to navigate this new reality—if you haven't hired in years and you're not sure where to start or what's realistic to expect—you're not alone. We enter into these conversations with churches every single week, helping them figure out who they should hire, who they can afford, and what God actually has in store for their next leader.
What's your experience with this shifting landscape? Are you seeing the same patterns in your hiring? Have you found creative solutions to the seminary debt vs. ministry salary dilemma? I'd love to hear from you. Send your thoughts to podcast@chemistrystaffing.com.
This post is based on Episode 650 of the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. Subscribe to never miss an episode.