By Justin Horey
Since Harvard University was established as the first private university in the United States almost 400 years ago, private colleges and universities have been recruiting young people—primarily high school students—to study in their halls. Recently, however, the average age of the American college student has been increasing. In 2022, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported the average age of college students in the U.S. had risen to 25. Experts only expect the changes to continue. Due to lower-than-typical birth rates in the late 2000s, college administrators are bracing for a substantial drop in the number of high school graduates—sometimes known as the looming “demographic cliff.”
These factors have combined to change the ways Bible colleges, especially smaller schools, recruit and train church leaders. Rather than focusing all their efforts on young people in their teens and early twenties, sometimes called “traditional” students, Christian colleges in 2025 are increasing their efforts with other age groups—seeking to equip and educate leaders in their thirties, forties, and beyond (the “non-traditional” students). Some of these potential students are already serving as church leaders but lack significant formal training. Others are answering a call to ministry by transitioning out of another career.
Researchers estimate that as many as 39 million Americans have some college education but no degree. Roughly a third of those people—more than 10 million—are churchgoers. So, while the workers may be few, the prospects are not. Here’s how some of our colleges and universities are responding to Jesus’ call to send workers into the harvest fields.
Recruiting Preachers and Church Leaders
Naturally, Christian colleges and universities employ different strategies for recruiting students of various ages and life stages into their ministry programs. One common theme that appeals to all students, however, is cost savings. It’s the most common method used by Christian colleges today to attract students. Eight Christian college presidents were interviewed for this article, and each one mentioned scholarships, reduced fees, or other cost-saving programs as effective recruiting tools. Johnson University, for example, offers a $10,000 minimum annual scholarship for students in its preaching program, on top of other grants and financial aid. Great Lakes Christian College recently launched its “Kingdom Worker Now” initiative: a three-course program that allows high school students to earn college credit for as little as $150.
Christian colleges also report that local churches are a significant source of new students from all age groups. David Fincher at Central Christian College of the Bible said, “My theory is, being in a church is the best place to find new students.” By maintaining strong relationships with local congregations, colleges have the opportunity to speak with high school students about the importance and value of attending Christian college to train for full-time ministry. Those connections also allow the colleges to meet other church members who are dissatisfied with their current careers and looking for something more meaningful. Additionally, many colleges also visit young people at camps, Christian high schools, homeschool associations, and youth conferences like Christ In Youth.
On-campus events are another important recruiting tool, especially for traditional students like high-schoolers and community college transfers. Manhattan Christian College hosts campus tours every Thursday, and any high school student who attends one of these “Thunder Thursdays” is automatically awarded a $500 scholarship. Manhattan also hosts an annual high school preaching tournament called “Timothy Days.” Students must be nominated to participate in the event, which awards scholarships to one male and one female student each year. Johnson University offers scholarships at its “PreachFest” event every spring, where high school students can earn scholarships ranging from $500 to $3,000.
Though they may not seem like obvious methods for recruiting church leaders, athletic programs are surprisingly strong sources of ministry students. Frank Weller from Great Lakes Christian College said the school’s athletic programs are key for recruiting students in all fields of study, including preaching. In fact, enrollment at GLCC hit an all-time high in 2024, with an increase of roughly 20 percent, thanks in part to additional student athletes. Every coach on campus understands the responsibility for engaging players in active discipleship, a process that often leads student athletes to pursue ministry degrees.
Finally, not all new church leaders are recruited to Christian colleges from off-campus. Terry Allcorn at Kentucky Christian University said, “We recruit from within.” Many of the current ministry students at KCU had originally declared a different major but changed their focus during their college years as they sensed a call from the Lord. Allcorn called this “a long tradition at KCU.”
Training Young Leaders
Most importantly, formal ministry training for preachers and church leaders—especially when designed for young people with little or no practical experience—must be theologically sound. It’s an obvious priority. In the words of Frank Weller, “Theology is important for all our students.” At Johnson University, all students have a major in Bible/Theology, in addition to their chosen field of study. This ensures that all Johnson grads, including those specifically training for church leadership in the “Ministry Leadership” major, have a solid theological foundation. Most of the colleges surveyed for this article require far more Bible or theology classes than mandated by the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). Ministry students at Mid Atlantic Christian University, for example, must complete nearly twice as many Biblical studies hours than required by ABHE.
At the same time, traditional students participate in practical, hands-on training throughout their college years. Since most younger students still value “the traditional college experience,” many choose to live on campus. At Manhattan Christian College, the staff and faculty make it a priority to develop strong, personal connections with the students. All MCC students complete “directed field experience” in their area of study—youth ministry or preaching, for example—along with 16 hours of service work each semester. Johnson requires its ministry students to participate in “service learning” in a local church, homeless shelter, sports ministry, or other organization.
Mid-South Christian College is preparing to go one step further. Under the leadership of new president Nick Griffin, whose own life and ministry was shaped by a long-term placement at a church during his college years, Mid-South is launching a “residency” program to place students in long-term training positions with local congregations. The program will be three years long, encompassing a traditional student’s sophomore, junior, and senior years. Griffin expects this program to not only enhance student training but also create opportunities for recruiting future Mid-South students.
Training Seasoned Leaders and Career Changers
At Louisville Bible College, nearly everything is non-traditional. The median student age is 38, there are only two buildings on campus, and each class meets just once per week. All of this is by design, to allow students to take classes while still working in full-time ministry. President Kerry Allen said, “I believe the biggest field we need to be cultivating is middle-aged men seeking a second or third career.”
Many colleges and universities emphasize practical, topical education for non-traditional students. David Fincher said, “For existing church leaders, a little bit of knowledge—a little bit of help—can go a long way.” This practical training takes various forms, including one-day seminars on topics such as “Ministering to Blended Families.”
Since non-traditional students often have careers or family commitments that prevent them from living or even studying on campus, colleges offer shorter classes and online programs for older enrollees. Terry Allcorn said, “When people feel called to ministry, at any age, we need to be able to take education to them.” As one way to accomplish this, the School of Bible and Ministry at KCU is launching new certificate programs at just $99 per course. Allcorn hopes the program will be particularly appealing for existing leaders from small and medium churches who are looking to begin their formal ministry training.
Shifting—But Still Preparing and Providing Ministers
Changing demographics, recent low birth rates, and other cultural factors have altered the ways Christian colleges recruit and train leaders. But no matter how difficult the challenges, our colleges and universities are committed to raising up laborers for the harvest. Kentucky Christian University’s Terry Allcorn expressed a sentiment shared by all when he said, “KCU is very concerned about providing strong leadership for our churches. We use any means of targeting a student that we can.”
From scholarships to church partnerships to athletics and more, today’s Christian colleges are employing varied and creative methods to identify and recruit the next generation of church leaders. Likewise, ministry training in 2025 is far from standardized. To meet the needs of young, old, and in between, Christian colleges and universities are developing and introducing training programs intended to provide theologically sound training with practical experience—both on and off campus. It’s a significant task, inspired by the words of Jesus himself, and one that requires flexibility. As the leader of an institution with more than 130 years of history, Daniel Overdorf, president of Johnson University, captured the feeling of his fellow educators well when he said, “We’ve been preparing ministers since 1893. But we continue to shift.”
Justin Horey is a writer, musician, and the founder of Livingstone Marketing. He lives in Southern California.
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